Don't Leave Home Without 'em: Dried Plums...

...aka prunes! Whatever could be the topic for today? If you know me, like Jamie Lee Curtis, I'm not shy about talking about regularity. ;) I wrote a bit on how and why I incorporate probiotics into my diet awhile ago. Check it out here. Growing up, I was always regular, but a few years ago, when I did my first serious juice cleanse to start the new year, I learned first hand what it's like to not be, and I was not a fan. That is when I really understood the importance of probiotics as well as an added benefit of healthy fats: to keep it all flowing smoothly!

This is my prebiotic, probiotic, enzyme powder.
See "Note"!

When I became pregnant, I began to read pregnancy books and websites and read that a possible side affect of pregnancy is hemorrhoids. Thankfully I've never had them, but I really don't want to find out what they feel like either. And a means to prevent them is to stay regular! So, I wanted to take probiotics as they are my go-to in this department, however everything says to 'consult your physician' before taking while pregnant, right? Even the back of my probiotics bottle and packets say that. So, at my first appointment, I ask my doctor if it's alright if I take probiotics. He looks at me funny and says, "why do you want to take probiotics?" Now, I know why...because it helps to keep my stomach and intestines healthy. But in that moment, queried by a Professional, of course I froze up and imagined him envisioning me with Jamie eating yogurt! So, like a dork I just said, "uh, because I eat a lot of vegetables and like to stay regular." And then he didn't say anything. So, I still don't know if it's ok or not! What did I do at this point? Turned to a food that I know helps with this matter as well;

And here's how we have come to prunes! 

Look: Fiber and Antioxidants!

I had one questionable day in the regularity department about a week after the aforementioned appointment. And somehow prunes popped into my head, so I ran to the store and grabbed a package. Guess what, I ate just one that night and before the night was done, I was good to go. I was also sold. Since that day, I have eaten the package stated serving size of 5 a day and all has been running smoothly! I have converted Matt as well and we are so serious that, when we traveled to DC for the Army Ten Miler in October, our first stop was the store where we picked up prunes, Naked Juice, and bagels. :)

If you haven't tried prunes yet, and you've been searching for something to keep things moving, by all means, please join us on the prune train! You'll never go back! As an added benefit, I get two fruit servings per day, plus FIBER! (If you're on the HBBC, you know how big that is this month!)

Do you have any secrets to keeping yourself running smoothly? ;) Please share!

Note: Head to head comparison by Matt and I between Sunsweet and Del Monte and we overwhelmingly preferred Sunsweet, so I was stoked to find this huge bag at Costco this week. Sunsweet's were more plump and juicy!

Need more water!?

Have you been trying to add more water intake to your daily routine? Have you been trying to cut out or limit some other kind of liquid??? Maybe soda or coffee? And we all know how important water is to our body as we are made up of about 60-70% of water.  The recommended daily intake of water is about 8 cups or 64 oz. When we sweat more, we probably need to replenish the body with more as well. A great rule of thumb is to drink when you're thirsty...however, some of us (trust me, I'm included) grab for the Diet Coke when we're thirsty instead of water. Add that caffeine (which acts as a diuretic, not allowing your body to absorb the water) and then you're sending your hydration level in the opposite direction. (UGH!!)

So, here are some ways that I have used to:
 1. cut down on soda and 2. increase my water intake:

1. Flavored water. The most frequent reason I hear that we don't drink enough water is that the taste (or lack of) is boring or unappealing. There are lots of ways to flavor your water, such as no-sugar drink mixes like Crystal Light or Nuun no calorie electrolyte drink tabs. Crystal Light is easy and everywhere, but just remember that it's usually sweetened with Aspartame, so if you don't like that, then nix it. However, I discovered Nuun when prepping for my first Ironman in 2009 and I have been a loyal fan ever since. They come in all sorts of flavors and not only provide taste, but also add electrolytes, so they are especially awesome when you're in the midst of a heavy sweat session like BodyCombat or Spinning! Nuun is readily available these days. I've seen it in Sports Authority and even some grocery stores! Awesome.

1a. Homemade Flavored Water. This was a staple in my fridge this summer and my husband was always begging for it. Cucumber, mint and lemon water. It's so easy and it adds great flavor, plus the added benefits of cucumber (more water plus Vit B), Mint (facilitates digestion), Lemon (antibacterial and immune boosting). I also slowly let some of the cuke slices fall into my glass and I eat them up to get the added fiber benefit. :) Recipe at the end of post.

