One of the things I enjoy about writing is the freedom to write not only on health and fitness, but also on a wide variety of topics as well. I talk a lot about healthy foods and what they can do for your body but today I wanna talk about a supplement.
I know, I know. A supplement. It’s not my usual style for sure but this one I think bears examining a little.
Here in the states, the flu right now is extremely serious. You can’t see the news without more awful stories coming out about people dying, many are children.
This supplement kept coming to me in a variety of ways so I figured I needed to investigate it further. I will always encourage real, whole food sources over supplements, but I believe this supplement is most likely easier for people to get their hands on, thus receiving the benefits.
I’ve been reading about elderberries, and how they can actually help slow the virus or cut the duration shorter.
What are elderberries?
Elderberries are the fruit of the flowering plant known as Sambucus, more commonly referred to as elder or elderflower.
You will mainly find elderberries in the Northern hemisphere, particularly in Europe and North America, although some southern species are grown in Australia. The berries are black or very dark blue and have a sharp, sweet flavor that makes them highly preferred for desserts, syrups, jams, jellies, spreads, and as the base for various cocktails and drinks.
Since most of the berries in the genus Sambucus are toxic, caution is suggested and cooking the elderberries before consuming is always a wise choice. The branches, leaves, and twigs of all species contain trace elements of cyanide, which can build up in your body and eventually kill you, so be careful! ( how’s that for a fun and random fact??) if you decide to buy elderberries make sure you get them in a licensed reputable store. Don’t pick and eat wild berries as not all are safe to eat.
However, despite the implicit risks of elderberries, they are packed with beneficial nutrients, so they have been a part of traditional medicine for hundreds of years and some health benefits have become more commonly acknowledged. We’ll look at some of those below.
Elderberry actually has a very long history of medicinal use. Most historians typically trace it’s healing power back to Hippocrates, the ancient Greek known as the father of medicine and who described the plant as his “medicine chest” due to the wide array of health concerns it seemed to cure.
Used for its antioxidant activity to lower cholesterol, improve vision, boost the immune system, improve heart health and for coughs, colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections and tonsillitis. Elderberry juice was used to treat a flu epidemic in Panama in 1995.
Do I have your attention now? It certainly grabbed mine when I started reading about it.
Health benefits of the elder plant
It naturally improves colds, the flu, sinus issues, nerve pain, inflammation, allergies, chronic fatigue, and constipation.
Get this… studies have shown when used within the first 48 hours of onset of symptoms, the extract has actually been found to reduce the duration of the flu with symptoms being relieved on average 4 days sooner.
During the ’95 flu epidemic the government actually employed the use of elderberry to fight the flu.
Elderberry has been the subject of numerous studies that shows it can actually decrease the duration and symptoms of the influenza virus. The high levels of antioxidants present in the extract are able to interfere with the activity of the virus itself.
Wait.. there’s more….
when it comes to antioxidants power, elderberry is higher in flavonoids than blueberries, cranberries, goji berries, and blackberries!
Elderberries are an excellent general immune system booster. Elderberry extract has been shown to be a safe, efficient and cost effective treatment for colds and flu.
With elderberries anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, it naturally helps clear and heal sinus issues.
Other ways it has been used and has benefits include:
It can help lower blood sugar, it’s a natural diuretic and laxative, and with it’s antioxidants and flavonoids as well as its high Vitamin A content, it makes it excellent for skin health.
The high levels of essential minerals help promote bone strength and development of new bone tissue.
Where do I get this super power food/supplement ?
As mentioned above, if you buy the berries, make sure they are from a reliable source. They offer many health benefits, including a high dose of daily fiber.
However, you can buy supplements that come in the forms of syrups, lozenges, and capsules. Dosing varies for each so it’s important you follow the directions on the package. These products can be found at local health and wellness stores or purchased online. These supplements as mentioned when taken accordingly can help with colds and flu.
Of course, if you feel like doing it, you can always make your own syrups from the berries.
Are there any side effects?
As with any herbal remedy it’s important to be aware of anything unusual you may experience. Signs of reactions could be a rash or difficulty breathing. Both should have immediate medical care. As mentioned it’s a diuretic so if you have kidney problems you may need to stay away from it.
In summary
This post is not meant as medical treatment or to suggest not using all available healthcare to keep you and your family well. It was intended to inform and educate to help alongside your health care choices. There is enough research to support elderberry helping with colds and flu that I thought it was relevant enough in this time to share with you.
Share with me. Have you tried this? If so, what has been your experience?
2017 culminated for me with all of those things coming together at once as I finished the year with my first multi sport event, a duathlon. If you don’t know that is a run/bike/run event. Find my recap on it here….. https://sassyfitnesschick.com/2017/12/05/duathlon-journey-the-recap/
It was certainly something I never saw myself doing a couple years ago, much less placing first in my age group, that’s for sure. I’ve found in the pursuit of these sports I love, I’ve had to lay a foundation and then just start building on it.
Yeah I’m smiling a little. All that hard work paid off.
Running takes some serious base miles before you start extending distance. Even in distance running, there are days where I do interval runs to push myself faster. Short runs. Long runs. Speed. Or just easy miles.
Cycling in similar ways takes some base building although I found it fairly easy to transition to cycling. I guess all that running built some powerful legs that work on the bike too 😛
Of course, I can’t forget the strength training. Lifting weights, core work, and simple body moves all contribute to building a body for activities I love.
Who says muscles and cycling don’t go together
Starting into this year, without a scheduled event at this point, I still practice a variety of activities during the week, just not as intense right now. Well.. mostly… haha
One of my training sessions is always a bit tough and it should be because it’s all about building strength.
What you may be wondering, do I speak of ?
Hills.
If you want to build your legs and butt, do hills. If you want to turn your cardiovascular system into an efficient machine, do hills.
And when I say do them, I mean frequently. Start walking them, eventually you can run a part, and then finally, you will scale up them like nothing.
Hills singlehandedly make me feel like a beast, whether I’m on foot or bike.
