Female Fitness and Nutrition Scientist

Moving to a new blog!

2010-03-09T08:22:00.000-05:00

Thank you everyone for being dedicated readers for so long. It's been great being able to share with you all.

Today I have some exciting news: Finally, after months of hard work, my new website and blog are finally live!

So, as of today, to follow my blog posts and see what's going on, please direct your links to my new blog site:

www.cassandraforsythe.com

Come check it out!!

All my posts from here on out will be posted there instead of here at blogspot. Although I've had a great time with blogspot, it's time to name my own domain and move up in the web world :)

And, just to update you, I'm now at 38 weeks pregnant and still doing great! My posts at my new site will explain what's been going on this week, including pictures, and new info about an ultrasound I just had this past Friday.

So, thank you again for joining me and I look forward to seeing at my new posting site.

Your friend, Cassandra Forsythe

Pregnancy & The Winter Olympics

2010-03-01T09:57:00.000-05:00

One of my good friends forwarded me this story about a pregnant female curler competiting in the 2010 Olympics.

"Kristie Moore, the alternate on the Canadian curling team, is the first Olympian in 90 years to compete while pregnant and only the third pregnant athlete in Olympic history.

Moore, 30, is expecting her first child in May.

Moore, quoted in the Edmonton Journal, says the pregnancy did not interfere with training or competing."

To read the rest of the story, click here.

And, here's another story.

It's this just awesome?! I sure think so!

For me, I'm now 25 days away from my due date and am STILL teaching all my boot camp classes 3 days a week (a total of 7 classes) and STILL lifting heavy in the gym 2 other days a week. Yesterday for example, my other pregnant girlfriend and I did an upper horizontal and vertical push/pull workout consisting of bench press (we benched 115 each), cable squat & rows (90+lbs), chin ups (with assistance...), shoulder presses (25lbs each hand), etc. It was a good workout.

My weight is still static at a 15 lbs gain, but, as I've said before, my belly and baby are definitely getting bigger. I'm expecting that this month I'll probably add a few pounds to the scale as baby gets larger, and I'm totally good with that. Even if it means a bit more body fat for me, I know I'll be able to take it off afterwards.

Overall, being pregnant shouldn't remove you from doing activities you love (*unless you have a true medical issue). Whether it be curling, like Kristie, or high intensity workouts like me in boot camp, I'm a firm believer that being very fit through your pregnancy helps you manage the typical aches, pains and bloating that are expected during this time (for me... thankfully no bloating at all, but I do have my shares of aches and pains every once in a while).

Here's to being a fit pregnant athlete! Go Kristie!!

Amazing Female Olympic Body

2010-02-26T08:10:00.000-05:00

To my readers that don't know my current obsession with the 2010 Winter Olympics... well, now you know.

Ever since the Olympics started, I've been glued to the TV whenever I have the chance. And, if I can't watch them on the tube, I'm checking updates online. (This never happens to me... I rarely watch TV, but lately it's a different story).

Part of this obsession has to do with the fact that the games are being held in my home country AND my home province (British Columbia). And, with my current lifestyle in the US, I've been happy to root for both the Canadian and American athletes (but, I secretely am happier when Canada wins, especially since their pool of athletes is 1/10th what the Americans have to pull from with a population of only 33 million compared to the US population of 304 million!).

In any matter, last night I stayed up until midnight to watch the women's figure skating competition, and boy, I'm glad I did. It was SUCH a solid competition between all the ladies. Those women are amazing! Very few of them made any mistakes, compared to the men's competition, where almost every man fell (even some of the top 5 guys). It just made my night to watch those ladies skate and show how strong and fit they really are (both mentally and physically).

One of my most favorite skaters (and not because she is Canadian) is Joannie Rochette. Did you see this woman? WOW! Talk about a great, athletic body!! Take a look at the pictures of her I've posted above. OUTSTANDING!

Some women may feel she's too muscular, but I think her physique is absolutely perfect. I love the muscular caps on her sholders, her toned legs and feminine biceps. To me, she's the epitomy of athleticism. Beautiful!

Many of the other female skaters are quite thin and show very little muscularity (even though they are rocks!), but this woman to me shows what a strong woman should really look like. Go girl!

That's just my opinion, but, what are you thoughts?

Just three more days of the Olympics left! Time to soak it all in!

Tom Brokaw explains the Canadian-American relationship, 2010

2010-02-23T21:37:00.000-05:00

My mom sent me this link today and I thought it was awesome. I especially think it's great because my family is a mix of Canadians and Americans (my mom is Canadian, my dad is American), and now, my own family is a mix (I'm Canadian, my hubby is American... and baby is a mix).

Weight Loss at 34 Weeks Pregnancy

2010-02-18T14:05:00.000-05:00

The picture above is my corporate boot camp group last week doing our cheer at the end of class. You can see me there on the left side cheering along. I just thought I'd include this to show that the belly is still working hard :)

The title of my post describes what's been going on with me this last week. Starting last Wednesday (mid week 34), my body weight started to drop. I usually weigh myself every other day (and sometimes every day), and up until that point, I'd been holding steady at the same weight since November (yes, you can see the belly is pretty big, so obviously, the baby is growing).

But, last week, my weight dropped about 3 lbs and held like that for a few days. At first I thought it was great because I was losing body fat. But then, my brain didn't feel it was right. Plus, I'd been kicking my own butt teaching boot camps sometimes 3 times a day, and I was feeling pretty sore and tired. So, with that known, I cut back my intensity a bit. I still make my boot campers work hard, but I'm doing more coaching and less actual demonstrating. This combined with eating a bit more food on high activity days has brought my weight back to where it was previously. It still isn't getting any higher, but at least it's no longer dropping.

Perhaps some women would be ecstatic to lose weight while pregnant, but for me, since I've barely put on any weight (as I've said, I've only put on about 15lbs), I just didn't feel right about losing now that I only have about 5 weeks to go. Knowing that I've been able to maintain pretty much all of my activity throughout this pregnancy has left me with the confidence that I'll be back in the game in no time after I deliver. And that, combined with breastfeeding and a good diet, will help me mold my body back to where I want it to be.

I've heard that with breastfeeding that your body likes to hold onto a bit of body fat no matter what you do. And, for some women, breastfeeding can be so catabolic that they actually lose muscle. No matter what happens in my case, I'm not going to not breastfeed just because there's a slight chance that I'll hold onto a few pounds after I have the baby. Breast milk is best and I refuse to feed my child formula just to look a certain way. The baby will ween soon enough and I'll get my body back at that time, even if it takes a bit longer.

Like I've said, I have about 5 more weeks to go. However, I have a strong feeling that this baby is going to come earlier than my due date because I've been experiencing a lot of contraction-like activity and the wicked low back pain that happens when my uterus does its thing (and it's NO FUN at all!). I'll keep you all posted though. For now, I'm off to teach my second boot camp of the day and because I took a lot of rest yesterday, I'm actually going to do both classes myself too (and they're hard!).