2. Green Tea /Low cal energy mix. I also will make green tea in a large pitcher and add lemon as well (and possibly a little stevia if I expect Matt to drink some as well). The benefits of green tea are tremendous (fighting cancer and heart disease, weight loss, etc.). An alternative to this is a great energy drink called FRS. This provides antioxidants (just like green tea does) and also claims to "promote thermogenesis to increase metabolic rate and help the body burn excess carb[s] and fat"* Before I was pregnant, I used to trade this out for my coffee before my early morning gym class.  MiOEnergy is another one that I've tried a few times to add no-cal flavor and energy to my water. It was good, but again something I've just stopped taking since becoming pregnant.

3. Whole fruit juices. There are a plethora of whole fruit juices on the market these days for those of us too lazy to juice at home (even though we have an awesome LaLanne Juicer...yes, I'm talking to myself!). My current favorites are Naked Juice (more on that in another post) and V8 V-Fusion. Both of which also help you get some of your freggie nutrient intake in as well! Score! V8 V-Fusion is a mix of sparkling water and fruit juices. This is what I grab when I feel like I want a soda and it does the trick. I also make my own version using the amazing Sodastream. I whip up a bottle of carbonated water in the Sodastream and leave it unflavored. I keep that in the fridge and when ready, I pour half a LARGE glass of POM juice over ice and fill it to the top with the carbonated water. Love it! Again, makes me think I'm getting a soda, while bumping up my water AND freggies intake! Yay!

4. FREGGIES! What? Yes, whole fruits and vegetables. A lot of fruits and veggies are packed with water. By eating them daily, again you're upping both your hydration level AND your freggies intake, but this time, by also getting the added benefit of the FIBER and NUTRIENTS. Yippee! Here are just some of the great freggies that can work in this category:
- Cucumbers
- Watermelon
- Lettuce
- Blueberries and Raspberries
- Oranges and Pineapple
- Peaches and Plums
- Celery
- Tomato
- Zucchini

So, there are a lot of ways to stay properly hydrated every day! I love BALANCE, so a happy mix of water, flavored water, juices, and freggies would be a great way to keep your body properly hydrated and to keep that heart pumping nicely! (and in the essence of balance, then your occassional Diet Coke wouldn't have such a negative impact!)

What means do you use to increase or track your water intake? Have you cut out soda from your diet? If so, how have you been successful?

*Description from the FRS Package

Cucumber Mint Lemon Water Recipe

Cucumber Slices

Lemon Slices

Fresh Mint Sprigs

Fresh Lemon Juice (I sometimes use the large bottle I get at Costco) (optional)

Liquid Stevia or sweetener of choice (optional)

Fill a large pitcher with tap or filtered water. Add cucumber, lemon, and mint to a pitcher and set in the fridge to steep. If you need a little sweetness, you can add a few drops of stevia in as well, but I usually only do this if I'm also adding the lemon juice to make something closer to lemonade. Either way, you'll love the freshness of this water! Keep it in the fridge and pour it over ice!

What do you have for dessert?

Just half of our supplement supply

So, I got your attention with tasty dessert. :) But that’s not what we chase our meals with (normally, that is...we do on refeed days!). Regularly, we chase our meals with vitamins and supplements. 

My Dad has always served as a good example of taking vitamins and staying current with the latest research on what our bodies need. My Mom would confirm that I’m not always the fastest learner, especially as she saw the box full of supplement bottles that they’d sent me while at West Point, come straight back home with me upon graduation. I’ve come a long way since then. I’m not perfect, I don’t always remember to take what I mean to, however, I try hard to take them as often as possible. The next few days, we’ll be discussing a few of the vitamins and supplements that we take and why we do.

Today’s is my current favorite: probiotics. I was slow to join the bandwagon on probiotics because I’ve always been, well, to be blunt, pretty regular. But, when you cleaned up your eating habits, you might have noticed that you could get a little backed up. Probiotics have been essential to getting me back to regular. ;) You’ve probably seen all the commercials about them, but if you’re like me, you weren’t really paying attention.

Probiotics are live microorganisms, sometimes good bacteria, that can help to regulate the digestive system. We take them regularly with every meal to assist with this. 

Here is what is stated on the bottle we’re using currently: “Acidophilus supports a favorable environment of nutrients, encouraging intestinal microflora balance, and promotes the healthy functioning of the intestinal and digestive systems.” You can encourage my microflora balance any day! You can find probiotics naturally occurring in some foods, you probably all know it’s in yogurt, thanks to Jamie Lee Curtis.

There are claims that probiotics have many benefits, so it is important to research them for yourself before you add them to your diet. And, as with anything you’d put in your body, take a look at the possible side effects and it’s always recommended that you consult your personal physician before changing your diet or supplements.

With that said, let us know how you take your probiotics; pill, yogurt, kefir, anything else?