Practice what you (I mean, I) preach...

Do you remember our short series on vitamins? It wasn't that long ago...maybe a month. Well, this last week, I've noticed that in all of my classes, I am getting exhausted earlier than usual...and I am feeling like I can't lift my usual weight. Now, part of that could be that I've increased my number of classes each week....or, I could be ignoring my own advice. 

Does this look familiar?

When is the last time that I've consistently taken my vitamins, you ask? Yeah, about two months ago? What? What's wrong with me? It's either laziness or self-sabotage. I'm not even training for anything, but the least I could do for my body is the minimum that I know it requires to function optimally...i.e. eat my protein and veggies...and take those darn vitamins. 


Yes, it took Dr. Oz to yet again remind me why iron (and you can fill in the blank with your requirements) is so important to keeping me energized. A little calcium and magnesium would hurt those hard-worked muscles either, now that I'm thinking about it. Speaking of which, it's about bed time and I'm heading to the kitchen now to whip up some of our famous (well, within this house at least) cal-max detox tea. :) Why don't you join me?...It's too late to take iron tonight anyways.....dinner settled over an hour ago. :)


~ Samara

Three White Stripes?

This is a funny (and all too reoccurring) story, tell me if you've heard it (or even better, lived it): You workout and shower before work. You're rushing around the bathroom to get ready so you can fly out the door. You have flashbacks of three white stripes of deodorant on your nice blouse from pulling it over your head. You look at your deodorant and say, "you can't outsmart me, I'll put you on AFTER I put my shirt on!" You put your shirt on and reach for your deodorant when you see your toothbrush. "Man, are my teeth fuzzy!" Grab it and brush away. Next is the  the makeup and , if you're lucky, your hair (yes, you know I'm talking to). Then, you grab your protein bar and run out the door. So, you know where this is going; but, if you're me, it's usually not until about noon that I realize I've forgotten it at all! GI JOE loves this (ok, he really doesn't, he just shakes his head in disappointment - because I really think he secretly LOVES those three white stripes! haha). Have any of you found yourselves in this situation? Well, unfortunately, other than stashing a spare deodorant with you at work, I still haven't solved how to remember to put it on....however...I did want to talk about antiperspirant today! :) So, here we are...

Yes, I'm a couponer...
no brand loyalties, but lots in stock!

Some of you have been with us the past week as we discuss fighting the growth of cancer cells in our bodies on a daily basis; if you just joined us today...click here and here to catch up. You've probably heard before that aluminum in our antiperspirants is not exactly awesome for our bodies. I'm going to quote from Dr. Servan-Schreiber here on his hypothesis on this: "what most women do is they shave their armpits under the shower then they dry off, and when they're dry, they apply the antiperspirant. Now when they shave, they created little leaks in their skin which allows the aluminum to be picked up [by] the lymphatic system and brought to the breast gland where it might produce inflammation and perhaps contributes to the growth of an existing cancer. We don't think it can cause cancer, but it might contribute to the growth of an existing cancer. Now this is still a hypothesis and it is not proven." Well, even if it's not proven, it makes enough sense to at least give it a thought.



Well, if you're like me, you've tried to make the switch to regular ol' deodorant. But when you exercise a lot (read: SWEAT) like us, you just NEED antiperspirant to not become European (no offense meant, I just grew up in Germany, so am familiar with this particular scent ;). - Return from flashback. - Until they come up with an antiperspirant that does not require aluminum...we're kind of stuck. So, what precaution can we take? Our skin is porous by nature, so whatever we put onto it is going to seep through (have you thought of that regarding all of your skin care products? but that's a topic for another day). But, remember the BALANCE we talked about last week. Making a small change to offset, or cut back on, the impact, can make a difference. So, next time you shave your armpits, maybe think about waiting a few hours to put on the antiperspirant. Hey, at least now you'll (read I will) have an EXCUSE why you didn't put it on until noon. ;)

Note: a link between aluminum in antiperspirant and increased breast cancer has NOT been proven. There are some good research studies showing the other side of the argument on the National Cancer Institute site. However, believe what you will and remember, find BALANCE in everything you do in find your Healthy Edge on life!