Cheers to a great pregnancy!!

Ultrasound Update at 33 weeks

2010-02-11T15:47:00.001-05:00

This past Tuesday, I had to go in for an ultrasound because on my last Drs visit, she said I was measuring a bit small. That coupled with the fact that I've still not gained any weight (and in fact, for some reason, yesterday, I LOST 3lbs), they were worried something was wrong with the baby or the fluid around the baby.

However, I really think the Dr did the measurement wrong because it's totally obvious that my belly was bigger than it was just two weeks ago. But, because I never see the same Dr twice (the way OBGYN practices are run nowadays), they had no idea what I looked like two weeks ago. Sigh, frustration.

Also, in that last Drs visit, the Dr was giving me a hard time because I declined my Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) a few weeks ago and wanted me to either have it done now or monitor my sugars myself at home. The reason I declined the test is because I have reactive hypoglycemia in response to a ton of carbs. That's why I prefer a moderate carb diet instead of what our government tells us to eat. I've had really horrid responses to OGTTs in the past (like a low of 47 ng/dl of glucose at the 2 hr mark - close to passing out), and didn't want to put myself or my baby through that again. Plus, why is it good to give your baby all that sugar in one dose anyhow? I personally think it's ridiculous.

Well, I told her that there's no way in H*LL that I have gestational diabetes (GDM) based on the fact that my sugars usually run low, and I don't eat a high carb diet. Also, I exercise almost everyday, I haven't gained a lot of weight and I have no sugar in my urine on any of my urine tests. But, she persisted. I tried to reason with her and told her that if I did have GDM, my baby would be LARGE, not small, like she was accusing me of.

Anyhow, I gave in and bought more strips for the glucose monitor I have at home (I used to check for other reasons related to hypoglycemia). What I've found is that my fasting sugars are usually in the range of 68-73 in the morning (which is getting to the low side) and my 1 and 2 hr sugars never get higher than 115. So... I was right :)

Then, to the ultrasound: turns out the baby is completely and utterly NORMAL: she's weighing just over 4lbs (which is pretty much textbook), her head is down and her feet are stuck in my ribs (I could have told you that already... it kills sometimes), her arms, legs and body are totally normal, her head circumference is totally normal and the fluid around her is totally normal.

So, yes, I can be a workout nut, not gain a lot of body fat or weight and STILL have a HEALTHY and NORMAL baby growing inside me. But, I'm also eating well with all the exercise I'm doing: calories when I need them, lots of essential fats and protein, lots of green vegetables and fruits, frequent meals and listen to my body when it tells me to eat. I will admit I do indulge in cake every once in awhile, but hey, it's at least trans fat free :)

The one thing I think about is that if my baby is used to me working out so much, is she going to want to be moved and bounced a lot when she comes out? Yikes... that means I'm going to be on my toes a lot! Oh well... it'll help get the rest of the baby weight off faster at least!

Pictures of 33 1/2 weeks and exercise

2010-02-10T11:03:00.000-05:00

As promised, here are a few pics from either exercising, stretching or post-workout at 33 weeks.

Pic #1 is a postworkout side profile. Pic #2 is me stretching at the end of one of my classes with my group. Pic #3 is me smashing a 16lb Dynamax Ball during one of my circuits.

33 weeks and still exercising hard!

2010-02-08T14:23:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the MIA from blogging. I've been working a lot lately - usually from 9am to 8pm and by the time I get home, I don't feel like thinking.

But, I've still been working out hard and as of yet, have not gained any appreciable body weight or fat. I swear I have more definition in my legs and arms now than before. My weight is only 0.5lbs more than it was since back in November. All the while though, my baby is growing normally and my belly is measuring the way it should for the week I'm at.

My workouts are still pretty tough, but I will say I do have to step back from the frequency. Lately I've been getting more light-headed and winded than ever before so I've been resting more and it's helping.

Saturday I taught boot camp (I also teach 3 on Thursday and 2 on Tuesday), and this is what we did for our workout:

1) 10 minute dynamic warmup

2) 20:10 Tabata interval work consisting of:

Kettlebell swings (heavy KB - for me 50lbs)
Kettlebell front squats (ligher KB - for me 30 lbs)
Kettlebell reverse lunges
Kettlebell supine hip extensions (put the KB on your hips... mine was really low on my hips as you can imagine)
Standing dumbbell pushpress (heavy DBs - for me, 20lbs each hand)
Standing DB bentover row
Floor pushups
Floor skull crushers with heavy KB

This 4 minute round was repeated 3 more times for 20 minutes of total work.

Then, we followed with 40:15 interval circuits, consisting of:

Ab wheel roll-out (I can no longer go out all the way on these, so I just go as far as I can... too much stretching!)
Battle Rope slams with the 40 foot training rope
Burpees
Box Jumps (I chose to do high steps ups instead of jump. I can still jump, but felt I'd beat myself up enough for the day)
Med Ball Slams

After this we did a bit of core work consisting of planks held for 30 seconds each way, then cooled down with static stretching and foam rolling. I do have pictures of some of this to share, but unfortunately, not with me at the moment. I will post asap.

Prior to this boot camp class, on Friday night I lifted heavy with my other pregnant workout partner. We focused on our chest and back and for one of our sets did 5 reps of bench press with 125 lbs. We felt great!

I will say though, as these weeks progress and my baby speeds up her growth that I am having a harder time recovering. My muscles are sorer for a longer period of time than they usually are. I am keeping my nutrition very complete, but know that baby's needs are first and my muscles can just suffer if they have to.

Overall, I'm still exercising hard with less than 7 weeks to go and absolutely love how I feel! I have no bloating, no excessive weight gain, no stretch marks, very minimal back pain and few mood swings (my husband might argue that one.... hahaha).

Exercising hard through your pregnancy can be a really great thing and if it's ok for you to do and you did it before, then, go forth and be happy!

Enjoy!

Active Pregnant Women Tend to Stay Healthier

2010-01-25T11:49:00.002-05:00

Another great article showing the benefits of exercise during pregancy, backed by the research of Dr James Clapp, III.

Active Pregnant Women Tend to Stay Healthier

Vigorous Exercise and Pregnancy: Scientific evidence it's safe

2010-01-25T11:35:00.002-05:00

Dr James Clapp III, emeritus professor of reproductive biology at Case Western University in Ohio has been researching the effects of exercise in pregnancy for 20+ years. And, in the following article written for USA Today in 2007, you can read about women he has studied who stay extremely active during their pregnancies and still have wonderful, healthy babies and minimal complications.

For example, one woman ran a half-marathan at 7 months pregnancy and then ran another half marathon 6 weeks after delivery. (Six weeks! That's great!!) By staying this active, women reduce the amount of weight they gain (excess body fat weight that is, not weight of the baby), which means they have less to take off after baby is born and are less likely to retain this weight indefinitely afterwards.

