But It's Not Berry Season

Today we have a guest blogger, Chris Rosenbruch. Chris is a client of mine and during a recent session we were discussing the perception that it is hard to eat fruits and vegetables during the "off-season". I quickly realized that Chris is an expert in this area. Here is her advice for buying produce over the winter months. Also, check out the resources she lists at the end of the article. 

BUT IT’S NOT BERRY SEASON!

Last week I stopped in the local supermarket.  It was a clear, crisp fall day.  As I approached the store, I admired the colorful display of some of nature’s bounty of the traditional autumn harvest; pumpkins, gourds, and cabbages surrounded by chrysanthemums. My expectation was to find the continuation of that bounty inside.  Instead, front and center of the store’s produce section, I found….Berries? Yes, a full display of strawberries, blackberries, and red raspberries! They were labeled, ‘Made in USA’. Well, at least they didn’t say ‘Made in China’.  Even though the presentation was beautiful, I was suspect. How would they taste? After all, it isn’t berry season.  Not here anyway, in Bucks County. As it turns out, they had been shipped from California so there really was no telling just how fresh they were.  I hesitated only long enough to consider that their purchase wasn’t worth it.  I was confident that they wouldn’t taste like the ripe, sweet berries I had eaten this past June when they were abundant at the local farmer’s market.

The new government food pyramid guidelines suggest we now load our plates half with fresh fruits and vegetables…preferably locally grown. Why? Mainly, because fresh picked produce means the fruit or vegetable is ripe and ready for eating.  Ripe means not only will it taste and smell good, it also means that the plant food, picked at its peak, is the most nutrient dense.  

We now have access to a global multitude of produce. ‘Variety’ has greatly expanded to the point where we need a mobile dictionary to identify some of the uniquely shaped and textured food forms with the gourmet names found in the produce section of our supermarkets. It’s easy to get lost in the ‘cornfield’.

We live in an agriculturally rich area with an abundance of fresh, ready-to-eat produce grown by farmers who are happy to share their knowledge of each variety of fruit and vegetable. In our area, there are over 60 farms, orchards, and markets cultivating more than 45 different plant foods!

Even though we’re nearing the end of the 7-month fresh fruit and vegetable growing season here in the Northeast, don’t panic.  There are still plenty of choices.   Here are some of the delicious options:

Fruit:  Apples, Cranberries, Grapes, and Pears

Vegetables:  Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage (including Brussels Sprouts), Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Kale, , Mushrooms, Onions, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Radishes, Spinach, Squash (including Butternut, Buttercup, Delicata, Kaboucha), Swiss Chard, and Turnips (including Rutabaga).

ENJOY!

Sources:

USDA’s MyPlate – www.mypyramid.gov

BucksCountyTaste.com – great website for foodies interested in supporting local businesses

Fresh from Bucks County Farms- A guide to roadside Markets and PYO Farms – call 215-345-3283 for your free brochure.

Winter Sun Farms CSA – offers frozen produce during the 5-month winter season. www.wintersunfarmsgp.com

Cascadian Farms organic frozen produce – www.cascadianfarms.com.  Their produce is frozen 3 hours after it’s been picked!

In Defense of Food – an eater’s manifesto – Michael Pollan

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle – a year of food life – Barbara Kingsolver

Paleo eating -- First 10 days

Getting Started with Paleo

I’m 10 days into my paleo way of eating. If you missed it, I decided to begin eating ‘like the cavemen/cavewomen’ in order to improve my health and workout performance. Basically, it’s meat, fish, vegatables, fruit and nuts for me from now on. Check out my earlier blog for more details.

I’m happy to say that one week in I am still standing upright, getting in good workouts (with one exception), and have lost 5 lbs. More on that later.

First off, I should explain a few things that make this transition easier for me than for most people. I am a fitness trainer by profession. I spend a lot of time reading and talking to people about health, fitness and nutrition. The knowledge I gained from this industry already had me part way to paleo. For example, I cut down on pasta years ago, I also experimented with many different fruits and vegatables that I never ate as a kid (corn and green beans in my house growing up – most likely from a can), but I still had some problem areas.