That being said, 5 miles on foot this morning, with plenty of hill repeats. As I turned around and headed back, I saw the hill in front of me, the one in this photo.
it’s way more fun running down this 😉
As I approached it I started thinking about what it felt like on the bike. I felt the familiar… I’m not sure what is the best word here… fear? it’s more like a healthy respect of something that is bigger than me. No matter how many times I do it, when I see it in the distance, I feel that anticipation and adrenaline rush.
Immediately the thought came to mind… “what are you afraid of?” I already knew the answer before it came.
“Failing”. My inner dialogue continued.. “and have you ever failed? Have you ever failed to do what’s in front of you?”
The answer was “No”. Not even in my beginning cycling days when I’d be in the wrong gear and have to muscle it up did I ever NOT ride all the way up.
I was reminded (again) that if I dont do something that puts a healthy fear in me, it’s not a challenge, I might as well go home.
I just can’t do that.
It just feels so powerful when I accomplish something that challenged not just my body, but my mind. I’ve found tremendous growth occurs when I let that “healthy, fearful respect” of something challenge me. And when I’m challenged in that way, I’m changed.
It helps me see and understand I don’t have to be limited in what I do. The important part is being available and going after it.
I was having a tire fixed on my bike today. I thought it was “just” a flat. It turns out it was the tube and tire… gone… shot.
When I do it, I do it up right haha
Anyway, the guy who owns the place and sold me my little Cannondale has encouraged my cycling endeavors and made sure the bike was in top condition before my duathlon. He asks me today… ” soooo is a triathlon in your future?”
Why yes, yes I did laugh.
He looks at me… “you don’t swim?”
My response, “Oh I can ok enough, but I’m certainly not a competitive swimmer.”
He gives me that level look and says, “of course you know you can do it. Just get out there”
Here’s a little not known secret about me… I just don’t like having my face in the water. It really just weirds me out. And I will seriously need to move past that if I’m to consider a tri in some distant future.
Am I capable? I know I am. I never saw myself as a long distance runner or now a duathlete, yet here I am.
I guess you could say there’s a bit of healthy fear when I look a triathlon fully in the face. I’ve felt it each time I’ve considered a bigger athletic goal.
I either look it in the eye, stomp down those feelings and tackle it… or… I turn and run and never know what I’m fully capable of achieving.
What about you? Can you relate to any of this? Have you felt a healthy fear of pursuing something that seemed way bigger than you thought possible?
If something scares you… maybe you just need to go ahead and do it. You’ll never know how it will grow you until you let it stretch you outta your comfort zone.
It’s outside of our comfort zone we discover what we’re really made of.
I thought I might get a little sweet on you today. No, we’re not talking about candy.
Veggies have been getting exposure on my blog so I wanted to give fruit some advertising time too.
What better fruit to start with than one of my most favorites, blackberries. I’m pretty sure I eat them most days of the week, sometimes multiple times in my day. The past year not only have they been really on the affordable, often crazy cheap side, they’ve been awesomely sweet too.
Cheap,sweet AND ridiculously good for you?? Say what?!
Oh, and you don’t have to peel, slice or prepare them other than wash them.
Now……get over here and get in on the scoop if you don’t know about these wonder berries and I’ll tell you why you should be consuming these tasty morsels.
How about a little history lesson first?
Blackberries belong to the Rubus genus in the Rosaceae family and have been used for their medicinal values for more than 2000 years. The traditional usage of blackberry fruit, leaf, bark and roots by the Romans and Greeks was for healing numerous health conditions that ranged from mild infections to venomous bites. In fact, during the 18th century the Greek cure of using blackberry for treating gout was so influential in Europe that it was famously known as the ‘gout berry’. Recent scientific evidences have contributed extensively in unearthing the therapeutic potential of blackberries and its worldwide consumption.
The berries are known by a variety of names including brambleberries, brambles, dewberry or thimbleberry.
Whatever you wanna call them, I’ll eat them.
Big and delicious 🙂
Are blackberries nutritious?
Yes!
The nutrient list of blackberries is extensive. They are loaded with Vitamin C (a 100g serving has 23 mg or 35 percent of the recommended daily allowance or RDA), but are low in calories (only 43 calories per 100g serving) and sodium. They are an excellent source of both soluble and insoluble fiber.
One cup of blackberries has over 7.6 grams of fiber, more than a cup of bran flakes! ( and probably a lot more enjoyable) this one cup offers 30% of our daily needs. Who says fiber can’t taste good?
Blackberries are also rich in vitamins A, E, K, and B vitamins, as well as antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which scavenge free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and chronic diseases. They are one of the best high-ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) foods available. Minerals like copper, manganese, magnesium, potassium, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, riboflavin, niacin, and folic acid, are also found in this fruit
The humble blackberry contains impressively high levels of phenolic flavonoid phytochemicals, such as ellagic acid, anthocyanins, tannin, gallic acid, pelargonidins, quercetin, cyanidins, kaempferol,catechins, and salicylic acid.
I know there are lots of big words here but they do lots of big things!
These antioxidant compounds protect against aging, inflammation, cancer, and other neurological diseases.
You want products that offer anti-aging? Don’t look for it in lotions or creams. Eat foods that contain high levels of antioxidants, of which blackberries are extremely rich in. According to a research from the Human Nutrition Research Center, eating a cup of blueberries daily can help to reduce oxidative stress in 2 regions of human brain and protect neurons. In fact, most fruits and vegetables with the dark violet color can work to fight off fee radicals, a key component that damages DNA ( meaning, aging)
There is also growing research suggesting blackberries might be among the most potent cancer fighting fruits.
Blackberries may also be good for your brain health suggesting that the high antioxidant level in blackberries, strawberries and other berries may prevent age-related memory loss.
Do you want glowing skin and beautiful hair?
Every since I learned about the connection between nutrients and the aging process, I’ve kicked up my antioxidant game.
Because of large amounts of vitamin A, C, and K blackberries have skin rejuvenation properties. Blackberries are also about 85% water so you are naturally hydrating your skin from the inside out. ( drinking plenty of water is the best way to keep skin hydrated)
There are also several face masks you can make with blackberries to hydrate skin. I’m not actively promoting them as I haven’t tried them (yet) but if you like experimenting, find one and give it a try.
