kick it to the Carb!

Building meal plans can be confusing with all the contradictory diet advice out there. There are however six key elements every meal plan should include. Today we are diving deeper into element number one, protein. Protein is one of three macronutrients are body needs to perform at its optimal level. Of the three macronutrients protein is the most filling and can help curb appetite and hunger cravings because it takes your body longer to digest. It also helps build and repair muscle. This is important if  you are lifting weights to get shredded or trying to lose weight. Sustaining and growing muscle helps keep your metabolism high and helps keep your body strong. Eating enough protein has also been shown to help maintain bone mass making it a great component to healthy aging. Protein can also temporarily boost your metabolism thanks to the thermic effect of food. High Protein intake has been shown to both boost metabolism and increase the number of calories your body burns in...

Protein is an important component of our diet because it helps build our tissue, muscles, skin and hair. It is also the only macronutrient not readily stored in our bodies so getting an adequate amount is important. It is important to note that your protein goals will vary and that some people have conditions that make taking in large amounts of protein dangerous and life threatening so if you start feeling off, fatigued or experience brain fog talk to your doctor immediately. People who are more active may also require more protein as they break down their muscles faster through exercise. The general rule of thumb is .36 grams per pound of body weight for a sedentary person up to 1 gram per pound of body weight for active individuals. I like to make this simpler so if you know your daily calories allowance your day should be broken down into: 40% carbs, 30% Protein and 30% fat. These are simple terms and again some individuals may not be able to ingest these amounts of macronutrie...

Fun Fact did you know that there are different types of vegetarians? If you're contemplating going meat free for a meal or two or week or as a lifestyle be sure to check these out. It can be easier to start by eliminating a few things at a time and working your way up. The types of vegetarians are: Flexitarian- Mostly eat plant based but occasionally have meat.  Pollotarian- Only consumes poultry and fowl avoids red meat, fish and seafood Pescatarain- Only eat fish and seafood avoiding other types of meat Lacto-ova vegetarian- Doesn't eat any meat but consumes dairy products and eggs Ova- vegetarian- Doesn't consume any meat or dairy products but will eat eggs Lacto- vegetarian- Doesn't consume any meat or eggs but does consume dairy products Vegan- Do not consume any animal product or by product and also do not use goods made from animals Now that you know a little bit more about the types of vegetarians I hope you feel confident in finding a plant ...

A few weeks ago I made the switch from meat eater to my own strange combination of vegetarian, flexitarian, vegan (ish). Honestly I was kind of scared it would wreck all my results and be super hard to hit my protein numbers. I have been pleasantly surprised by the results. The back story. Years ago in high school I was a vegetarian for the all the wrong reasons. I wanted to be skinny and saving animals seemed like a noble cause. I didn't lose any weight but I did eat mostly plant based for five years. I say mostly because I still ate meat on occasion in private but didn't tell anyone. Communities around diets and ways of eating can be very mean if you don't follow the plan exactly and even people who didn't eat how I ate would make comments. *Side note if you do this to people stop. It isn't cool or nice. Let people eat how and what they want without comment because these comments can be damaging and create food and public eating aversions that can be harmful.*...

If you have been following any of the diet trends the last few years you know that protein has taken center stage in the diet world and for good reason. Protein: Helps are body build tissue and muscle Helps with hormone production Provide enzymes to help the body break down carbs and fats Aid the immune system Helps you feel more satiated and fuller longer Protein can be found in animal sources like meat and dairy products and plant sources like beans, nuts and seeds.  It is recommended that proteins make up 30% of your daily calories or to consume one gram per pound of lean body mass.  Protein can also help boost your metabolism by helping your body create more muscle which it turns increases your daily metabolic rate, or the amount of calories you burn a day of rest. 

It's not me, it's defiantly you! This past week was brutal. I didn't feel well Wednesday morning but figured it was the gyro's I had Tuesday after hiking. Ate my homemade turkey chili Wednesday afternoon for lunch and suddenly my symptoms were worse and I realized for the second time in a little over a month I was sick and it was tied to my food. As any rational person would do I flushed the rest down the garbage disposal and flipped it the bird! Six days later even thinking about eating a bird makes me queasy, it could still be my digestive system trying to recover but being the rational person I am I decided to look into some vegetarian options for meal prep this week. As a previous vegetarian I had some ideas of where to start but don't know why I didn't realize how much time I would save preparing meat alternatives instead of cooking up all those juicy animals! We are talking less than 10 minutes, I have "chicken patties" and some steam-abl...