Let’s dig into those problem areas now, shall we.

Sweetened beverages – mainly iced tea which I drink all the time. Over the years I went from sweetening with splenda to sugar to eventually a tablespoon of honey when I make it on my own. I also would stop at the local convenience store and buy sweetened tea sweetened with ‘real sugar’ (as if that somehow makes it better) to the tune of about 36g per serving.

Dairy – Since I was a kid I have been addicted to milk. I could drink it non-stop all day. Unfortunately, I always felt milk was better if paired with a cookie, brownie, muffin or granola. I have to admit that the main reason I ate sweets up until a few weeks ago was because of this milk/sweet pairing I loved so much. I ditched milk for soy milk a couple months back and the addiction got worse. I was drinking a half gallon a day. And chocolate soy milk…it might as well have been a million dollars.

Legumes – I ate beans, mostly black beans, as a protein source. I’m a big fan of Mexican food so a wheat wrap with beef or chicken, salsa, and black beans was a staple. They are gone now but I can still make a great burrito paleo style.

So how did the first 10 days go

Armed with “Everyday Paleo” by Sarah Fragoso I went to the local Wegman’s to fill my pantry and fridge with the essentials. My next blog with talk about the essentials and what I did with the non-paleo stuff I had in the house.

Breakfast has been easy. In the past I would eat 3 eggs for breakfast or granola with milk. The granola and milk are gone. Now it is 3 eggs, an avacado, maybe some virginia ham, a banana or other fresh fruit and coconut or almond milk.

Lunch is usually leftovers from a prior night’s dinner (beef, chicken, fish and veggies). I also add in some almonds or peanuts. If I’m not in the mood for leftovers I go with a burger loaded up with fresh tomato, onion, greens and spices.

Dinners have been awesome. Sirloin Dijon, Moroccan Chicken, Asparagus-stuffed Chicken Breasts, Coconut Shrimp. I love them all (although I overcooked the sirloin a little.) What I have noticed most is I am not hungry in the evenings any more. If I do get a sweet tooth and satisfy it with an orange or cheeries or strawberries.

Did I ‘cheat’?

I ate 95% paleo for 10 days and I expect to eat 90% paleo over the long haul. I don’t believe in restricting foods. I do believe that once you eat clean and realize how certain foods make you feel lousy you will voluntarily say no to them. Over the first 10 days I had a scoop of ice cream at Freddy Farms after mini-golf, a few handfuls of chocolate granola, and a small slice of strawberry cheesecake….all guilt free.

In my upcoming blogs you’ll hear:

• How to setup your pantry and fridge for paleo eating
• My brutal bike ride and why paleo for endurance athletes might be troublesome
• What changes I am seeing in my workouts and body composition

I’m Going Paleo – What, Why and How?

Your reaction to me saying “I’m going paleo” probably falls into one of four categories.

“Really, that’s interesting, tell me more.”

“Why would you want to do that?”

“What or where is a paleo?”

“Who cares?”

This series of blog posts are aimed at all of you. The “who cares” contingent probably won’t read for long but might learn something when they do read. The rest are likely to have your questions answered while you learn about the how’s and whys of choosing to eat paleo.

I will be learning along with you, in real time, while experiencing what if any impact it has on my health, strength, mood, endurance, stress, speed, outlook on life and many other factors. My intent is to share with you what it means to eat paleo, from shopping to cooking to the inevitable 'cheating'. I hope you enjoy the read and, if it is right for you, join me.

Let’s get the first question out of the way. What is paleo?

It is a way of eating that mimics our hunter-gatherer ancestors based on the notion that humans have, over the millenia, genetically adapted to eating meats, fish, vegetables and fruits. Our modern diet, just a blip on the historical timeline, based primarily on grains, legumes, dairy products, processed foods and refined sugars predispose us to sickness. Basically, our bodies are used to us eating like a caveman/cavewoman so we should do so.