They also consist of collagen-forming vitamin C, and a small amount of vitamin A. Acting as antioxidants, these vitamins can protect their skin cells from the damage resulted by free radicals that contribute to skin aging. Therefore, regular consumption of blackberries could protect the skin against UVA and UVB damage and aid in skin cell renewal.
The antioxidants found in blackberries are proven to be good for the hair. There are some ways in which they could support healthy, smooth hair. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant which is largely responsible for collagen, making hair healthy and strong.
Is it time to eat them yet?
of course the best way to eat them is crisp and cold right out of the carton. seriously I can nibble them away in an afternoon and wonder why the carton is empty.
Thank goodness they are so low in calories, high in fiber and loaded with all those good antioxidants!
I also use blackberries for a fast healthy protein packed breakfast with non fat Greek yogurt and some raw almonds.
I also enjoy tossing them in a spinach salad with strawberries, feta cheese, some chopped almonds and a few other colorful veggies.
Of course you can always use them to make tasty baked goods like blackberry cobbler 😉
I’m attaching a recipe from my Pinterest collection I haven’t tried yet but it’s happening soon.
Crockpot Blackberry Jam, because you know, homemade biscuits 😉 Ok I’ll add that recipe here for you too. Enjoy!
Tell me…do you like blackberries? How do you enjoy eating them?
“I am who I’m meant to be, this is me, look out ’cause here I come and I’m marching on to the beat I drum, I’m not scared to be seen, I make no apologies, this is me…..”
So I finally got to see “The Greatest Showman” this weekend when hubby and I took off for a date night. I’d read the reviews and seen my friends posts and assessments of it, but really, you won’t get it till you go see it.
The movie is a musical so if that’s not your gig than you might go see Star Wars or a current documentary or something 😉
One of the songs called “This Is Me” resonated with me, and I know probably many others. I have a few songs in my arsenal on my ipod that are what I think of as my “fight songs”.
No. I don’t go beat people up.
I mean they are the songs that stir my blood, stir my passion, make me think deeper into myself, make me consider all I’m made of. These songs push me and challenge me in the depths of a hard workout or when I need to remember who I am and all I’m capable of doing.
In an interesting way this ties together quite well for my Monday Musings, a safe place for my otherwise random thoughts to come bouncing out all in one place. This is a rather new thing so if you’ve missed previous weeks, it’s short reading for you but you can find them here….. https://sassyfitnesschick.com/2018/01/22/monday-musings-2/ or here….
I recently saw (again) another article that was titled something like “ Make up tips for women in their 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s.” There are other similarly stated articles I’ve seen, just change it up to “fashion” “exercise” or whatever.
All for women in those decades.
Mind you, not that if I did read it I would do what it says #rebel but I’ve just always laughed ’cause it’s like if your out of the 40’s, older than that well, you’re just a lost cause. We’ve got nothing to offer you, sorry.
I find it vaguely amusing.
Oh. I should make a disclaimer here to all my guy readers. This post might be more “girly” than what I usually dial up… so if you wanna leave…well I understand. Do they have similar things for men? Tips, fashion ideas etc for your age group? Please tell me if they do cause I’m like…curious. I’m pretty sure guys don’t deal with all that stuff, nor do they mostly care.
Some others that amuse me most circulate through Facebook and it’s all about posting photos of yourself to proclaim your beauty and tagging other beautiful women so they can say the same thing.
Recently there’s been one ( undoubtedly started by an older woman) basically acknowledging all of the glorious beauty of being a 20 something woman, but pointing out being older means we’ve earned wrinkles, given birth, raised kids, had years of no sleep and caffeine deprivation and grey hair and all that crap… meaning like, ya know, we’ve lived life. Then you post a photo and put your age.
It’s like in a backhanded way of apologizing for not being young. Like really.
I guess because I’m not a follower and “march to the beat I drum” I have no interest in participating in a copy and paste status someone else started to justify my age, or worse yet, apologize because I’m not a younger age?
Maybe it’s because if I do a creative photo or one that seems rather striking or fun, I simply share it because it pleases me, If others like it, well that’s cool too. I do it when the mood strikes me. I enjoy being creative, clever and fun.
Maybe because of the age I am, I just feel less and less like I need to apologize for having lived life or that I’m doing life,
No, I’m not 20, 30, or 40 something. I’ve lived all those and done it fairly well. Those years were all good, would I go there again ?
Probably not.
Those years have brought me to where I am today… who have made me who I am. To have lived those years has allowed me to own myself more, to be more confident in who I am, to express myself freely ( in whatever form I choose to) to worry less about others opinions, to live freely and boldly, unapologetically.
I know I will be to strong, to outspoken or bold for some. I will be to energetic and to athletic for others. Some might think I don’t say or do the right thing. I do not follow middle aged rules and that really can trouble some. I will not and have not stayed in “the box” for getting older, and gosh some don’t like it when you don’t play by those rules. I’m far to edgy for others. I don’t have to fit in molds of other women. I can be deep and reflective as easily as I can be cheeky and sassy, those who choose to really know me, will know that.
And really, it’s all ok… “I make no apologies, this is me..”
I don’t have to be less. I don’t have to shrink away or be quiet. I don’t have to be “younger” to prove my worth or value or anything else. I don’t have to act like anyone else. I don’t have to do a copy and paste status to justify my age, having laugh lines, or being beautiful.
I don’t need news stories or society telling me if I’m over a certain age I can’t do something, wear certain clothes or act in certain ways.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned by now at my… advanced age ha… I can do whatever floats my boat.
So that’s where my random musings have been this week. Pondering why there is the ever present need society places on women to justify who we are or where we are in life, or worse yet, apologize because we aren’t younger. prettier, smaller, taller, more educated, more talented, or anything else you wanna add to this list.
If we’re fortunate and blessed we will see many decades and we will become stronger, more confident and powerful in knowing exactly who we are and what we’re about.