~ Samara

More and more reasons to cook your own fresh food

I know I've been harping about this recently but 1. it's important 2. when I'm dieting for a competition I become quite the food elitist:)  3. an article I read this morning was so disturbing I can't wait to share it with you.   The article is called "Top 10 Scariest Food Additives" by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding from Men's Health online. They cite "Eat this, Not that" in their article.  Anyways, I'm going to paste a few of the "scariest food additives" right here and add a few personal thoughts!

Ingredient #2: Caramel Coloring
An artificial pigment created by heating sugars. Frequently, this process includes ammonia.

Why it’s scary: Caramel coloring shows up in everything from soft drinks and sauces to breads and pastries. When made from straight sugar, it's relatively benign. But when produced with ammonia it puts off 2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole, chemicals that have been linked to cancer in mice. The risk is strong enough that the California government, a bellwether for better food regulation, categorized 4-methylimidazole as “known to cause cancer” earlier this year. Unfortunately, companies aren't required to disclose whether their coloring is made with ammonia, so you'd be wise to avoid it as much as you can.

Where you'll find it: Colas and other soft drinks, La Choy soy sauce, Stove Top stuffing mix


What?? I always thought caramel coloring was harmless, I thought is was just sugar.  Man, I see this in everything!  Yet another reason to cut out the diet soda's! Here's another one:

Scary Ingredient #5: Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT)
Petroleum-derived antioxidants and preservatives.

Why they're scary: The Department of Health and Human Services says BHA is “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen," yet the FDA allows it to be used anyway. BHT is considered less dangerous, but in animal research, it too has resulted in cancer. Oddly, the chemicals aren’t even always necessary; in most cases they can be replaced with vitamin E.

Where you'll find it: Goya lard, Golden Grahams, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Orbit gum

I was chewing a piece of Orbit Gum as I read this article.  Needless to say, after I finished choking on it, I spit it out...This next one is for the bagel monster, yeah, you know who you are, wink wink:

Scary Ingredient #8: Azodicarbonamide
A synthetic yellow-orange dough conditioner

Why it's scary: This chemical is used most frequently in the production of industrial foam plastic, and although the FDA has approved its use for food in the States, the United Kingdom has labeled it a potential cause of asthma. In a review of 47 studies on azodicarbonamide, the World Health Organization concluded that it probably does trigger asthmatic symptoms. The WHO concluded, “exposure levels should be reduced as much as possible.” I’ll put it more concisely: Avoid it.

Where you'll find it: Dunkin’ Donuts bagels, McDonald’s burger buns

I'll save the rest for another post....you get the point though.  When you buys stuff at the store, you are getting way more then you're barginning for! I can't stress it enough, when you go shopping, look at the ingrediants and don't purchase it if you don't know what an item is.  Also, be VERY weary of eating processed foods from fast food places, who knows what's in there and you can't easily see the ingrediant list! Have a great weekend and do something Healthy!! -Kelly

Do you SERIOUSLY want to put that in your body??

Hi All, It's been a while since I posted, Samara has been picking up the slack for me.  I've been putting in a lot of hours and the day job and then training as many clients as I can at night and I've started Prepping for my next show...more on that later :)  So, not only have I not blogged, I haven't been able to catch up on TV either!  I just got around to watching a three week old episode of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. That show makes me so angry I almost blogged last night, but it would have been filled with curse words!! I'm more calm this morning, but I've got to tell you, I'm really really upset about what we are putting in our bodies and the bodies of our precious children.  During last night's episode, he had a classroom full of kids and he let them make an ice cream sunday with all the usual fixins, candy bits, sprinkles, whipped topping, sugary sauces...you know, the good stuff:)  Then he asked them if they knew what they were really eating. There were over 250 ingredients in their sundays!!! I couldn't even pronounce the majority of those 250 ingredients.  You could see the look on the kids face change as it started to sink in.  He then went on to explain what those ingredients were actually made of...the shellac on the shiny candy coating - beetles! Other ingredients were derived from duck feathers, pig intestines and human hair...tasty huh??  By then the kids were gagging and I knew he had made his point.  People, please, read the ingredients and if you don't know what it is....DON'T BUY IT!  We are already exposed to so many toxic chemicals in our every day environments, please don't needlessly put more toxins in  your body!  So next time you are at the grocery, read the labels and avoid anything that sounds like it came out of your 9th grade chemistry class!!  Have a healthy day! -Kelly