When doctors push women to not exercise because they're pregnant, they really are pushing for more harm than good. Women who stay active during their pregnancies are more likely to encourage their children to be active with them, which leads to fewer obese and unhealthy children. They also are at a much lower risk for diabetes both during and after pregnancy.

I'm sharing this information with you all because recently I was doubting my intense activity regimin due to some negative comments by some on-lookers. With this information though, I'm going to continue being active and feeling great - I hope you all do the same (the pregnant ladies, that is).

Check out this great article here: No Pregnant Pause

Fit Mommy Secrets Interview

2010-01-23T08:12:00.003-05:00

Galina Talkington, the creator of Fit Mommy Secrets, and a contributor to the latest book, the The Women's Health Big Book of Exercises, recently interviewed me for her Mommy site.

Nutrition and Exercise for the Fit Mommy

In this web interview you'll read why choline is so important for mommy and baby during pregnancy, why training for labor is like training for any athletic event, crazy pregnancy food cravings and their hormonal connection, and my top recommended pregnancy books.

Also, while you're visiting her site, check out her new e-book, Fit Mommy Secrets, which was created to help women get their bodies back safely and effectively after delivery. Galina has many years of experience training women after delivery to get their hot bods back and this book really has a ton of great information you can easily follow. I'll be reviewing this book shortly in the next week.

Enjoy!

New Interview by Krista Scott-Dixon is now Live!

2010-01-19T07:57:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of chatting with Krista Scott-Dixon on Skype for more than an hour for an interview she did on me for her site www.stumptuous.com (which, by the way is a wicked site for women who love to lift).

Krista was one of my idols when it came to strong and smart women and so it was an honor to speak with her that day.

Through this conversation we also are brainstorming to develop a seminar this year just for women all about lifting heavy, thinking smart and knowing more about what makes us awesome as a gender. Stay posted for news on that one, because we're looking at this summer to make it happen!

To hear the interview and hear our thoughts on lifting while pregnant, my book, The New Rules of Lifting for Women, and disordered eating in women, click here.

Thanks Krista!

Benefits of Exercise During Late Pregnancy

2010-01-16T16:25:00.006-05:00

30 weeks and still going strong!!

It's hard to believe that I only have about 10 weeks left of this pregnancy to go! Each day my belly seems to get bigger and bigger, but (thankfully) my total body weight hasn't moved a pinch! So far, my total gain is about ~14 lbs and it's been over the last 8 weeks that it's stayed totally stable.

I know that may seem weird to some people, but as long as my baby is growing, the body fat I accumulated in the first trimester will not be missed at all!

You can see from the two pictures here that I look relatively normal for a fit pregnant woman, and I feel really fantastic! Yes, I have my off days, but for the most part, I've been able to train really hard at least once a day if not twice or three times (depends on how many times a day I am required to teach boot camps).

Yesterday and today were just single workout sessions, but they were pretty intense. Both were boot camp classes that involved 20:10 Tabata rounds for 20 mins followed by 50:10 intervals for another 22 minutes. Proceeding and following those rounds were active dynamic warmup followed by an active cool down and stretching.

Here is an example of what I did for one of the days of Tabata rounds:
Round 1 - eight 20 second repeats with 10 second rests of TRX jackknife pushups (4 mins)
Round 2 - as above, Med Ball Slam Downs with a 12 lb Dynamax Ball (4 mins)
Round 3 - ", Four point rows with 12 lbs DBs (4 mins)
Round 4 - ", Reverse Lunges (same leg 4x) with DB bicep curls (4 mins)
One minute rest between each round for about 20 mins.

Then, for the 50:10s:
1) Burpees
2) Speed Skaters
3) Slow Mtn Climbers
4) Body Weight Front Squats
5) High Knee Runs (for me, these were modified to High Knee to Elbow Touches because the pressure on my bladder from baby and the pressure on my lower belly was a bit intense)
This was repeated 4 times for about 22 mins.

Previously, before pregnancy, I still trained hard, but this type of interval training is amazing and so gratifying. I'm looking forward to continuing this after I deliver (probably following a bit of a break, if you know what I mean) and am excited to watch the fat melt off my body. Hey, if it can curtail fat gain during pregnancy when my fat storage hormones are surging and my sweet tooth is somewhat aggressive, I can just imagine what it'll do when I reach a normal baseline.

To all you pregnant ladies out there: we're learning each and every day how and why training during your pregnancy is so good for you AND your baby (NOTE: this information comes from one of the most prominent pregnancy and exercise researchers, Dr James Clapp III, who has studied many pregnant competitive Olympic athletes):

you accumulate less body fat
you have a positive sense of well-being and vigor when you might tend to be pessimistic, depressed or lethargic
you have a reduced incidence of upper respiratory tract infections (colds, sinusitis, etc)
you'll tend to have an easier, shorter and less complicated labour
you can actually IMPROVE your fitness level and physical performance (I can attest to that!)
your baby has developed an improved tolerance to stress and as such, can handle the stress of labour much better than a baby of a sedentary woman (i.e., fewer drops in heart rate with each contraction)
your baby has less body fat, but is still able to maintain it's body temperature
your baby will most likely be more mature at birth, meaning, they respond readily to environmental cues and will self-quiet themselves if disturbed when napping
your baby will also be a better sleeper (less likely to wake easily)
your baby will probably perform better on standardized intelligence tests as they advance in age
your baby will grow to be a less-fat adult (which is great news in our society of excess overweightness)

Remember: there's a balance between enough exercise for you and baby and too much. If you start feeling unwell during exercise, back off. For me, I've found a few exercises that make me sick: Swiss ball jackknife crunches make me a bit nauseous, so I've stopped doing them; too many jumping jacks or jump rope seem to put a lot of stress on my belly, so I've curtailed how much I do (same with high knee runs); prone positions are getting a lot harder to do (like prone T-raises), so I'm starting to take them out of my program.

Bottom Line: Exercise if you can, exercise if you're healthy. Not every woman is in this situation, but if you're well and have no complications, there should be no reason for you to give up something you love doing.

Stay strong!

January Special from Manitoba Harvest

2010-01-14T21:13:00.003-05:00

My favorite hemp foods company, Manitoba Harvest, has a great online special for January:

Just enter the code, NLJan10 on your next order of Organic Vanilla Hemp Protein powder and receive 15% off this product!!! Yumm!!!

While you're at it, put in a order for the hemp seed butter. It's like peanut butter, but without the allergen potential and pesticides! I love mine slathered on a piece of toasted Ezekial Bread and topped with a dollup of all-natural fruit spread. Delicious!!!

Check out Manitoba Harvest here!

8 Surprising Health Benefits of Sex

2010-01-11T16:33:00.004-05:00

Yes, sex can lead to pregnancy but there are other benefits you'll be happy to learn about. In the following article from Woman's Day magazine by Sarah Jio, Dr Desmond Ebanks explains more reasons for you to get intimate tonight with your loved one.