My only wish is to age gracefully, to love passionately, to continue to have fun and be energetic, to see the unique beauty of others around me, to embrace all of life, to not be afraid of speaking boldly, and to be unapolegetically myself, laugh lines and all.
My hope is that you too will embrace who you are, where you are right now at this point in time and live freely in it, man or woman, no apologies.
“I’m not scared to be seen, I make no apologies, this is me…..”
Oh I’m so excited to be able to finally do this book review! There is nothing I love more than being able to talk up something I can support and get behind. Mainly because the truths and information in this book can be life changing. Lives have been changed and people come into a real working knowledge of understanding themselves better and more importantly understanding their relationship with food. They build new habits, and in the process losing weight and never thinking of another diet ever again. Ever.
With the start of a new year comes a plethora of new books on weight loss, nutrition and fitness all of them vying for your attention and your money.
No wonder. The weight loss/diet industry is a mega dollar business and it’s a competitive market going after you, the consumer, who is wondering what the next step should be to finally losing weight and getting in shape.
For good. Once for all and done with the yoyo lifestyle.
What else to do on a road trip? Refresh myself on this information!
8 years ago when I decided I was going to just finally do it, I didn’t have a “plan” or an organized diet I followed. I was tired of things that didn’t make sense, made me feel deprived, left me always hungry or thinking about when I could finally… for the love of God.. have food again.
What a sucky way to live.
So I basically just started taking one day at a time. I made slow changes, learned to modify my food choices, and I didn’t deprive myself. Incredibly, I was losing weight, almost painlessly. With enough time I guess those behaviors turned into new habits that I began to do without even thinking about it. I got more into exercising and that helped too.
I learned to eat when I was hungry and stop when I felt satisfied. I began to think more about what I ate and I also learned that I didn’t have to have an all or nothing mentality. I could have chocolate in the house and not eat it, but if I wanted a piece or two, I did with no guilt attached.
Such freedom in developing healthy habits and behaviors with food!
I didn’t focus on losing a certain amount of weight or let the scale rule me. I just lived one day at a time and weight loss, slow and steady, occurred.
Several years went by and I saw a friend post one day about a book called “Lean Habits For Lifelong Weight Loss” I read enough in the post to intrigue me which sent me searching out the book to see what it was about.
I was shocked that the young woman writing it had eloquently written out things I had somehow stumbled on and taught myself that had led to my success and evidently many others were learning and being taught similar things.
It’s the only “weight loss anything’ I recommend to someone.
After buying it, I read it almost overnight. I eventually wrote a post here on my blog for my readers, wanting to share this great find.
This past fall Georgie contacted me letting me know the paperback version would be dropping in December and would I mind writing another review?
Mind?! Ha, not at all.
My position is still very much the same on the book and habits lifestyle now as it was when I wrote first review. The paperback copy is small, light and an easy book to drop in your bag and whip out when you’re sitting somewhere waiting … like a doctors office where your appointment was an hour ago and you’re still waiting 😉
Although smaller in format and composition it still packs all the valuable, smart, and incredibly sane information the hardback book contains.
I’m thrilled to do my part in an industry that wants to teach people freedom from food and diet nonsense so they can live successfully in their health and fitness endeavors.
The book is neatly formatted into 4 main core habits that you pace yourself on. You do one until it becomes second nature. Until you don’t even think about doing it. Once you feel you’ve mastered it, you can move on. Georgie lays them out clearly with tips, ideas and cool science stuff to go along with it. So if you’re kind of a science nerd, you’ll like those parts. Once you get the 4 core habits down you move into the 12 supporting habits which covers everything from eating treats to emotional eating and everything in between.
The book is easy to read and she often makes you laugh so that’s an extra bonus ( in my opinion 😉 )
Basically at the end of it she’s got you thinking “Hey, I can do this!”
Not only that, I love how she talks about not wanting to make the process horrible or hard for her clients because it doesn’t have to be that way.
“My goal as a coach has always been to help my clients achieve that calorie deficit in the most comfortable way possible. The experience of losing fat doesn’t have to be all that bad!” p. 37 Lean Habits For Weight Loss
How many times have you thought you have to suffer, be miserable, starve, and hate life to lose some weight?
You don’t. Trust me.
Thousands of people have used this approach to almost effortlessly lose a little ( or a lot) of weight and change their lives.
Does it take work? Persistence? A willingness to know you’ll have good days and bad days but you just keep on practicing those habits till you do them so automatically you don’t even thing about it? Yes.
Is it worth it to live the rest of your days in peace with food? Absolutely.
So. The new book review. I’m getting there.
I wanted to take a different spin on this review. I wanted to ask Georgie some questions to help you know a little of who she is, where her passion is at, and how she came to writing this book. One thing I’ve learned about her and following her is that she is passionate about this idea of living free from food bondage and teaching others how to do it too.
Let’s hear from her now and see what she has to say……..
For those who don’t know, can you share a little background on who you are ? What are your degrees and training?
GF: I grew up in New Jersey and did my undergraduate degree in Nutritional Sciences at Rutgers University. Then I went to Cornell University in upstate New York for my Dietetic Internship, and became a registered dietitian in 2005. Not quite ready to stop learning, I enrolled in the PhD program in Nutritional Sciences back at Rutgers University. After another five years of PhD work, I was academically doing well but personally and healthwise I was struggling. I had been working as the Sports Dietitian for Rutgers Athletics during my grad school years and it had become so clear that working in counseling was for me, not a career in academia. I had to get out of the lab, and out of my high pressure, chronically broke life. So I decided to move to the mountains of Colorado, sans PhD, and work as a clinical dietitian. Not long after that, I began counseling online as well as in person, and eventually transitioned into all online nutrition consulting in 2011.
Was there something specific that helped you choose the field you are in ?
GF: I was an athlete in high school and somewhat obsessed with nutrition and health. I suffered from anorexia nervosa as a teenager, exercised compulsively to manage my anxiety and depression, and throughout my college years was still repairing my relationship with food and exercise. I had always been a science fanatic, and my love of food and my love of science just meshed perfectly into studying nutrition!
