For most of us on Thanksgiving, we did NOT prepare the food. How can we eat right when the food is so wrong? The scavenger hunt of the healthy food at the buffet table!
Most veggies on Thanksgiving are prepared in a lot of fat, ton of sodium and don’t get me started on the grease. We can’t control what is in front of our face. However, we can control the amount of food that enters our body. It is all about portion control.
Remember, it is still NOvember. Its okay to say YES to some things but even it out with a NO! If you had a slice of pie on first serving then skip it on the second.
Wait in between rounds. (Trust me your stomach will appreciate it). Walk around and enjoy company. When you have a conversation, you forget to stuff your face. It is scientifically proven by Dr. Reynolds.
I made a video from our Thanksgiving banquet. I went around the potlucks and decided if it is a YAY or NAY to eat. Then, I show you guys what the perfect thanksgiving plate should look like.
Last week, I wanted to do a strictly fruits and vegetable diet. Well, that lasted a day. So, I decided that this week I will try something new at the gym. In all spirits of jocktober, it is time to hit the treadmill.
The mission is to run 3 miles everyday for a week; that is over 20 miles! Yikes.. help?!?!?
So… When I gave you the ‘Jocktober’ challenge I forgot to mention how scary gyms can be. I mean, it is another world. It doesn’t matter what job you have or level of intelligence. To get respect, you have to use proper techniques. However, being new to the gym is very intimidating especially if you encounter the four types of these people.
Dentist Day
Okay, so I haven’t been to the dentist in 5 years. My braces were removed the summer before college and I never returned, until today. I know, I am horrible. What makes it worst is that I did not have the best oral hygiene growing up. Literally, every cleaning turned into, “We found another cavity.” I have had my fair share of cavities growing up.
So I walk in today feeling nervous because I don’t know what to expect. The last year or so I have been doing a BETTER job at brushing my teeth daily. I had positive thoughts that I was only coming in for a cleaning… NOPE!
The Dentist workers (I dont know their actual job roles, Ortho-hygienist Enthusiasts???) forced me to take an X-Ray of my teeth. When that X-Ray hit the black light board my heart dropped.
Holes, Holes-Holes…HOLES holes, Holey holes! My teeth looked like the landscape from the Shia Labeouf movie, Holes. I had like over 15 cavities or “dental repairs.” Some were bad, but a lot were small gaps.
I felt horrible. I wanted to just crawl in a dark-cold place and just meditate of how much of a failure I have become. I blame my fat self. I blame the 3 dollar southern style chicken meals at McDonalds. I blame Tacobell. I blame the Arnold Palmers at Sonic. But mostly, I blame myself for allowing all of that food to enter my body.
After hours of drilling, sawing, numbing, poking, gargling, spitting, and cleaning, my top left side is repaired. I have to come in later to do the top right and another to do the bottom.
When the assistant was cleaning up the station she asked me if I drink soft-drinks. I responded with a No. She was shocked and thought I was lying to her. She then went down the line of asking if I drank, coffee, tea, Gatorade and I denied the intake. She said she couldn’t believe that I only drank water. (before I continue, remember I have not been to the dentist in 5 years. I have spent 4 of those years drinking all the bad stuff but lately I have been clean)
For Proof I showed her a picture of what I looked like a year ago. She was stunned and she immediately sought after her phone. She showed me a picture of herself at a bigger state and we shared a genuine moment.
When former fatties come together or share stories, it is like an indescribable power that overtakes you. You share this special bond with a complete stranger. One moment I hate her because she is causing so much pain in my life, or mouth, and the next we are almost tearing up because of the fight to stay healthy.
That moment, that special moment, I really wish I had given her my information. I wish I had a business card or just a simple card that had the information to this blog so that we can stay in touch.
I am going to ask you, my readers a very simple question. Do you think I should carry cards with my blog information? It will be a simple way for people to have access to the link. Write your opinions or simply email me at LReynolds@wdbj7.com
If you have any topics or questions that you want me to discuss please send them over to my email.
~LaRell
Advice From Angela on Plateauing
The beauty in having a blog is the relationship I can make with my readers. Angela read my last blog on how I think my body is plateuaing. She wrote me an email, or a few, gave me some great advice. It would be silly to not share these with everyone.
1. Change Up Your Diet: If you are counting your calories / fat, then its time to change it up a little; count carbs. Eating between 50 - 100 grams of carbs a day is ideal. Angela suggested reading ‘Protein Power’ or ‘Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution’
2. Add more Chromium Picolinate: Angela writes that chromium picolinate help metabolize carbs.
3. Dash of Cinnamon: A little bit of cinnamon helps keep blood sugar spikes low. You can sprinkle it on practically anything in the morning.
4. Eat Frequent: With all of our busy schedules, we try to fit in 3 meals a day; if that. We should eat snacks between every meal and never let 3-4 hours pass without putting something in our stomach.
If you have any tips, suggestions, or questions. Please email me at LReynolds@wdbj7.com. You might see them on my blog one day.
We can accomplish anything together :)
~LaRell
White Ain’t Right
Now before we jump to conclusions, I am talking about eating white products such as white bread, white f
lour, and white rice.
White flour is bad because it is stripped of its nutrients, bleached to take out the natural yellowish tint and contains high levels of gluten.
A better alternative is whole wheat flour. This flour contains all its nutrients and it
takes longer for the body to absorb. This is a good thing, unlike white flour, that absorbs fast causing a raise in your blood sugar level. White flour and sugar are very similar. Unless you are working out after you consume white flour, then your body will store it as fat.
Whole wheat flour takes a longer time to absorb and break down in your body. This will cause you to feel full sooner than eating white flour.
Caution: make sure you read labels carefully because manufactures trick us into buying their products by advertising it as “healthy.” Avoid foods that are labelled ‘enriched wheat flour’ or just ‘wheat flour’ because what all the manufactures do is put a little percentage of whole wheat and magically it is somewhat “healthier” for you. Trust me, it is the same white flour hidden in a dash of whole wheat. I found this site to be very helpful.
White rice may not be the best side dish. Harvard researchers have found that eating more than 5 servings of white rice a week can increase one’s chance of type II diabetes. On the flip side, eating 2 servings of brown rice a week can decrease the chance of the disease.
A better alternative to above is the seed, Quinoa. A lady from church introduced this seed to me a couple m
onths ago. There are many health benefits to eating Quinoa: its high in protein, low in cholesterol, gluten-free and, rich in calcium. Finally it is a smart complex carb so it wont spike your blood sugar.
Going back to the title of this blog. When something you are consuming is white, it may not be healthy for you. The best solution is to stop using white flour and go whole wheat. Your pancakes will still be fine and your biscuits will taste just as good. Small lifestyle changes can impact your life, but more importantly your health, in beneficial ways that is too numerous to count.
Keep on fighting the good fight folks,
~LaRell
