September 2009

Keeping a Food Journal for Clean Eating

by Eartha

I like tracking progress when it comes to certain things. I track my daily workouts, I track work related projects like blogging, as well as books I've read, etc. It's always nice looking back on what I've done and decide how I want to move on. I believe tracking what you eat can be a tremendous help, particularly if you are still trying to change your eating habits. There are various ways to track your progress using online and offline methods.

Blogging Your Food Journal

A lot of people go with this option because it does two things:

1. Keeps you more accountable because it's public.
2. Allows you to get feedback from others who share your interest.

Blogging is easy to do and it's free unless you choose to get your own domain and hosting. I think it's a great way to stay accountable.

Online Food Journal Web Sites

There are more places online that you can use to track food. When I used to track my food online, one of my favorites was FitDay. It was easy to use and I'm sure they have made improvements since the last time I've used it. This is a great option for people who don't want to bother with keeping track on paper.

Keeping Track with a Notebook

Surprisingly, I do like using pen and paper for tracking certain things. I have noticed that I rather keep track of to-do lists on paper rather than online. Some people probably feel the same way about food journals. The type of notebook used isn't important. Spiral, composition, or even pocket-sized can work as long as you stick to it and log your progress.

Benefits of Food Journals

Food journals are great because they can help you stay on track with your eating habits. If you are in the process of trying to eat better, logging your daily food intake may help you to realize where your weak spots are during the day. Maybe you tend to skip breakfast and notice that you eat a big lunch. You may realize that you snack a lot more than you thought you did. If you have this information written down, you can diagnose the issues and fix them.

Don't worry about slipping up in your diet. If you eat foods that you are trying to avoid, log them anyway. It won't help if you pretend you didn't eat them and skip logging it in your journal. You're only defeating the purpose by doing that. Stay honest with yourself and make the journal work in your favor.

Have you or do you currently keep a food journal? How has it helped you?

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Coffee Alternatives if You Don’t Like Caffeine

by Eartha

I stopped drinking coffee recently because I want to cut caffeine out of my diet. I've read that there are a ton of chemicals used in the process of removing caffeine from decaf coffee and it is still not 100% caffeine free so that isn't an option for me. I was not a huge coffee drinker to begin with but I still enjoyed it.

I won't get into the good and bad of coffee because there are plenty of articles out there on that topic. You can find articles promoting the benefits of coffee and articles which list all of the risks involved with drinking it.

I think I drank it more for the flavor than for the caffeine boost. Not all people give up their coffee when choosing to eat healthy. However, if you are looking for coffee alternatives, here are some options below.

Coffee Substitutes

To be honest, I miss the smell and taste of coffee. To me, there is nothing like a good cup of coffee in the morning. Many people feel this way which is why it makes it more difficult to give it up if that is your goal. There are other beverages that can be your new coffee substitute but just realize they won't necessarily replace coffee. You may just have to learn to like something else just as much.

Tea - An obvious coffee replacement. You have to look for ones that are caffeine free such as herbal teas. One of my favorite herbal teas that I can recommend from Adagio is Lemon Grass.

Rooibos tea - This tea originates form South Africa. I love this tea and Adagio carries several flavors of it. It is naturally caffeine free. One of my favorites is Honeybush Vanilla.

Yerba maté - This is another type of tea that is said to be caffeine free but still has a stimulating effect. I would highly recommend doing your own research because I have read articles that say there is a very low amount of caffeine while others say there is no caffeine present.

Teeccino - This is an herbal coffee made from roasted grains and comes in several flavors.

Have you replaced coffee? Do you have any suggestions for good coffee alternatives?

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Berry Hype – Are You Paying More for Antioxidants?

by Eartha

IMG_9348.JPG
Creative Commons License photo credit: m.prinke

You see and hear news all the time about the antioxidant power of certain berries and fruit. Acai, goji, and the pomegranate are the most popular super foods that are being marketed and sold today. Yes, these fruits do contain high-levels of antioxidants but are they much better than our standard fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, oranges, etc.?

Paying the Price

Many of the now popular berries such as acai are being sold in powder form. These powders can be quite expensive ranging from $15 up to $30. Goji berry prices are just as high. Purchasing acai juice and pomegranate juice can be expensive as well.

ORAC (Oxygen radical absorbance capacity) Comparison of Certain Fruits

ORAC is a method of measuring antioxidant capacities in biological samples. These are the values per 100 grams.

Acai berry - 102,700
Goji berry - 25,300
Cranberries - 9,584
Plums - 7,581
Blueberries - 6,552
Strawberries - 3,577
Oranges - 1,819
Red grapes - 1,260
Green grapes - 1,118

Acai and goji do contain a high level of antioxidants. However, I don't think spending extra money on those two berries is necessary when fruits like strawberries and blueberries can get the job done just as well. I suppose what it comes down to is how much do you care about antioxidant levels and how much are you willing to spend?

Sources:
Wikipedia
ORAC Values

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What’s Better: Cooked Vegetables or Raw?

by Eartha

Veg box
Creative Commons License photo credit: adactio

I have always been under the impression that eating vegetables raw retains their nutrients much better than cooking them. I do cook vegetables sometimes, usually steaming them. I know that overcooking them will drain them of their nutrients. In the current issue of Muscle & Fitness, I read a short blurb about the theory of cooking vegetables being less nutritious.

The article stated that it isn't entirely true. Cooking some vegetables actually helps make it easier to absorb antioxidants. For example, the antioxidant lycopene is more potent in pasta sauce than it is in raw tomatoes. Carrots and spinach also have more beta-carotene when they are cooked and steamed broccoli has more glucosinolates which help to fight cancer.

Cooking Your Veggies

How you cook your vegetables is important in terms of nutrition. Boiling or pressure cooking vegetables can remove antioxidants. If you plan on cooking vegetables, the best way to retain their nutrients is by grilling, steaming, or microwaving. Of course, you can overdo it with those methods as well so be sure to keep an eye on them during the cooking process.

My favorite way to eat vegetables is by steaming them.

Have you always thought raw vegetables were better in terms of nutrition?

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