Why write this book? Was there a defining moment to do so ?
GF: Well, when I started learning all this, it was purely about getting my own life on track! And after that happened, and I just kept meeting person after person who was suffering and I could help them with what I learned. It’s the best feeling in the world for me to work with a person and see them changing, becoming happier and more confident and feeling empowered and enjoying food instead of feeling tense and stressed about it.
But at the same time there is a disappointing limit to working with people one at a time; I can only work with this tiny little sliver of people who want help, and it’s a drop in the bucket because millions of people want this info and can benefit from scientifically-sound, easy to implement nutrition guidance. Books are one fantastic way to spread information to larger amount of people, which is also the reason we put our nutrition courses online for free, so anyone can take them. (Head to onebyonenutrition.com and you’ll see).
I put off writing it for a year, actually, because I was intimidated about writing a proposal and getting rejected by publishers, but eventually I got brave enough.
Why would someone want to use the lean habits system over some of the other current trendy diets or plans out there right now?
GF: If you want results that last, you can’t do a certain set of behaviors temporarily. This is maintainable, it’s flexible, you can go on vacation, eat your favorite foods, and keep practicing. It fits into real life without being a major pain in the butt, and it actually feels really good to take charge of making your own food choices and know that you are on the right track without weighing or counting things. And it ends helping a lot of people deal with their emotions and relationship with food in a beneficial way. It’s like a rehabilitation program after too much dieting has left you with food guilt, no clue what hunger and satisfaction feel like, and still that extra weight you wanted gone.
What is your biggest passion in what you do? Your biggest frustration?
GF: My passion is to listen to people like they have never been heard before, to ask the questions that help me understand why they eat the way they do, and to then communicate it back to them so that they understand it too.
My biggest frustration is when people don’t want to understand, learn, or change, and think they can just buy a meal plan from me.
Do you have a favorite lean habit success story I can share with my readers?
GF: Oooh yes. I just got a client email actually….. (see below)
“Like most people who struggle with nutrition and health, I have spent my life beating myself up for my failures. Georgie Fear helped me learn how to transform my critical inner dialogue. Georgie is incredibly knowledgeable about all facets of health, but, more importantly, she is caring and willing to walk through struggles without judgement. In fact, she would often share difficulties from her own life to give me hope to overcome my own mistakes. Georgie asked great questions and was patient with my missteps along the way. Her guidance transformed all of my life as I learned how to rejoice in mistakes and challenges as an opportunity to learn. I am a better husband, father, and friend because of this change. Today, I no longer tear myself down during difficult times; instead, I build myself up and forgive myself for my mistakes. Georgie guided me to a place where I no longer needed a coach, and I am healthier today than when I finished working with her. I practice healthy habits daily, and I know how to easily build new habits into my life. The time I spent working with Georgie will positively influence me for the rest of my life; it has been the best investment in my personal growth that I have made.” With immense gratitude,
Joe Dalton
Alright, so there it is. If you are at your wits end with diets, being hungry, hating the yoyo game of losing and gaining, perhaps this is for you.
It you’re tired of counting calories, weighing food, feeling hungry and deprived only to quit and go on a food binge, perhaps this is for you.
If you’re ready to put in some effort and work to build new healthy habits that will last a life time and understand your relationship with food, maybe, just maybe, you should consider this.
You won’t find meal plans or a list of foods you can or can’t eat. You won’t find painful restrictions or deprivation. You won’t have to miss out on having a little piece of Aunt Susie’s birthday cake either.
You will find positive support, develop new habits, and build a healthy lifestyle that can be sustainable and actually enjoyable.
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Mark Twain once wrote, “Training is everything. A peach was once a bitter almond; a cauliflower is nothing but a cabbage with a college education.”
I got you with the title, didn’t I? You are wondering what on earth one has to do with the other…..
If you’ve been following along on some of my posts in the last couple weeks you may have seen some of my comments on food “projects” I wanted to try. Sometimes it’s about a particular veggie or fruit as in my spinach post last week.
One of the things I’ve talked about experimenting with is cauliflower. That plain, ordinary looking vegetable is also rather versatile which is great if you are following any low carb or gluten free eating plan ( which I’m not)
I just like food ya know? Eating veggies is really good for me and they also tip the scale fairly low in calories so it’ a win/win.
Fun food and nutrition facts
Let’s start with the fact an entire head with a 6 inch diameter has only 146 calories. Yes, you read that correctly.
146 calories. Impressive.
It is also loaded with calcium, magnesium, and Vitamin B-6. Most impressive, that entire head offers 472% of Vitamin C! It also contains 50% of our daily need for potassium. C
Bet you didn’t know that 😉
Ok so we now know that cauliflower is crazy low in calories AND contains lots of good vitamins in abundance for our bodies.
Does it offer any health benefits?
I’m glad you asked. Why yes, yes it does. Cauliflower includes plenty of vitamins and minerals, but its real power comes from cancer-fighting compounds known as glucosinolates.
Other top benefits include….
Reduces Cancer Risk.
Fights Inflammation.
Provides High Levels of Vitamins and Minerals (especially important Vitamin C and Vitamin K)
Improves Digestion and Detoxification.
Aids in Weight Loss.
Helps Balance Hormones.
Preserves Eye Health.
You know what kinda, semi-amuses me? That list reads like what some of these snake oil health companies claim with their products, and look at this, you can eat whole, real, natural food and get the same benefits. AND you can buy a whole lot more cauliflower for your money 😉
How to eat it
Cauliflower is essentially a blank canvas. I hope you venture more into cooking with it than just steaming . One of my most favorite, fast and easy ways to cook it is by roasting it.
Sweet heavens, roasting any vegetable adds so much more flavor and overall “deliciousness” to it.
To roast, simply wash and prepare the cauliflower breaking it out into florets. Toss with some olive oil, cracked pepper and sea salt. Roast in a hot oven ( about 400) turn frequently so it browns and crisps all over ( the best part) it usually takes about 40-45 minutes. I have to be careful because I can literally nibble away at it while I’m cooking the rest of the meal and my kids really are into this version of cauliflower and like to find some left to go on table 😉
I should say I’ve got numerous recipes pinned on Pinterest for this vegetable. Some are waiting to be tried and a few others I have tried.
