Maria Kang: “What’s your excuse?”

Controversial Picture: Fit Mother

Are you kidding me?!!!!  The “kidding me” was about the uproar. That’s what I said after I read (from a variety of news website) about the uproar this picture caused.  This is a fabulous picture of a mother that worked hard to get her amazing body (here is a write up with the picture from ABC News).  Like always, I go to the source www.mariakang.com to get the real scoop, and I liked what I read.

I don’t understand why people get all worked up about it, and why the picture would make anyone feel bad.  Then I thought about it….when someone speaks the TRUTH (hence the “what’s your excuse”), this entitled feeling society all likes to pass blame and judgement on someone else. If a person can’t get something fast, let’s blame someone else or trash them so we feel better about ourselves.  It’s pathetic!   We all spend money and time on our body, hair, and clothes (and not to mention countless brain cells thinking about ourselves) and then when a picture is posted of a mom of three kids who looks great, people get all offended that she is exploiting her body and kids and how dare she even have a photographer take a picture of her reality.  Good grief!!  Every women spends time on herself….she just made wise choices in the use of her time and money!!  And do you know how proud those sons will be of their mom when they are older!  Let’s get past what she looks like (as I don’t think any woman out there will be her twin) and focus on her message–wanting to empower people to do all they can to be healthy and strong and then you have no excuses.

Don’t be jealous, get fit!  Don’t be jealous, get motivated!  Jealousy is “soooo highschool” and its so obvious to others (yes, can you tell I have experienced jealousy of sorts—-I just don’t let you know I am on to you–LOL). Disclaimer: I am a bit biased, I am all for mothers staying fit.

Traditional Oatmeal Recipes with a Modern Twist: Overnight Oatmeal

Traditional Oatmeal Recipes with a Modern Twist

I have been making PLAIN overnight oatmeal (2 tablespoons of whey or lemon juice) and adding my extra flavors in the morning and then I found this blog……..  Check out these recipes for creative Overnight Oatmeal and 8 more recipes by the same author.  Also, you can view toward the bottom the FAQ and supply list for convenient purchase on Amazon.

Nutritional insight into Steel Cut Oats versus Regular Old Fashioned Rolled Oats.  Slow cooker recipe for Apple Cinnamon Steel-Cut Oatmeal by TheYummyLife

I say experiment and make your own overnight oatmeal recipes that suit your taste buds and that of your family’s.

Cold and flu season coming up ~ what do I do?

Here Comes the Fall and Winter

Embrace the crispy cool air and fun winter clothes and changing of the season, but let’s keep our bodies healthy for those outdoor adventures!!

Question:

What can I do to keep up my immune system during the cold and flu season? And how do I relieve cold symptoms naturally?

Answer:

  • Chicken soup ~ Homemade of course!!  It helps relieve congestion by thinning mucus and acts as an anti-inflamatory.1,2  Recipe Card. Click here for some interesting soup traditions: Israel, Ancient Rome, and Greece
  • Water ~ Keeping hydrated is a must.  During the colder seasons the heater is run which can increase water loss from your body.  Water helps flush out the toxins and impurities in your system, and its important to stay hydrated if you have a fever.
  • Salt Water ~ 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt water in 1 cup (8 ounces) of water can help relive a sore or irritated throat.
  • Vitamin C ~ Based on a recent Crochrane review, because Vitamin C has a consistent effect on the duration and severity of the common cold with regular supplementation, it may be beneficial for the individual to test whether therapeutic Vitamin C is beneficial to them. (Therapeutic supplementation mean taking is after the cold has started.)  Also, 5 studies showed that regular supplementation in  marathon runners, skiers and soldiers on subarctic exercises reduced the incidence of the common cold. Those participating in extreme physical exercises causing stress to the body may benefit by taking Vitamin C.3
  • Zinc ~  A review done shows that taking zinc orally may shorten the duration of the common cold, however, adverse affects were common.4  The FDA warns against taking intranasal zinc.  Getting adequate dietary zinc is a safe route without the side effects and can help build up your immune system to protect against the common cold. Zinc is found in a variety of foods including: liver, meats, fish, oats, seeds, shrimp, maple syrup, green peas, milk and yogurt, almonds, cheese, and beans.5 
  • Probiotics ~ Full of good bacteria, sources containing live cultures help keep your gut healthy which is one of the first lines of defense against bacteria and viruses invading your body.  Foods containing live cultures include: yogurt, keifer, and fermented foods.
  • Honey ~ Soothes the sore throat and helps alleviate coughing.  Honey can be mixed with fresh squeezed lemon juice and warm water.
  • Garlic ~ Based on a Cochrane review the verdict is still out on whether is helps prevent or treat the common cold.6 However, it has been shown to have antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and antiprotozoal properties and has been used medicinally for generations and generations.7 We seem to eventually prove the ancient wisdom true so adding garlic to your dishes is probably a good idea.
  • Vitamin D ~ A good source of Vitamin D during the shorter days is cod liver oil.  Make sure the source is pure.