8 Surprising Health Benefits of Sex
Find out how getting intimate can improve your well-being
By Sarah Jio Posted January 04, 2010 from WomansDay.com

Of course sex is healthy, but did you know that a good sex life can provide specific health benefits? We spoke to the experts to find out just how sex improves our health (not that you needed any convincing).

1. It May Make You Thinner
Dread working out? Don’t break up with your treadmill just yet. But if it’s late and you haven’t made it to the gym, don’t forget that sex counts as exercise, too! “Sex burns between 75 and 150 calories per half-hour,” says Desmond Ebanks, MD, founder and medical director of Alternity Healthcare in West Hartford, Connecticut. It’s comparable to other physical activities, he says, like yoga (114 calories per half-hour), dancing (129 calories per half-hour) or walking (153 calories per half-hour).
Bonus: Sex may also help your muscles stay lean in the process. “Sexual arousal and orgasm releases the hormone testosterone, which, among other things, is necessary to build and maintain bone and lean muscle tissue,” he adds.

2. It May Improve Your Heart Health
You’re probably already aware that heart disease is the number-one killer of women. Eating a healthy diet, and keeping your cholesterol low and sodium in check are great ways to stay on top of heart health, but so is having sex. “Sex is exercise that raises heart rate and blood flow,” says Dr. Ebanks. “In a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, researchers found that having sex twice or more a week reduced the risk of fatal heart attack by half.” While the study results were focused on men, Dr. Ebanks suspects similar effects for women, too.

3. It Can Help You Get a Better Night’s Sleep
What do you do to help you sleep? When chamomile tea and other remedies aren’t doing the job, sex may help—especially if you’re having trouble sleeping due to anxiety or stress. “People having frequent sex often report that they handle stress better,” notes Dr. Ebanks. “The profound relaxation that typically follows orgasm for women and ejaculation or orgasm for men may be one of the few times people actually allow themselves to completely relax. Many indicate that they sleep more deeply and restfully after satisfying lovemaking.”

4. It Can Boost Your Immune System
With all the concerns about cold and flu viruses, combating germs can sometimes feel like a full-time job. Surprisingly, there may be something you can do in the bedroom to keep your immune system strong, says Dr. Ebanks, who points to a study by researchers at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania. “Individuals who have sex once or twice a week show 30 percent higher levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A, which is known to boost the immune system,” he says. So, make this your new cold-and-flu season mantra: Wash your hands and make a bedroom date with your sweetie—often!

5. It Can Improve Your Mental Health
The quickest way to boost your mood, fight depression and beat anxiety? Patricia Tan, MD, a board-certified internist in Arizona and medical expert for JustAnswer.com, says the answer is simple: sex (in a loving, committed relationship, of course). “Psychologically, sex improves one’s mental health by building intimacy and reducing stress,” she says. “The stress reduction component lowers a person's cortisol level, thereby reducing the chances of increased blood pressure, hyperglycemia and increased acidity in the abdomen.”

6. It Can Help Relieve Pain
You might change “Not tonight, honey, I have a headache” to “Yes, tonight, honey, I have a headache,” or so says Dr. Ebanks, who believes there’s a real correlation between sex and pain management. “Through sexual arousal and orgasm the hormone oxytocin is secreted in your body, which in turn causes the release of endorphins,” he explains. “Because of these natural opiates, sex acts as a powerful analgesic.”

7. It Can Help You with Bladder Control
It may sound weird—the idea that sex can help you minimize incontinence—but it’s true, say experts. Sex therapists have long recommended that women do Kegel exercises (flexing the muscles in your pelvic floor) throughout the day, but also during sex. Why? Not only can the exercises help increase pleasure, they also strengthen the muscles associated with incontinence. You can do Kegels anywhere (including during intercourse), so don’t be shy! Gently flex and tighten your pelvic floor muscles in the same way you would to stop the flow of urine. Hold for three seconds, then release.

8. It May Give You Healthier Skin
Could sex make you more beautiful? It sounds far-fetched, but Eric Braverman, MD, founder of PATH Medical Center in New York City, says having sex releases a key compound in the body that is good for all kinds of things—including improving your complexion. During sex, your body produces a hormone called DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone). “It can boost the immune system, give you healthier skin and even decrease depression,” he says. So much for the $79 night cream!

Pregnancy Insomnia

2010-01-09T08:06:00.003-05:00

This past Wednesday my husband and I attended our first baby-care class. It went from 630pm to 9pm and was stocked full of very helpful information. Everything ranging from care of the umbilical cord to the sleeping habits of your baby.

Speaking of sleeping habits, we learned that babies tend to be nocturnal creatures. The instructor asked us when our babies were most active and most of us said at night before bed.

Well, apparently, this behavior doesn't stop once these little humans are born. Apparently babies tend to be more active throughout the night, which isn't great news for all of us who enjoy our night-time slumber.

I kind of already kind of knew I was going to be kissing my solid night sleeps goodbye, but now, I'm totally convinced.

I don't know if it's from this new news or not, but the past 2 nights, I've been waking up at 330-4am and have not been able to sleep at all. Too many thoughts go racing through my head and so I end up doing something like cleaning the house, working on the computer or reading just because I can't sleep. And, all during this time, my baby is dancing in my belly. Seriously, last night I looked down at my tummy and it was moving all over the place. It was wild (but slightly annoying because I would have rather been sleeping... oh well).

If any mothers out there have any tips on how to improve the sleeping habits of my future baby, I'm all ears. Of, if you want to just let me know there is no solution and I'm just going to have to live with it for awhile, I'll take that too.

Well, it's now 8am and I've been up for 4 hours. Now it's time for me to go teach boot camp and hope I fall asleep sometime this afternoon.

10 more weeks to go! Exciting!!!

Another study showing the benefit of choline for pregnancy

2010-01-05T13:35:00.005-05:00

When I first got pregnant, I wanted to know what I supposed to eat to grow the healthiest baby possible. Luckily, right before I conceived, I spoke at the 2009 American Egg Board's Annual Meeting in Chicago and got the chance to learn the benefits of choline for a healthy and smart baby.

Choline is not an essential nutrient technically because your body can make it on it's own. However, you need much more than your body can make both for your own brain health and your baby's.

Recently, Science Daily news published a summary of a recent scientific investigation showing more evidence for the importance of choline in pregnancy.

In summary: a new research study published in the January 2010 print issue of the FASEB Journal by a team of University of North Carolina researchers shows that choline plays a critical role in helping fetal brains develop regions associated with memory.

"Our study in mice indicates that the diet of a pregnant mother, especially choline in that diet, can change the epigenetic switches that control brain development in the fetus," said Steven Zeisel, the senior scientist involved in the work and a senior member of the FASEB Journal's editorial board. "Understanding more about how diet modifies our genes could be very important for assuring optimal development."

To read the rest of the story click here.

Although the title of this story is, "Finally, an excuse for pregnant women to eat bacon and eggs", which I think is just silly because why the heck CAN'T a pregnant women eat bacon and eggs in the first place? Because of the fat? Oh yes, that's right... fat is bad and it's going to kill us. Give me a break.