I mentioned in Monday Musings https://sassyfitnesschick.com/2018/01/22/monday-musings-2/ that I had made the “potato” salad version. Seriously, of my family members that eat potato salad, they all ate it and liked it.
Another recipe that has been taunting me is using cauliflower as a crust for breadsticks or pizza. I mean… really? I decided tonight was the night to experiment. This is best done when no one is home and has high expectations of me making a meal while I’m in the middle of food experiments.
Tonight it was the breadsticks.
I found it fascinating that after a quick trip through my food processor it did indeed look like fine, fluffy “flour”.
once you add in the additional ingredients you pat it out onto a baking sheet so it looks kinda like this….
After baking it’s all golden and pretty
Oops. The final product. I guess I got a bit zealous sampling before I snapped a pic.
I added a bit of cheddar with the mozzarella because, why not?
My take on it.
Ok, it’s not bread. I had read on several posts the “negatives” to this is the fact the cauliflower contains a lot of water and trying to get enough of the water out so it can bake and not be soggy. I baked longer than recommended time, the outer edges were crispier but the inside was more soft, soft but good. Next time I will try a method I read about that suggested pressing it into paper towels to help pull out more of the water.
It smelled delicious and had good flavor. I can definitely see using it as pizza crust as tomato sauce would enhance flavors.
If you are on gluten/carb free diet this could be a good substitute for bread cravings… but still it isn’t bread… and I guess if I want breadsticks I will most likely have the real thing.
Next up on my “to try list” is Sweet and Sour Cauliflower. I hope that is as good as it sounds.
Now what about you? Have you tried any cauliflower recipes? Have you tried it as crust for bread or pizza?
I had to laugh once again seeing an “ideal” weight chart come up in my research. I couldn’t help but glance at the numbers and wonder what or who came up with them.
I have a nice scale. I just rarely use it.
Not only that, I could pull up several different charts and be given different numbers to work with. IF I paid attention to any of that.
One thing those charts don’t recognize ( well a lot they don’t recognize) is your body and what you do or don’t do. They don’t address your nutrition or your body mass ( is it more muscle or fat? or a balance of both?)
If there is one thing I see that people begin to get fixed on as they lose weight is what they perceive as their “ideal” weight.
Sometimes it’s a weight they were back in school or when they got married. Maybe it’s a weight they felt good or most confident at. Nonetheless, they have an ideal weight goal they set before them to achieve.
That of itself isn’t bad. It’s good to have something to shoot for, something that keeps you focused and working towards your goals.
Often though what we see as our ideal weight might not be so ideal where we are now. Maybe you looked good at a certain weight in high school but 30 years later, it might be to thin for you. Perhaps a few more pounds on you might make you look better and be easier to maintain in the long run.
Sometimes people believe getting to that weight will make them happy. They will feel they have “arrived” and that there is nothing left to achieve. Perhaps they think at that weight their body will look the way they think it should look.
Whatever the reasons, it’s at the top of the list when people are striving to lose weight.
Back to those charts.
I’m amused at some of those suggested weights for me. It might not be apparent if you are reading my posts, or seeing my photos, but I’m 6’0 and solid. Those charts don’t take into account I’ve built a decent amount of muscle on my frame or my body structure. If I were to weigh in at some suggested weights I’d look…well… beyond lean. I’d look scrawny for sure.
One thing I’ve learned in the past few years is how my body can fluidly change depending on what I’m doing. In my heaviest part of my marathon training it was fairly effortless to stay on the super lean side. I was running 50-55 miles a week if not more. I certainly didn’t take in more calories than I was burning off. If anything long training tended to kill my appetite and not help it. I topped some of my lowest body weight and body fat numbers during that time.
However, when not heavy training my body tends to bounce back to what I think of as my “happy weight” or the weight that is most effortless for me to maintain. It’s also a reasonable healthy weight.
Yes, when I started on my weight loss journey a few years ago I had a distinct number in mind. I’ve since learned to allow fluctuations in that weight and that it’s ok.
Was I happier at that weight goal? Well, on one hand yes, I’m goal oriented and love nailing my goals. On the other hand, nothing earth shattering happened reaching it. One thing I’ve found is once that goal is achieved the work isn’t done. You work to maintain and keep it there. And that can become a very mean task master if one is controlled by numbers. If those numbers moved up even a few pounds from there, it could ’cause you to feel unhappy or not satisfied. Or if you’re smart, you make adjustments you need to get the numbers closer to where you want them.
Numbers do kinda matter though
Ok I might be making fun of charts but it is good to understand, recognize, and know your body does have a “window” in regards to weight that you should know and should strive to maintain. A few pounds over it should be cause to make changes to keep you in your “window”.
Obesity is a major cause of many health related diseases and is totally preventable. Obesity here in the states is at an all time high in adults and more disturbingly, children. Maintaining your weight in your healthy zone can prevent health related diseases.
If you are highly active or do activities to build muscle, that as well will cause numbers to fluctuate. My body structure is now more about a body fat percentage versus the standard BMI which doesn’t take into account an athletes muscle mass.
I have a weight that is what I consider my “in season” weight when I’m training longer and heavier and an “off season” weight when I can be 5-7 lbs “heavier”.
Both of those are “ideal” for me. I’m really not focused on a set of numbers anymore as much as I am my bodies ability to perform well, to be strong, and to be energetic.
I’ve also learned enough of myself that there is a place that is healthy and easily sustainable without me being rigid and constantly watchful of what I eat.
It’s a pretty free place to be.
Find your happy place.
If you have weight to lose, know what your “window” can be and work towards that. Allow that you might get within 5 lbs and be totally happy or see that you look good right there and don’t need to lose more.
If you’re highly active and engage in heavy sports, understand how your body works and the processes it can go through in and out of training and how those numbers may look on the scale.
Finally, once you know what that place is ( happy and healthy) it is easier to maintain it and enjoy life without obsessing over numbers.