Sources:

1. Rennard, et al. Chicken Soup Inhibits Neutrophil Chemotaxis In Vitro. CHEST 2000; 118:1150 –1157.

2.  Babizhayev MA, Deyev AI. Management of the virulent influenza virus infection by oral formulation of nonhydrolized carnosine and isopeptide of carnosine attenuating proinflammatory cytokine-induced nitric oxide production. Am J Ther. 2012 Jan;19(1):e25-47.

3.  Harri Hemilä and Elizabeth Chalker, Cochrane Acute Respiratory Infections Group. Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Review, 2013, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD000980

4. Sience, et al. Zinc for the treatment of the common cold: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. CMAJ July 10, 2012, vol 184 no. 10.

5.  Office of Dietary Supplements, NIH.

6.  Lissiman E, Bhasale AL, Cohen M. Garlic for the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012 Mar 14;3.

7. Harris JC, Cottrell SL, Plummer S, Lloyd D. Antimicrobial properties of Allium sativum (garlic). Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2001 Oct;57(3):282-6.

Staying fit as a parent, help your child maintain a healthy weight

What!!  Yes, its true.  You have a big responsibly to stay fit as a parent.  Why?  Because parental obesity before pregnancy and up through your child’s adolescence years is a very strong prediction factor to your child being overweight.  Its as simple as that-stay fit.  But harder to make the changes so start now!!  Don’t be discouraged either ~ Can your genes be changed after you are born?–click here.

Source: Jääskeläinen A, et al,  Intergenerational transmission of overweight among Finnish adolescents and their parents: a 16-year follow-up study., Int J Obes (Lond). 2011 Oct;35(10):1289-94.

Maternal weight gain and risk for obesity in offspring

Yes, you can influence your child’s weight during pregnancy.  A study done in Finland showed that a maternal weight gain of more than 7 kg (or 15.4 pounds) in the first 20 weeks of gestation predicts overweight/obesity (using BMI) and abdominal obesity in adolescence.  However, an even stronger predictor of adolescent overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity was maternal obesity before pregnancy.

If you fall in this category, and you want your children to be as healthy as possible, not all hope is lost.  Please see the post on how lifestyle behaviors can change those children that have predetermined obesity risks.

Source: Laitinen J, et al, Maternal weight gain during the first half of pregnancy and offspring obesity at 16 years: a prospective cohort study, 2012 May;119(6):716-23. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2012.03319.x.

Can eating 5 meals a day reduce your child’s risk for obesity?

The answer is “Yes!” based on a 2013 Northern Finland Birth Cohort study of adolescents aged 16 years.  The data collection on the population began prenatally up until the age of 16 years.

Previously, the results of a study on the same Finnish population showed that environmental factors such as physical activity could modify the effect of common obesity-susceptibility gene variants.  This means that those children who carried the genes associated with the risk for obesity could stop their predisposition to obesity by modifying their lifestyle behaviors. The researchers also showed in a previous study that eating 5 meals a day reduced abdominal obesity in children.

Specifically, for this current study,  two meal patterns where looked at:  those that ate 5 meals per day and those that ate 4 meals or less per day on the relation between obesity-related genotypes and body mass index (BMI) among the 16 year olds.   A genetic risk score (a multiple-locus indicator based on eight obesity-susceptibility loci) and a separate analysis of the effects of two well-established obesity loci, FTO and MC4R, on BMI were analyzed.