In any matter, egg yolks are one of the richest sources of choline a mother can get in her diet. Each yolk contains ~125 mg of choline, where the recommended dose of choline for women (humans) is at least 450 mg per day. This is why I recommended pregnant women eat two eggs a day in a blog post I wrote July 2009.

Other than the benefits for your child's memory and brain development, choline is also necessary to help prevent any neural tube defects in a growing fetus - yes, even with adequate folic acid in the diet.

So, sure, you can eat bacon (nitrite free would be best), but don't forget about those eggs and their yolks! It'll help you produce a little baby Einstein... and who wouldn't love a child that could pay their own way through college due to amazing brain power? Heck, I would!

For more information on choline, check out these reports:

Choline, the new essential nutrient

Eggs: a good choice for moms to be

Sources of choline

A video to make you laugh!

2010-01-03T21:02:00.004-05:00

NROL4W girl versus Average girl video

One of my clients, Kayla, sent me this video she made about lifting and women. I laughed so hard and thought you all would like it too.

For those following this from Facebook, I've pasted the URL above too.

Enjoy! Thanks Kayla!

Picture Time!

2010-01-03T19:24:00.005-05:00

My fellow blogspot mommy-to-be Nicole in Australia at YummyMummyProject posted some recent pics of her belly on her blog and this has inspired me to share a few with all of you.

I follow Nicole's blog because she's a workout mama like myself AND because her and I are due almost the same time. It's pretty cool to see how her pregnancy is going compared to mine... and the fact that's she across the globe! I love the internet :)

I've posted pics on Facebook, but since not all my readers are FB'ers, I'll share here too. First is a side pic of my belly post-workout. You can't really tell, but my belly button has almost turned into an outie.

Second picture is from New Years Eve, right before my hubby and I headed out for a party at one of our friend's house. (disclaimer... all I did was eat... no alcohol of course).
For exercise today, well, I've been battling a cold for about a week. I swear, I've not been sick for longer than 2 days in a LONG LONG time. But, this one was one that just didn't want to leave. I trained really hard yesterday doing a metabolic circuit for an hour after I taught boot camp, but today all I did was go for a walk, wash the floors and shovel... no lifting because I was now just finally feeling better. I guess pregnancy really does depress the immune system. Thankfully I'm only battling a cold and nothing more serious.

Hope everyone is looking forward to a great week back at reality! Now that the holiday season has passed, there is a lot to do in 2010.

Best, Cass

Second Trimester Exercise Experiences

2010-01-01T14:00:00.001-05:00

The third trimester is here! And, boy, my second trimester was a great one! Yep, I'm now at 28 weeks and a few days and am definitely looking pregnant (instead of just chubby...haha). However, for the most part, I wouldn't even know I was pregnant except for when I look in the mirror - I feel great!

My second trimester was just awesome. I taught boot camps 8 times a week (three on Tuesdays and Thursdays, one on Friday and one on Saturday) and for the most part, actually physically did teach them and had no issues what-so-ever! My classes consisted of everything from high intensity Tabata training, to battle ropes and prowler pushes (as seen in the you tube video above), to weight lifting circuits and kettlebell intervals. So, pretty serious and nothing pink and fluffy.

The second trimester started in the month of October (I became pregnant pretty much exactly on July 1st). By this time all my nausea had left and my energy came back. My strength was also very similar to pre-pregnancy except for a few things, which I'll outline below.

In summary, here's how my second trimester was in terms of exercise and training:

1) Energy
As I said, my energy came back at about the 10 to 12 week mark and I took that as a sign to start kicking up the intensity. Which I did. My first few days of teaching Tabata classes were a bit rough, but once my endurance improved in a few weeks, I was doing better than some of my class participants.

2) Strength
I'm amazed at how strong I've stayed, other than for many body weight exercises. Because of my increasing body weight (I've gained about 14 lbs to date), exercises such as pull-ups, inverted rows, and now, even pushups, are a lot more difficult. I definitely am unable to do an pure unassisted pull-up, and lately, my pushups have been lame. However, my lower body and back strength in lifts like the deadlift and squat are pretty awesome. Even my bench press still rocks at a max of 135 lbs (yes, I'm still doing supine work because it doesn't bother me at all - my OBGYN even approves).

3) Endurance
I will have to say that my endurance now is better than it was pre-pregnancy. But, that wasn't hard to improve: prior to becoming pregnant I was both finishing my PhD dissertation and RD internship, so rarely had time to workout hard at all. Now, with all my HIIT training in my classes, my endurance is excellent.

4) Body Heat Regulation
Thankfully I'm progressing through my pregnancy in the winter, so keeping my body temp in a safe range while exercising is not an issue. When it's been hot outside or when I have too many layers on, I do definitely feel uncomfortable.

5) Recovery
My recovery still leaves a bit to be desired. Whenever I lift heavy, I pay for it for a few days. I've tried a few different nutritional tactics to try and improve this, but I'm pretty sure it's just the fact that I'm growing another human that my recovery isn't so great. But, I still push myself hard and just make sure to take more time to relax after.

6) Body Composition
Interestingly, my belly is definitely growing, but I haven't gained a pound in the last 4 weeks (during my 6th month I've stayed at 150lbs). My husband has told me that he noticed that my body is looking leaner, especially in my butt and thighs. He said it's because I'm finally eating better - in my first four months, I was craving sugar and food like I'd just come back from a hard outdoor excursion. Now, my cravings and appetite are so much more manageable. This combined with my exercise routine probably is leading to some fat loss (yes, fat loss during pregnancy is possible!).
One of my girlfriends who just had her baby this past February 2009 told me that she didn't gain anything in the last 3 months and her arms, thighs and butt shrank. Her baby was born at a healthy 8lbs and had no issues at all. So, I'm hoping I'll have something similar happen because I did pile some fat on my legs in the first trimester from my outta control sugar binges.

7) Aches and Pains
With my back issues (spondylolithesis), I thought I was going to be in much more pain by this point in my pregnancy. But, with all the core strengthening work I do and the absence of exercises that hurt my back (like back squats and ultra-heavy deadlifts), I've been pretty much pain-free. There were a few weeks where I had sciatica pain, but I think that was due to the baby, because it just magically disappeared one day. Now, I'm experiencing rib pain from my expanding rib cage, but, unfortunately, there's not much I can do about it. I just try to ignore it and working out actually helps me forget about it.

8) Goals for the next three months:
Well, given that I feel great and have almost no issues doing what I'm doing now, I'll continue to train hard for as long as my body will let me. A lot of people ask if I'm going to lighten up, but I've told them that I'll only do that if I have to (i.e., I hurt, I'm feeling sick, etc). Other than that, why do I have to reduce my intensity if everything is progressing in a healthy direction? My baby and belly are growing at the proper rate, my health is great (yes, I am fighting off a slight cold right now, but it is the winter and I was bound to get a bit sick at some point), and my energy is wonderful. What else could I ask for?