Monday again. Wow. How did that HAPPEN??? I mean, I’m not “anti-Monday” or anything. I sometimes just find myself thinking wasn’t I just here starting a new week and now I’m off to another one.
Although my week felt a little “off” when we had some real winter weather show up down here in south Texas… as in ice.. and crazy, stupid cold.
No one drives and nothing happens when those roads ice over. So it was definitely a stay home and warm day and I even managed to get a few little projects done since I was trapped….. all day long. The negative to cold, grey days ? They make me want to eat! Carbs. All the carbs. My muscles soaked those goodies up haha
Anyway that cold stuff doesn’t last long down here so…..
I did a little weekend road trip to explore and hang out with hubby. Road trips always offer up some kind of adventure and we always have fun being together.
However, heading to my destination, there’s this super nice mega gas station/food mart/ buy weird stuff place to stop. Honestly, it’s like an oasis in the middle of god awful bathroom stops along the way. In fact they boast the cleanest restrooms anywhere and they are constantly staffed to ensure they stay that way. It’s worth waiting that extra 50 miles to stop when you really needed to stop 50 miles back 😛
It’s a beaver… he’s the mascot of the place
Of course we ate breakfast out, which is always fun in new areas and we found this super cool, healthy breakfast place with a great vibe and amazing food. Farm fresh eggs, thick multi grain breads, and salad greens? I never had those with breakfast but liked it. Definitely want to go there again….
What is wrong with this picture? My coffee cup is empty… again. No worries, they leave a carafe on your table.
OH. And I tried an elliptical for the first time…. ever. Now I’m not sure what the normal is for using them but tossing a runner/cyclist on it.. well.. I took off like a crazy girl. It’s like running on steroids! haha anyway I did a 10k in 31 minutes so I think that’s decent for a first attempt. However, I quickly learned if I didn’t stay focused that sucker could throw me. I really liked that it felt like running. I think I may need one for inside workout days, which are usually days that are to awful to be outside.
Alrighty, in big news this week : evidently if you’re one of the cool kids, eating Tide clothes soap pods is the IN thing to do ( I’m being sarcastic here… please.. don’t do this) at first I thought it was just a joke of some kind.
I mean it had to be, right? After some more investigating it appeared to be rather true. I can think of a lot of things to eat but that is no where on my list.
Soap. Just…why ???
Speaking of actual food….
I’ve been experimenting with a variety of recipes this week, namely in the veggie department that I have pinned to my boards on Pinterest. Several have been good but the biggest surprise and unexpected delight was a cauliflower recipe used to make mock potato salad. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/ARWljr6ZFFOvYUscYjTe9A7nbrhyjxkPAneCDUxOw3Ivn3gw6Jl8SRY/
Cauliflower right now is the multi purpose veggie that seems to be able to be morphed into a lot of other things… rice, bread crust, pizza crust, mashed potatoes, stir fry rice, and of course, potato salad. I may have mentioned on last weeks Monday Musings (I’ve slept since then) about my quest for experimenting with it in these various ways.
This turned out amazing and even passed my pickier eaters inspection so I think that’s a win. Next up I’m anticipating trying cheesy “breadsticks”.
Hubby’s take on this? “If I want bread, I’m going to eat bread” haha
Still…. I want to see if it will be a tasty replacement ( sometimes)
It has cheese. What’s there to lose, right? Cheese. It’s worth the effort.
Speaking of effort.
I hope your year is starting with you getting daily exercise in. I understand some times it’s just hard to make it happen, or maybe you have just a short amount of time to work with. I’ve tried a few circuit bodyweight exercises that get your heart pumping and give you a solid workout but only take a small amount of time.
I’ll share a couple workout ideas that just require your mental energy and your body 🙂 This is something you can do anywhere.
( please note: I do not or am not endorsing this X-Slim product)
I just found the second one a couple days ago. I really like the idea of being able to “build” your own routine. This allows you to get creative and try new things. Not to mention it’s a great way to work all parts of your body.
No matter what you decide to do, make sure you keep good form to avoid injury and to get the most you can out of each move.
Now, here’s to a new week of adventures and shenanigans! Make it a good one.
Tell me… do you have a favorite quick workout plan? Do you use an elliptical machine? Do you like it? Do you have a new recipe you’ve tried?
Today boys and girls we’re gonna talk about food. One thing I have decided and I know is this: I won’t ever be led to be a food blogger but if I’m going to be a blogger who talks about healthy nutrition, I will most likely share some food posts at some point.
Don’t expect cute, cool food pics from me haha.. well maybe.
Earlier today I was updating some boards on my Pinterest account and came across a tasty sounding breakfast recipe, Spinach and Mozzarella Egg Bake. This was rather handy since I was out early for my yoga class, which unbeknownst to me, was not happening when I got there.
So plan B? Go get some coffee and rearrange some of my boards. A quick assessment showed me I had all the ingredients needed for this recipe so I hurried home to make it ’cause I was like… you know.. hungry.
This breakfast contained several of my favorite things : Spinach, eggs, and cheese.
Now don’t go getting all weird on me with the mention of spinach. Since I’m about healthy foods, let’s just take a quick look at what spinach can do for us, shall we?
I seriously go through about two of these cartons a week… on my own.
What’s in that leafy green goodness?
Low in fat and even lower in cholesterol, spinach is high in niacin and zinc, as well as protein, fiber, vitamins A, C, E and K, thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese. In other word, it’s loaded with good things for every part of your body!
Spinach is appreciated for the high amount of protein in its leaves.
Among vegetables, only peas and beans contain more protein than spinach.
Spinach is made up of 91.4% water, 3.6% carbs, 2.9% protein, and 0% fat.
A hundred grams of spinach has only twenty-three calories, which makes it an excellent choice for people who want to slim down
What health benefits does it offer?
Popeye was definitely on to something with his spinach consumption. Spinach is a super food loaded with tons of nutrients in a low calorie package. Dark leafy greens like spinach are important for skin, hair and bone health. Dark leafy greens also provide protein, iron, vitamins and minerals.