Why am I choosing to go paleo?

In February I will be going to the C.R.A.S.H. B World Indoor Rowing Championships in Boston. My goal is a top 100 finish in the Open category and a top 10 in the Masters Division.

Primarily paleo is an experiment for me. Some of the fittest people I know are strict paleo followers. They choose it to stay lean and fit but they probably would be that way anyway given the amount of effort they put into their workouts. More importantly to me, eating paleo improves their results. Whether it is strength, cardio capacity, or race times…by most measures they get better, stronger and faster.

I believe eating paleo will give me greater capacity to go faster and finish better at the event. As a by-product, I want to see and feel the health benefits of paleo eating.

In upcoming posts I'll discuss my pre-paleo nutrition and let you know how I got started. This isn't the first attempt, just the first serious attempt at "going paleo". Wish me luck.

The First 5 Bites

Dining out can be a pleasurable experience. No preparation, no cleanup, wonderful food prepared in ways you've never considered. Throw in good conversation and the night is perfect.

A recent trend in dining out can tell us a lot about how we should eat. Tapas-style eateries are increasingly popular. Featuring small plates of creative dishes, these restaurants deliver amazing combinations of foods in small quantities to satisfied patrons. It is common in these popular places to share 4 or 5 dishes with friends over a long, slow eating experience.

So what does this tell us about how we should eat? Grant Achatz, chef at America's best new restaurant Alinea in Chicago, built his restaurant based on "the flavor of the first 5 bites." Research tells us that after the first 5 bites of a food we experience a diminishing taste sensation. Your taste buds grow numb to the flavor you are experiencing. Your food physiologically doesn't taste as good after the first 5 bites. Beginning on bite number 6 you are simply eating for calories, not for flavor and enjoyment.

Lessons for You

• Eat smaller portion sizes and savor the flavor of the 5 bites
• Eat a variety of foods within one meal but only a small amount of each
• Use fresh spices and rubs to bring your food to life with flavor without adding additional calories.
• Eat with family or friends sitting around a table (not on a couch), without a tv blaring in the background and converse. It will slow down your eating and promote proper portion control.
• Learn to cook even if it is just 3 or 4 dishes. It is very hard to lose weight when you are not responsible for the food preparation.

Be well,

Paul

Paul Dziewisz

Active Personal Fitness

www.ActivePersonalFitness.com

267.626.7478

"You give us the effort...we'll get you the results."

Why we really don't know what to eat

Why can I eat 3,800 calories a day, workout 4 times a week for 30 minutes each and not gain any weight? And then turn around and train for a marathon, eating less calories and working out more and not lose any weight. Why am I always between 205 and 210 lbs no matter what? For years I have been trying to understand how to eat and how it will effect me.

The most important book you can read this year is Michael Pollan's "In Defense of Food". But you don't even have to read the whole thing. Pick it up and turn right to the chapter entitled Bad Science (part 1, chapter 9). (The link will take you to the chapter available on Google books.) These 10 pages succinctly sum up the problems with the science of nutrition in a way I have been trying to articulate for several years.

The fundamental issue according to Pollan is that nutrition science, and all science for that matter, must isolate a variable to determine how changes to that variable impact the subject of the research. Nutritional scientists isolate the nutrient. Unfortunately, that approach "takes the nutrient out of the context of the food, the food out of the context of the diet, and the diet out of the context of the lifestyle."

Isolating the nutrient ignores its interplay with other nutrients, chemical compounds, and the human body that is processing it. All of which can create subtle or not so subtle changes in the nutrient's behavior.

Are you familiar with the glycemic index? Many popular diets are based on the principle that some foods have high impact on blood sugar levels than others. In isolation, that is true. A banana will spike your blood sugar level higher than a carrot. But when we start to combine foods (after all, we rarely eat one food at a time) some of the glycemic index science gets blurry. Eat a bagel by itself and those carbs will be processed quickly. Spread some peanut butter on that bagel and the absorption of carbs slows dramatically. The bagels glycemic index number has been altered by the peanut butter.