Now, just keep in mind: every woman is different, and every woman has to listen to her own body and make the best decisions for her and her baby. Just because I'm staying really active doesn't mean every woman has that luxury. Be smart, listen if your body says stop and ensure you fuel it with the best foods possible.

All About Hemp Foods

2009-12-28T22:13:00.003-05:00

Check out why hemp food products are not only yummy, but good for you too in an article I recently wrote for the Precision Nutrition website:

All About Hemp

What will your next 10 years bring?

2009-12-21T06:50:00.003-05:00

Last weekend, my business partner and I traveled over to Providence, Rhode Island (we're in CT, so it was very short drive), to attend Perform Better's Results Business Seminar led by Alwyn and Rachel Cosgrove. Many of you will recognize Alwyn as the co-author of my book, The New Rules of Lifting for Women, among other awesome endeavors, and Rachel being the new author of The Female Body Breakthrough. This dynamic duo also own their very successful gym in California, Results Fitness, which was named one of the top 100 gyms in the US by Men's Health magazine.

My purpose for attending this conference was two-fold: 1) To learn more about the business side of fitness, and 2) To see my friends (Alwyn and Rachel) again... it's been a long time since we last connected.

I must say, this conference was terrific and if you have a chance to attend it, please do. It really made a difference for me, and I'll explain why below.

Right at the beginning of the conference, Alwyn posed a question to all of us attendees. He asked, in his very cool Scottish accent, a simple (but not so simple) question that I've actually been asked before. His question was:

"Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years?"

The first time I was given this question was about 10 years ago by my master's supervisor while contemplating my pursuit of a graduate degree at the University of Alberta. When given this to answer, my response was that I admired my university professors and loved what they did in terms of teaching and research and so, wanted to be just like them. Thus, to accomplish this goal I had to complete my MS degree, my PhD degree and attain my RD (Registered Dietitian) certification because I wanted to research and teach nutrition.

Well, as many of you know, I accomplished all these goals and more. I now hold my PhD and RD, in addition to other certifications and honors that I never thought I'd have.

But, the goal of being an university professor is one I'm not so sure about anymore. So when Alwyn asked us this question and gave us time to write out our answers, I honestly sat there for quite a while with nothing written on my paper.

I thought, "What the heck do I want to be doing in 10 years?". My initial thought was that in 10 years, no matter what, I'm going to have a 10 year old daughter and that's going to be a wonderful and amazing job in itself. But as far as career.... I was stumped.

When my pen finally started producing words on my page, I actually did write 'university professor in an exercise and nutrition sciences department', but then I also wrote 'successful gym owner', and 'write at least two more books' and 'living in Colorado, US, or Alberta, Canada'. To be honest, being a professor at a university would be a great career path, but I'm not so sure it's what I really want. What I really love right now is being able to exercise everyday (yes, even while 26 weeks pregnant I work out at least once a day... sometimes three times) and teaching others how to be active and love it. But, I also enjoy research and teaching nutrition at the university level, so I'm torn.

The point in Alwyn asking us this question was to help us frame how we function right now so that we can achieve these goals. Everything we do right now is going to affect what we accomplish in our next 10 years. By knowing where we want to be in 10 years will help us focus our short-term goals so they lead us to our ultimate goal. But, remember, this goal should be one that makes you happy and successful, no matter what that means to you personally.

So, do this now: Ask yourself: "Where do I want to be in 10 years? What do I need to do to get there and be in that position? Is what I'm doing now going to help me get to where I really want to be?"

Some of you may already be where you want to be - you might already have the career of your dreams, be living in the place you want to live in forever and be doing all the things you've always wanted to do, and this is great! But, for most, we have some work to do, but when we start the process it will only lead to success.

For me, because being a professor is still on my radar, I'm interviewing for post-doc positions beginning August 2010 after baby is about 6 months old. Also, since being a gym owner would also be fabulous, I'm working hard now to clear up my school loans and establish great credit so that I can receive a loan to open up my own place if and when that time comes. Thankfully I worked my butt off in university achieving plenty of scholarships, so my debt is not really bad for 12 years of schooling.

I hope this inspired some of you to start planning for the future of your dreams, especially as a new year approaches. Alwyn reminded us to build a business or career that supports our own lifestyle in terms of time, income and mobility. Don't settle for anything less than the best. You deserve it.

Happy Holidays!

Looking for a great Holiday gift?

2009-12-15T22:38:00.004-05:00

First, an apology to my readers. These past few weeks have been busy! I'll fill you in more asap, but for now, I'll tell you that on December 5th was my 30th birthday and my hubby treated me to a night out at the symphony. Then, this past weekend was my belated bowling birthday party, which was a ton of fun! (Hey, what else is a pregnant 30 year old going to do to celebrate? LOL).

But, as you know, the Holiday gift-giving time is just around the corner. And, much like some of you, I'm still completing my shopping as the big day is almost only a WEEK AWAY!!! Yikes!

I wanted to share with you a local CT company that has something that some one on your shopping list is going to adore.

A woman I met two weekends ago at a local craft fair, named Pam, who is also a PhD in chemistry, has a company called Kettlepot Soap. She makes some of the most wonderful, natural soaps, lotions, lip conditioners and body butters I've ever tried in my life!

Pam handcrafted these all-vegetable Kettlepot Soaps in small batches in an old New England farmhouse. She developed her own recipe which contains olive, palm, coconut, soybean and canola oils.

All bar soaps are made with top-quality base oils, essential oils, fragrance oils, natural pigment colors, herbs, flower petals and more. Bars are hand-cut and wrapped in pretty, coordinating fabric. Each mild bar is rich in olive oil and glycerin to produce a creamy, cleansing lather, especially when used with a nylon bath scrubbie.

Other skincare products made by Kettlepot Soap include Lip Lotion, Hand and Body Lotion, Shea and Glycerin Skin Solution Buttercream, Solid Lotion, Massage Bars and Extra Emollient Cuticle Care Cream. These creams and lotions are made from scratch, with lots of goodies for your skin, such as shea butter, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, cocoa butter, mango butter and vitamin E.

Trust me that you won't be disappointed with anything you purchase from Kettlepot. And, you're supporting a local entrepreneur who creates something good for you AND the environment. How great is that?

Visit Kettlepot Soap today!

PS. I'm receiving nothing in return for this posting other than the satisfaction of knowing I'm promoting a quality product from a quality woman. Enjoy!!

Happy Birthday Manitoba Harvest! Enjoy 25% off online orders!

2009-12-03T11:31:00.002-05:00

My favorite Hemp Foods company, Manitoba Harvest, is celebrating their 12th birthday! Wow!

And, to celebrate, they're offering an incredible discount on all their online orders.

Now, until December 7th midnight CST, enjoy 25 % off all web orders! Just use the code: HB11

I don't know about you, but I'm ordering some yummy hemp seed butter and Hemp Pro 70 right now!

Happy Birthday Manitoba Harvest!