The possible health benefits of consuming spinach include improving blood glucose control in people with diabetes, lowering the risk of cancer, reducing blood pressure, improving bone health, lowering the risk of developing asthma, and more.
But check this out…
Spinach leaves are also very rich in vitamin K, as a hundred grams contains 604% of the daily value intake.
Vitamin K is vital for your health, since it strengthens the bones and stimulates the bones’ osteotropic activity. Spinach also provides better calcium absorption and even helps maintain your calcium levels in check.
At this rate I should never have a broken hip.
If you love your bones, you really want to make spinach a part of your daily intake.
Vitamin A helps in sebum production to keep your hair moisturized.
This vitamin is also necessary for the development of all bodily tissues, including skin and hair, both of which never stop to regenerate.
Besides, vitamin C found in spinach is vital in producing and maintaining collagen, which gives your hair and skin proper structure.
I mean, who doesn’t want amazing hair and skin ???
I could go on here about the benefits….
Spinach offers so much more but if I keep on I’ll never get to my recipe and how tasty it was.
I’m just trying to sell you on what a good food choice it is to add to your daily diet. If you only eat it in a creamy spinach dip, you’re missing out! Consider other ways you can eat it too 😉
Spinach makes appearances at almost all of my meals and is most always a part of my veggie scramble at breakfast.
It has replaced lettuce in my lunch salads. And it makes a wonderful add in to so many things.
It really took just a few minutes to whip it up and toss in the oven. I did use more spinach than the recipe called for because although it does cook down and I didn’t over cook it, I honestly thought it could handle more. I basically doubled up on the spinach and even add more green onions ’cause those little things are just tasty AND good for you too.
Ready to go to the oven. Isn’t my dish all matchy matchy with the food ? 😉
It has a short baking time so you won’t have to wait long to savor it’s yummy goodness AND it gives you time to quickly clean up and get the rest of your meal ready for when it’s finished.
Time to eat. I wish you could smell it.
As you can see I paired it with fresh fruit and (what you don’t see that I also like) salsa/hot sauce, added to the egg bake.
Eating tasty, healthy meals doesn’t have to be boring or bland. A willingness to experiment can lead you on new adventures and a slimmer waist line 😉
Have you experimented with a new food recently? Did you like it?
The perfect body. The right look. The best abs. The right “booty”. Sculpted arms.
The perfect “everything”.
Men and women are bombarded today with images and news stories that the media or fitness world tries to convince us that we should look like.
It might bring you down before you even get started. The seemingly overwhelming and impossible task to look “perfect” without living a restrictive diet and hours in the gym.
Does the average person even have time for it, if perhaps, that was their goal?
And let’s be honest, what’s perfect to one, will not always be perfect to another. It’s a very illusive pursuit.
Let’s also not forget how much genetics will play into our bodies and how we can shape them. If you have your moms wide hips you might be able to slim them down or tone them up, but you most likely will never have a small round bottom like you admire on your fit friend.
You might want long lean cut abs, but again, depending on your body type and structure the look you want might be harder, if not impossible to achieve.
Besides a good disciplined exercise program, your nutrition needs to be on point the majority of the time to lose the fat and build some muscle.
I’ve learned a lot about myself and what I thought I wanted the past few years I’ve been on my health and fitness journey. I’ve learned more about what matters, or what is important to me.
Learning what I wanted
In the beginning, I thought just being “thin” was the goal. Just get “thin”. I really had no goal beyond that and looking back now I wonder what seemed so desirable to me about just being thin ( as a goal) Of course I needed to lose some fat.. that was important. And I did get thin.
But I was still learning…
Once I had lost weight ( I was exercising along the way too) I started to see how exercise and some weights were shaping me differently. I had picked up running and it was during the time of really cutting calories and more exercise I realized I had abs.
Ok…so… that’s cool… well at least to a middle aged woman who had never really had defined abs or a strong hard core before. Age is not a limiting factor to changing your body composition, by the way.
When I got injured and couldn’t run for over a year, I picked up cycling and did a lot more weight training. Not running 55-60 miles a week, it allowed a little weight back on me that was being reshaped into a stronger more powerful body.
Embracing my body. This is where I got it.
This is where I started to appreciate exactly what my body could do even if I wasn’t a perfect fitness model for a magazine or even if my body parts never shaped up like the articles I saw in magazines.
It didn’t matter and I didn’t care.
The important part?
In all my training and various activities, my body performed for me. It was strong. It was powerful. It adapted to my training to allow me to do more. It made more blood, grew more vessels, learned to deliver oxygen in a more efficient manner during my strongest workout sessions, it grew new cells and more mitochondria ( the literal powerhouse of the cells) it grew my heart and also made it more efficient by giving me a super low resting heart rate so it doesn’t have to work as hard. The other side of that is having a faster recovery heart rate. My muscles grew and got stronger. I was able to run longer, faster and with more ease. I could lift more weight and do more reps.
Do we ever stop and ponder how totally adaptable and changeable our bodies are? What amazing machines they can be with the proper care and fuel? The glorious things you can do with them with some investment of time and proper nutrition to train them to be stronger?
Do we value them as they are, where we are, at this moment in time?
We live surrounded by media and the world that would constantly convince us we are not there yet, that we are lacking, that we aren’t “enough”.
If you’re on a weight loss journey, be patient with yourself and embrace what your body can do now. Know that as you lose weight and exercise you’ll become more fit and definitely more healthy.
If you’re already working out, stay the course, appreciate where you’ve come from and that if you want continued change, it’s possible for you.
But no matter where you are on your journey, never lose sight of the amazing, adaptable gift your body is and all it’s capable of doing for you.
As you move into this year with new goals and plans remember this: Love and value your body, it’s the only one you’ve got. Remember you are “enough” and don’t shrink from all you’re capable of being and all you’re capable of doing.
Have you learned to embrace yourself ? Do you appreciate your body for all it can do for you even if you may not have achieved certain goals?
once you add in the additional ingredients you pat it out onto a baking sheet so it looks kinda like this….
sassyfitnesschick 