Results showed:

  1. A 5 meal a day pattern (including breakfast) decreased the predisposition to increasing BMI
  2. Those that skipped breakfast had a greater increase in BMI

I loved reading up on this study because it shows that even though you may be born with a set of genetic predispositions to obesity you still have the power to be at a healthy weight.  And it starts in childhood.  What power parents have to influence their kids and impact their health!!  Interested in the effect of maternal weigth gain and obesity risk? Click here

Source: PLOS One, September 2013 | Volume 8 | Issue 9 | e73802: Jaaskelainen A, Schwab U, Kolehmainen M, Kaakinen M, Savolainen MJ, et al. (2013) Meal Frequencies Modify the Effect of Common Genetic Variants on Body Mass Index in Adolescents of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986. PLoS ONE 8(9): e73802. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0073802

 

Can I get Calcium from Veggies or does Oxalic Acid Block it?

You have probably heard that foods containing oxalates (or oxalic acid) will block calcium absorption and that most vegetables have this naturally occurring compound.  Well, you are right on both accounts, BUT there is hope.  A study (1) showed that kale, bok choy, and broccoli have a greater calcium bio-availability (your body’s ability to absorb a nutrient) than the calcium in milk.

What about spinach?  If you boil spinach, it will reduce the soluble oxalate content, the form that is easily absorbed by your body, up to 30% to 80%. Soluble oxalate is the major concern to those with kidney stones as 75% of stones are composed of calcium oxalate. Steaming does not reduce the oxalate as much as boiling.(2)  Other dark green leafy vegetables with a high oxalate content such as Swiss chard can be boiled as well.

Here is a great list of High to Low Oxalate Content of selected foods.

Check out this site for following a low oxalate diet.

References

1.  Heaney, et al., “Absorbability of Calcium from Brassica Vegetables: Broccoli, Bok Choy, and Kale”, Food Science, vol 58, issue 6, pp 1378-80, 1993.
2.  Chai and Leibman, “Effect of different cooking methods on vegetable oxalate content”, J Agric Food Chem, 2005 Apr 20;53(8):3027-30.

Give Magnesium a Chance!

Why is Magnesium important? 

One of the most important day to day roles magnesium plays is the transport of calcium and potassium across cell membranes which influences:  normal heart rhythm, muscle contraction, and nerve impulse conduction.  Pretty important to outdoor lovers for sure!  Its also plays a role in: blood sugar levels, blood pressure regulation, building of proteins, and the functioning of over 300 enzymes.

What about your bones?  Magnesium plays a major role in bone formation and influences Vitamin D to do its job in maintaining healthy bones.

Magnesium has a role in exercise as well.  Its a big player in muscle function, specifically helping your muscles with oxygen uptake, energy production, and electrolyte balance during exercise. Not enough dietary magnesium could possibly hinder exercise performance and increase oxidative stress on the body.  Research says that a magnesium intake less than 260 mg/day for male and 220 mg/day for female athletes may result in a magnesium-deficient status.

Additionally, adequate magnesium intake from natural whole foods decreases the risk of osteoporosis, migraine headaches, high blood pressure, type II diabetes, and preterm labor to name a few.

Also, magnesium doesn’t get talked about much when you are pregnant unless you have preterm labor.  I have found this mineral is extremely important for the pregnant woman–I mean you are building another human being!!.    It helps with building your baby’s structural support as in bones and teeth.  And it has a key involvement in  making proteins which are the building blocks of cells.  Cells are rapidly dividing and growing during pregnancy into the baby’s heart, lungs, eyes, legs, muscles….etc.  Also, magnesium from may reduce: leg cramps, preterm labor, risk of pre-eclampsia, and poor early fetal growth.

How much magnesium you need?

Children
1 to 3: 80 mg

Females
4-8: 130 mg
9-13: 240 mg
14 to 18: 360 mg
19 to 30: 310 mg
31 to 50: 320 mg
51+: 320 mg

Males
4-8: 130 mg
9-13: 240 mg
14 to 18: 410 mg
19 to 30: 400 mg
31 to 50: 420 mg
51+: 420 mg

Pregnant
14 to 18: 400 mg
19 to 30: 350 mg
31 to 50: 360 mg

Breastfeeding
14 to 18: 360 mg
19 to 30: 310 mg
31 to 50: 320 mg

Food sources of magnesium

Magnesium is plentiful in nuts, seeds, whole grains, fish*, vegetables, and some legumes.