Great Article in Men's Health Magazine About Pollution and Our Health

2009-11-29T13:29:00.003-05:00

I know this may seem a little strange (being a woman and all), but one of my favorite magazines to read is Men's Health. The reason I love this magazine has nothing to do with the tips from "The Girl Next Door", or the info found in their "Tech Guide". No, the real reason I really enjoy this magazine is (the pictures of the hot guys....) the great articles by their writers.

This past month, their very talented writer Melody Petersen, composed a fantastic article about the health hazards of the various pollutants in our in environment. In this article, she visits an Indian Reserve in southern Ontario, Canada and exposes how two large industrial chemical plants have changed the lives of the residents living in that area. Although she focuses on how these chemicals are reducing the number of males being born, it also shares how these chemicals are influencing their pets and wildlife.

For example, check out this one passage:

"SHARREN FISHER IS FIGHTING her way through the thigh-high brush on a warm July afternoon, taking me to the water-filled ditch where Stella, her dog, would often stop for a drink. Fisher, a member of the tribe, says she's seen what looks like oil in the water. It's impossible to see where the water in the ditch comes from in the tangle of cattails and tall grass, but Fisher believes it drains from two industrial plants that are a quarter of a mile from her house, so close you can hear the roar of machinery.

"I used to take the dogs to the creek all the time," she says. But then Stella, a terrier-poodle mix, gave birth to three deformed pups. One stillborn pup, Fisher says, had no muzzle or fur. It also had webbed feet. That was in 2005, she says; Stella hasn't had any puppies since.

"We lost our ducks and geese," she says. "I couldn't keep them out of the water."

Her two ponies have had three stillborn foals. "We've never had a live baby from them," she says."

Disturbing? Isn't it?

To read more about what Melody has uncovered, visit the article online here. After reading it, you'll start to wonder just how companies are allowed to contribute this type of pollution to our world and how it influences the health of our children.

Beautiful Pregnancy Pictures by Heidi Taillefer

2009-11-29T13:23:00.004-05:00

One of my blog readers sent me a link to some absolutely stunning paintings of pregnancy by an artist named, Heidi Taillefer. These can be found on the website Street Anatomy. Street Anatomy, created by Vanessa Ruiz, obsessively covers the use of human anatomy in medicine, art, and design.

I'm really enjoying this website, as I'm a slight anatomy geek. I hope you enjoy it too!

Inspiring Pregnancy Exercise Video

2009-11-23T13:23:00.004-05:00

A friend of mine, Matt Pack, sent me the video above of his wife, Grace, going through her last "energy" workout right before the delivery of her baby. She had an easy labour and a healthy child and worked out like this all the way through her pregnancy.

If this doesn't inspire you to maintain your fitness (if you can, medically) throughout your pregnancy, I don't know what will.

NOTE: for those of you reading this post on Facebook, the video won't likely post, so if not, just visit my blog to see her in action.

Wonderous Womanhood

2009-11-21T19:55:00.008-05:00

Not every woman is going to agree with the following post, and guys might not get it at all.

As a woman, there are those days that you think we were dealt the bad hand in the poker game, the short end of the stick, or the uncomfortable chair on the airplane.... whatever you may call it.

There are those horrid PMS days, those "fat" days, and those hot flash days that make us wonder why we're even here.

For example, most women experience almost all of the so-called "nasty" characteristics of womanhood listed below:

Breast development (and stretch marks)
PMS (cramps, bloating, mood swings)
Menstruation (stained clothing items)
Body fat gain... and more body fat gain
Pregnancy (and more stretch marks)
Labour (woah!)
Breast Feeding (super sore nipples)
Post-partum weight loss blues
Pre-menopause (the start of hot flashes and night sweats)
Menopause (IT'S HERE and the body fat keeps piling on)
Post-menopause (relief, but now a whole new hormonal challenge)

From this, the guys must think, "Thank Goodness I'm not a woman!" and some women wish they were men instead.

But, despite these unique female challenges, there are many wonderful aspects to being a woman that all women should embrace and cherish.

1) Breasts: When we first developed our little "breast buds" almost every young woman out there probably did their best to hide them. When I first "blossomed" I remember being in ballet practice and not letting my hands down from my chest because I didn't want to let anyone see my little "boobies" showing under my tight pink bodysuit.

Now, women's breasts are sometimes one of their most prized possessions. But yet, women still like to complain: "I wish they were bigger", "I want them smaller", "I want them perkier", etc, etc. And many women take the initiative to enhance their breasts to make them larger, more round, or whatever augmentation you can think of. Blame it on our society that a woman has a hard time loving what is uniquely hers.

I do understand (don't get me wrong) that there are times when breast surgery may be necessary such as very different breast sizes, extremely large breasts or extremely small breasts, but all-in-all, most of those cases are the minority in today's surgery line-up.

One of the women in my boot camp class recently lost both her breasts to breast cancer. But, she still walks around proud and tall showing the world that she beat breast cancer, and still loves her body. She's one of the strongest women I know, and tells all of us to appreciate our breasts no matter what the shape or size, because you never know if you might be without them.

2) Menstruation, "the curse": There were times in my life that I thought menstruation was a "curse" - a horrid time of agony and discomfort. Also, at one point in time, women were told menstruating women could spoil meat and turn milk, and they should stay away from others for fear of "contaminating" them.

However, when I "lost" my period for over 5 years, I'll honestly say I missed it and knew something wasn't right. Despite countless doctors visits, MRIs, CTs and hormone tests, we still couldn't figure out why it left. Doctors wanted me to go on "the pill" to make it come back, but that wasn't the answer, it was only a cover-up for the true underlying issue.

There are also women out there, due to hormonal alterations such as PCOS, who also can not menstruate and do everything they can to make their periods return. Some are successful, some unfortunately are not.

And now, there is a new birth control pill advertised on T.V. and in magazines telling women that "there's no reason a woman needs to have her period every month". So, she should take this wonder pill and not worry about it anymore. Every time I see this commercial I want to find the makers of this drug (probably men), kick them VERY hard and tell them they're morons.

In truth, menstruation IS a normal healthy process every woman should experience monthly. True, there are reasons why it shouldn't be absolutely agonizing and are natural ways to minimize the pain and suffering, but overall, suppressing your period or losing it on purpose is NOT a good thing.

You don't have to necessarily LOVE your period, but love that it means that you're healthy and not having it could mean that you're not. Having your period allows you to be all that is woman, and in today's world, being a woman is a powerful thing.

3) Pregnancy: When I first found out I was pregnant this past July, I thought my world was over. All I could think about was no time for "me", weight gain, stretch marks, and never looking good again..... how stupid and selfish was I?

Now, I'm ecstatic to be pregnant - I'm pumped to prove that many women CAN stay active throughout their pregnancies, and that they're not "delicate little flowers" or, "poor unfortunate souls". Rather, pregnancy is a strong and empowering time for women and it brings much joy and love into their lives. And, following pregnancy comes many new highs and accomplishments.