The supplement industry regularly claims they have "isolated" the enzyme or anti-oxidant responsible for preventing this or that disease. The problem is when the chemical or compound is extracted from the FOOD it rarely has the same impact has when it is left in the food. The reason, the interplay of all the elements of the food is erased when the chemical is processed into a supplement, AND THE INTERPLAY MATTERS. In a test tube, the science works. Beta-carotene in its native food source eats up free radicals. When beta is extracted and placed in a supplement, it just doesn't act the same way.

We don't understand these food interactions very well because our nutrition science doesn't look at food as a whole and doesn't address the uniqueness of our bodies. Eat a steak and you will absorb its iron. Drink coffee when you eat that steak and you won't get much of the iron.

What we do know is that eating real foods in their whole form will provide us with nutrients that help our body function. Continue to eat fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry. Choose organic if you so desire. But be ware of claims about how some part of that food will make you bigger, smaller, taller or smarter. Food is way more than the sum of its parts.

Be well,

Paul

Paul Dziewisz

Active Personal Fitness

www.ActivePersonalFitness.com

267.626.7478

"You give us the effort...we'll get you the results."

Strategies for Surviving Halloween Setbacks

The costumes are under final preparations, trick or treat bags are at the ready, little ghosts, witches and Hannah Montanas begin to appear at your door. All are in search of candy.

Today is a day filled with memories from our youth and traditions we pass down with glee to our children. One tradition we have to let go is the Halloween candy family free-for-all that occurs between October 31st and Thanksgiving. Americans consumed 23.8lbs of candy per person in 2008. And much of that is digested in the three weeks around Halloween.

Here are some tips for helping your family enjoy Halloween without establishing permanently bad eating habits.

Every thing in moderation. Halloween is fun and eating candy is a big part of it. Candy can be part of a healthy approach to eating if it is not allowed to take center stage. Avoid allowing candy to be consumed before meals or bed time.
Halloween is a single day. Like so many of our traditional celebrations, sometimes they last longer than the day on the calendar. If Halloween is going to be a day where you let your kids eat a considerable amount of candy then make sure you return to sensible limits beginning the day after.
Determine which candy makes the cut. Sit down with your kids and help them to eliminate candy they do not like or that you do not want them to try. Throw away the candy that doesn't make the cut. If you keep it around, someone will eat it.
Set some guidelines. Make an agreement with your children about how much candy they can have each day. 2-3 pieces of candy per day should be enough for most kids. Create some individual baggies of candy that contain the limit for a day. Rather than leave the whole candy bowl available all day long, only put out that day's baggie. Use smaller pieces to include in your child's lunch over the next week.
Role model for your kids. Your kids will follow what you show them. If you are regularly in the treat bowl and not following the guidelines than don't expect them to. Rationing the candy will also help you avoid those extra pounds.
Throw out your excess give-a-way candy. Your children are coming home with bags of candy and you still have 50 pieces you didn't give away. Throw it away. Having large amounts of candy available will only help you rationalize your desire to eat it. "I have to eat it to get rid of it."
Write down how much candy you gave out. Help yourself prepare for next year. Make a note of how much candy you gave out and then adjust next year's candy purchase accordingly. You'll save money and have less leftovers.
Don't pass it off on others. Taking your candy into your workplace to "get rid of it" just helps set others up for nutritional failure. You know first hand the temptation of snacking when you see someone's leftover apple pie on the counter. Don't tempt them by bringing in Halloween candy.

Have a safe Halloween. Drive careful and keep an eye out for the children.

Paul

Paul Dziewisz
Active Personal Fitness
www.ActivePersonalFitness.com
Elevation Boot Camp
www.ElevationBootCamp.com
267.626.7478
"You give us the effort...we'll get you the results."