Day 6 Sugar Free Challenge

So, yesterday, I stepped off the sugar free train; and the worst part: there was no real reason for it. I planned for my morning out on the town by bringing pre-cooked oatmeal, mixed with unsweetened almond milk and cinnamon alongside two hard boiled eggs. I went off on my day teaching classes, running errands, and a doctor’s appointment. During my errands, at Walrgreen’s, one of the weekly free specials was a SoBe Zero Calorie Water...which means sugar substitute. I planned to just stock that at home for after the sugar free challenge. Well, I got out to the car and as soon as I realized I was thirsty, had the choice between warm water from my Camelbak or the nice COLD and REFRESHING SoBe Water in the seat next to me. What do you think I chose? Yup, the SoBe water. Blasted! 

I’d love to say that was my only step off, but it got worse. When I finally got home from my final class of the day and it was lunchtime, I opened the fridge. Neither the yummy tuna salad (I’ll post the recipe later) from Sunday’s lunch or the roasted chicken breasts from the dinner called to me. What did? A hot dog! Yup! My favorite food. I bought two packs (they were BOGO last week, of course) to use as a cheat meal, but alas, I found one in my belly! I wanted another one, but forced myself to wait 20 minutes and see if I was really hungry for one...and of course I wasn’t. So, what did I learn from this? That I’m still not 100% in control of my will power. My solution...what I’ve done before, kept these things out of the house so they don’t tempt me. However, so as not to waste food, I’ve thrown them in the freezer so I’ll at least be forced to plan ahead if I want to cheat again. :)

My goal today is to try out the Crazy Granola Bar recipe that Spoonful of Sugar Free posted a few months ago. They look great and should help to power me through all of my classes without the added sugar! 

How do you keep yourself from being tempted by these little setbacks? Have you found some new quick recipes to get you through your busy schedule and still remain on track? Please share!

~ Samara 

Shots, Shots, Shots!!

No, not that kind. J I was recently diagnosed with a form of thrombophilia called Factor V Leiden (FVL). I had never heard of this before, however, it is a genetic condition that increases the tendency of blood clotting. Don’t we want our blood to clot? Yes, but, with this gene, our blood has the risk to develop abnormal clots that could become life-threatening. While most people with this gene will be fine, those with high risk factors, will be prescribed blood thinning medication by their doctors. Which is where I find myself now. I have been trying to get pregnant, which puts me in a high-risk category and my doctor has put me on Heparin, which is a shot I have to inject into my stomach twice a day. While it started out not fun, it’s even more not fun now as I still have no idea why some days I bruise and other days I just have a little red spot at the injection site. What I do know is that I don’t look forward to it every day, but I know it’s for a good purpose. J

 What I’ve learned in researching FVL is that it can be one of many contributing risk factors that cause miscarriage. While my three sisters and mother have not been tested for FVL, I do know that out of the five of us, we have had a combined 13 successful pregnancies and 8 miscarriages. That’s over 60% miscarriage rate, whereas the average rate is 10-25% (http://www.americanpregnancyassociation.org/). I’m not a doctor, and I can’t say these two are related, but it is an interesting note to consider.

 Two years ago, while training for a half marathon, I noticed recurring heart palpitations after training without proper hydration. When the palpitations continued after a week of rest, I went to the doctor. After wearing a heart monitor for 24 hours that confirmed the palpitation, the doctor put me on the blood pressure medication, Atenelol. Again, I don’t know for a fact that this is related to the FVL, but once Kelly reminded me of the link (I tend to block these things out of my memory), I will be mentioning this to the doctor to see his thoughts.

I share this with you to inform you and to see if any of you have found yourselves in a similar situation. At the least, you’ll now recognize it when House or his staff throw it out as a diagnosis, which I heard last week!

Links for more information on FVL:

www.fvleiden.org

http://mayoclinic.com/health/factor-v-leiden/DS01083

Things to be thankful for:

~ Days of rest

~ New exciting recipes to try

~ Beach Days

~ Pizza on Cheat Day