List of Selected Foods

FoodPortion SizeAmount (mg)
Pumpkin/squash seed kernels1 ounce156
Chard, Swiss, chopped1 cup150
Quinoa, cooked1 cup118
Oatmeal, regular, cooked1 cup112
Brazil Nuts, dried1 ounce (only eat 1-2 pieces/day107
Oat bran muffin1 small104
Beans, French, cooked1 cup99
Chocolate, dark1 square95
Halibut, cooked3 ounces91
Spinach, cooked from fresh, frozen, or canned1/2 cup78
Almonds1 ounce76
Lentils, cooked1 cup71
Black beans, cooked1/2 cup60
Flatfish (flounder and sole), cooked3 ounces49
Tofu, firm, nigari1/2 cup47
Yogurt, plain, nonfat8 ounces43
Rice, brown, cooked1/2 cup43
Pinto beans, cooked1/2 cup 43
Haddock, cooked3 ounces42
Banana1 medium31
Avacado1 medium29
Kale, chopped, raw1 cup23

View a list of selected foods high in magnesium

*Do not eat king makerel, swordfish, tilefish, or shark while pregnant

Preterm Labor: Check out this new fact sheet from the FDA on Magnesium Sulfate which is commonly used to stop preterm labor contractions

References:

1.  NIH: Office of Dietary Supplements
2.  Report of the DGAC on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010
3.  Takay and Kaneko, “Small for gestational age in cord blood platelets: intrauterine magnesium deficiency may induce metabolic syndrome later in life”, Journal of Pregnancy, 5 pp. vol. 2011
4.  Nielson and Lukaski, “Update on the relationship between magnesium and exercise.”, Magnes Res 2006 Sep;19(3):180-9.

Birth Ball Tips

Birth Ball Tips

When pregnant or laboring women sit on the ball their knees should be at a right angel to their hips or I actually prefer their hips to be slightly higher to keep baby in optimal position. When the knees are higher the baby moves out of OFP (Optimal Fetal Position).

Choosing the right size birth ball:

  • If you are under 5’ 4″, use a 55 cm ball
  • If you are 5’ 4″ – 5′ 8″, use a 65 cm ball.
  • If you are over 5′ 8″, use a 75 cm ball. 

Here are two options to purchase:  Gaiam  and URBNFit

  • When you are seated on the ball, your knees should be about 4 inches lower then your hips.
  • The firmer the ball the harder it will be to balance on it. During pregnancy, you might want to consider using a larger, softer ball.
  • Check with your birth place to see if they offer birth balls during labor
  • Most women love to labor at home on their birth ball
  • Birth balls are great for soothing a crying baby

Pesticide Levels Drop after Switching to Organic Foods

An interesting study on the effect of pesticides and children concluded that once children stopped consuming conventional fruits and vegetables and started eating organic produce, the pesticide markers in their urine disappeared.

The good news was that this change in levels was very rapid.  However, we do not know the effects of low-level pesticides, if any, on children.  “…a link between neurological impairments and repeated low-level exposure is far more difficult to determine,” states the article.  Animal studies have shown a link between pesticides and brain development and behavior and it wasn’t good.

I hadn’t thought of this before but it makes sense as the article states–the levels were higher in the winter months probably due to more imported produce.  I love the common sense tips for choose what fruits and vegetable to buy organic.   “For example, organic strawberries probably are worth the money because they are a tender-fleshed fruit grown close to the dirt, so more pesticides are needed to fight insects and bugs from the soil.  [The researcher]  adds apples and spinach to his list.  ‘It may also be money-smart to choose conventionally grown broccoli because it has a web of leaves  surrounding the florets, resulting in lower levels of pesticide residue,’ Lu says.”  I am sure we can apply this way of thinking to other fruits and vegetables we buy at the supermarket.  (This article can be found here.)