Designer Olive Oil?

You may remember 2 months back I went to the Natural Foods Expo in Anaheim.   The few weeks following the expo I received lots of products in the mail with companies wanting me to recommend their products.  Many of you know I don’t give out recommendations nor endorse products on a regular basis unless I truly believe in it and have seen it work.

Well here’s one that surprised me and I thought I would share it with you:  Olivaylle Olive Nectar – or rather extra virgin olive oil with a flare.

The best olive oil is cold-pressed, extra virgin since it contains both the good monounsaturated fat and polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants.  Cold-pressed olive oil means the olives are processed within 24 hours of picking.

Olivaylle is a family company dedicated to making quality olive oil in every respect.  The proof is in the pudding since I’ve been using it the last 2 months and enjoying the wonderful taste in every recipe I’ve tried.

Here’s the companies 8 absolutes:

1. Estate-grown olives from irrigated and enriched groves

2. Mechanically harvested olives, free of contamination by human hands or top soil.

3. Processed within the estate from de-pitted olives

4. Truly cold pressed: lowering the temperature to extract the best oil rather than raising it to extract more

5. Processed in an oxygen- and temperature-controlled environment within 6 hours of harvesting

6. Stored on the estate in insulated, thermally controlled, oxygen-free stainless steel tanks

7. Estate-bottled in oxygen-free dark glass

8. Packed and shipped in refrigerated containers

Olivaylle olive oil tastes amazing and is made and processed delicately to ensure you are getting the best quality oil not only for your taste buds but also for your health.  And what combination can be better than that? 

Is Convenience worth our health?

As I was leaving the gym yesterday a woman was walking in eating what appeared to be breakfast from a popular fast food bag.

The oxymoron of fast food and the gym was not only perplexing but also defining of the era we live in.  Have we come to a point in life in which we want to ride the fence and jeopardize our health for the sake of saving time?  Are we really saving time?

I hear every day in my office “what can I make that’s quick and easy?”  I’m all for ease but sometimes things worth having like great health take more than 5 minutes a few times a day.  Have we completely gotten away from eating at the table and actually enjoying our meal?  Are we really saving time by going through the drive through?

Let’s break it down.  Going to a fast food restaurant for breakfast takes at least 5-10 minutes for the drive and the time to eat.  Eating a simple breakfast of cottage cheese, a hard-boiled egg or yogurt takes the same time to eat and no drive time if you have the food in the house.

One of the above home breakfasts is about 300-400 calories versus a fast food breakfast of 500-800 or more calories.

Perhaps taking the time to have food in the house can save you time and calories.  That could be quite green to the environment besides savings you a few thousand calories a month – more than worth it for the waistline.

So the next time you are faced with being short on time ask yourself if fast or convenience food is really worth it?  Taking the time to have healthy food in the house and giving yourself the time to enjoy it will save you more than just health.  It will give you back time in years to enjoy life and that’s a savings worth having.

Is your Health on Hold?

“I’ll start working out after the project is over.”

“I’ll go back to my healthy eating plan after my vacation.”

Have you ever found yourself delaying healthy eating or exercise?  Unfortunately our health does not go on hold – your arteries do not take a vacation and are working around the clock to bring nourishment to all parts of your body.

Can we push the pause button?

Life does happen, the schedule gets hectic and the best laid plans get pushed aside.  Can we really push a pause bottom during these times and hope the body will not notice?

In reality, all the cells and organs of our body age with time.  What we eat and how we move are lifestyle factors that influence the aging process…and the good news is we can alter aging or at least keep it in check.

Current research shows our body can change within 2 weeks of a starting a healthy eating or exercise regimen…and actually alter the way your DNA responds to your genes.  If you are programmed towards diabetes or heart disease, lifestyle changes can change the programming towards normal blood sugars and a healthy heart.

Your health does not go on hold or take a vacation…

it is either going in one direction or the other.  Why not stop the excuses and realize your life is not a dress rehearsal and you have the power to alter your destiny towards the health and happiness you deserve. 

The project or excuse may always be there…but your health is one thing precious to hold onto and it is waiting for you to release the lifestyle hold button.

Listening to your Body in 2011

No worries.  I am not going to do a blog on New Year’s resolutions.  Personally I like to think through what I would like to accomplish each year.  Putting together a long list of “to do’s” gives me more anxiety than encouragement to move forward and accomplish my goals.

So how do I make changes that are important and support my health?  I listen to my body.  I frequently ask clients:  “if your body could speak, what would it say to you?”  This may sound silly to some but it works.

The Voices in your Head…

The parent voice says “avoid this food” while the child voice may say “but I don’t care and I want it?” Have you ever listened to what does adult or healthy voice is saying?

In general, people ask why I exercise most days of the week.  I jokingly say “because I need to look like my job.” Joking aside, I really go to the gym each morning because I like HOW it makes me feel.  I want to focus on what my clients say to me and how to help them.  If I don’t exercise my brain is foggy and I’m falling asleep.

If I don’t exercise my back hurts, my knee aches and I feel a sluggish metabolism and quickly start to gain weight.  My body feels like it is decompensating.  Yes – I have pretty horrible genes – but….I’m changing how I respond to those genes.  I’m choosing to expert power over the negative predisposition to health.

Those Carb LOVING GENES

How about food?  My Italian genes want bread, cookies, and carbs.  Sometimes I can eat a serving or two here and there but beyond that I feel bloated, sluggish, unfocused and uncomfortable in my clothes.  And…I feel much hungrier and think about food all day.   My temptation control button starts to deteriorate.

So exercising and eating healthfully are really dictated by my body.  I want to feel energy, focused, satisfied with my food and pain free.  I remember the goal.  I want the endpoint to be health and happiness at the end of the day and each year.

If you want to change something about your health in the New Year ask your body how it wants to feel.  It might be a little bit of struggle with the voices in your head but if you’re reading this blog it’s likely your healthy voice wants to win the race.

No matter what the challenges are during the race at the end you want a healthier satisfied body for your next year.

You can’t Out-Train a Bad Diet

Bruce Gilbert, a trainer I share clients with uses the above statement with his clients.

“I’m working out, so I can eat what I want, right?”

NOT.

I often hear:  “I’ve been exercising much more than before so why am I not losing weight?”

Let’s crunch the numbers.

You work out 4-5 days per week at a pretty rigorous clip – maybe burning 300-500 calories per session.  Let’s say the average amount of calories per day utilized is equal to 450 or about 2000 additional calories per week which is a credit in your health account.  Sounds pretty good so far, right?

Your metabolism calls for about 1800 calories per day.  You eat fairly reasonably – after all – you consulted with an R.D.- with 500 calories per meal and a reasonable snack.  However, a few times a week you spurge on the cookies lying around the office and usually have 2 glasses of wine a few times per week.

Although these splurges sound reasonable they can add up to equaling the extra calories you utilized from working out.  In other words, a debit to your health account.

2 medium cookies 3x per week equals 1200 calories and 2 glasses of wine 3x per week equals 720 calories or close to 2000 calories per week.

If you add in anything extra you are now officially over the amount of extra calories you so diligently burned during your exercise sessions.  And, now you’ve overdrawn your account.

What drives weight loss?

Research shows diet drives the weight loss and exercise maintains it.  Exercise keeps your metabolism strong while you cut back on food so your weight will not rebound.  It maintains muscle integrity besides contributing to improved sleep, mood and sense of well-being.

But….it can’t make up for eating more than your metabolism calls for.  Although working out is critical to good health it cannot blanket additional calories or a plethora of food.

So enjoy your holidays and the best gift you can give yourself is to eat mindfully…and maintain credit in your nutritional health account.