I realize more and more every day that it's an amazing gift to be able to create another human being inside of you. Every time I feel my baby girl move within me, I'm amazed that there's actually someone in there growing and becoming stronger every minute. My husband tries to feel the baby move, and does sometimes catch a flutter or a kick, but he really never gets to feel what I feel all day long, and for that I feel incredibly blessed. Especially considering I never thought I'd ever have children or even be able to have children. It's so special.

The other amazing thing about being pregnant is the ability to provide the best nutrition for your baby - you have total control over what goes in your mouth and hence, what your baby receives. For that, your baby is one lucky being, especially if you do all that you can to give him or her the best nutrition possible.

4) Labour: Yes, it can be painful. Yes, it can be uncomfortable, BUT, if you're used to pain (such as kicking your own butt in the gym, on the road, or on the field), you'll realize you can take any type of pain to help your child come into this world. And, you don't need any drugs to do so.

5) Post-partum weight loss blues: Sure, your body isn't going to immediately return to pre-pregnancy state after your baby is born, but, if you know how to eat right and exercise with a purpose even with baby around, you can join the hot mommies club very soon.

6) Women's body fat: It's no secret that women naturally have more body fat than men, and for most women, it's a lot harder to keep that body fat in an "attractive" range. But, IT CAN BE DONE. Look to those women around you that make it happen and learn what you need to do. It takes a bit of effort including being dedicated to healthy nutrition and exercise plan, but remember, eating and exercising in this way (as long as it's not in a disordered kind of way...) is a good thing for your entire life.

7) Pre-menopause/Menopause: I'll admit, this is something I'm not well-experienced in, but I do attend a lot of conferences on the topic and listen to those that know how to manage it. From what I've learned, menopause (like menstruation) is NOT a disease, and can be managed in a natural way.

There are certain environmental factors today (xenoestrogens, toxins, stresses) that make menopause happen much earlier than it's supposed to. But, there are many natural ways to make the transition to menopause happen at the right time, and happen without too many unnecessary side effects. For an example of how this can happen, have read of the article by Dr Desmond Ebanks, entitled, "The Essence of Estrogen"

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Overall, women are a unique and special gender. Yes, we have our challenges and pains, but I hope you see that they're all worth it and make us who we are. Embrace your women-power and realize that with every day that passes, being a woman is the best thing that ever happened to you.

In health,

Cassandra

Slow Harvest Protein Oatmeal Recipe

2009-11-20T12:24:00.003-05:00

I'll be honest and admit that it's been awhile since I've eaten oatmeal in the morning. Usually, I have eggs, egg whites and Ezekiel bread because it takes less time to prepare. But, this week I had a few mornings where I had enough time to cook oatmeal and enjoyed it on a cool Fall day.

I don't use a microwave, and also only use slow-cooking oats, hence why cooking oatmeal takes a bit of time. But, when you have time to cook it on the stove slowly, it's worth every minute.

Pictured above is my new oatmeal creation. It's all-natural, high protein (32 grams!), high fiber (11 grams!) and keeps me full for hours. I also incorporated local apples from the farmer just up the road, which was a fantastic addition. The whey protein I use is also all-natural with no artificial flavors or sweeteners (I use Bipro USA whey protein which mixes very well) . To give the oatmeal a bit of a sweeter flavor, you can use a small drop of maple syrup or a sprinkle of Truvia sweetener.

When you have a chance to cook your oatmeal on the stove one morning, give this recipe a try:

Slow Harvest Protein Oatmeal

Ingredients:
1/3 cup slow oats
1 Tbsp Salba (ground Chia seeds)
1 Tbsp ground flax seeds
1 scoop unsweetened vanilla whey protein
1/6 fresh apple
1 tsp cinnamon
Truvia sweetener (optional)

Directions:
Cook oatmeal on stove according to package directions. Add Salba and ground flax while cooking.

Once cooking is complete, remove from stove and let cool for a few minutes.

Once slightly cooled, add 1 scoop whey protein, cinnamon, and natural sweetener if desired.

Mix everything together and enjoy!

Nutrition facts:
342 calories, 32 g protein, 33 g carb (11 g fiber), 11 g fat (4 g omega-3 polyunsaturated fat)

New low-carb book for you to read

2009-11-19T09:57:00.004-05:00

I'm pleased to share with you a new book by an experienced veteran of the low-carb nutrition world: Jimmy Moore.

Jimmy has published one book already on low-carb dieting and has now come out with his second book titled, "21 LIFE LESSONS FROM LIVIN' LA VIDA LOW-CARB: How The Healthy Low-Carb Lifestyle Changed Everything I Thought I Knew".

If you're interested in low-carb nutrition or just want to find out what the popularity is all about, I highly recommend you check Jimmy's new book. Or, if you're someone following low-carb, but are thinking you might give it up, first hear what Jimmy has learned in his journey and why he still commits to this lifestyle (and you might too).

Jimmy is truly passionate about low-carb eating as it has made a profound difference in his life. Here is a clip about him from his website:

In January 2004, Jimmy Moore made a decision to get rid of the weight that was literally killing him. At 32 years of age and 410 pounds, the time had come for a radical change of lifestyle. A year later, he had shed 180 pounds, shrunk his waist by 20 inches, and dropped his shirt size from 5XL to XL. After his dramatic weight loss, Jimmy was inundated with requests from friends, neighbors and complete strangers seeking information and help. Jimmy is dedicated to helping as many people as possible find the information they need to make the kind of lifestyle change he has made.

If that's not enough to convince you that Jimmy can truly show you more about low-carb nutrition than ever possible, then I don't know what can. He's truly a gem.

So, what are you waiting for? Check out his book today!

Manitoba Harvest November 2009 Newsletter

2009-11-18T06:13:00.004-05:00

It's that time of the month again! (not that time ladies and gents...LOL) It's time to have a quick read of Manitoba Harvest's monthly newsletter!

In this issue, find out how hemp foods are helping fight the war against diabetes, and check out two great recipes for Chocolate Rawcoons and Hemp Seed Noghurt Cream Sauce. Yum!

Speaking of recipes, Manitoba Harvest has a ton of great ideas you can use for your upcoming Thanksgiving feast. Check out the recipe page here.

To check out this great November newsletter, click the link below. Enjoy!

Manitoba Harvest November 2009 Newsletter

Assess and Correct - Fix yourself before you break

2009-11-16T12:54:00.003-05:00

As many of my readers know, I have one really bad back. Not a bad back as in, "Back, you've been bad.... go to your room!", but as in, "Wowza, my back hates me."

I also have the pleasure of being hypermobile, with a lot of joint laxity. Now, some people may think it's cool to be able to go "Gumby-like" tricks with your body, but, in truth, it's not that fabulous.

Thankfully, over the years, I've had the opportunity to see many knowledgeable physical therapists and coaches. I've learned in these visits how to correct my posture, why I should avoid certain exercises and stretches, and what to do if I encounter significant pain.

And, even though I've thought I knew all there is to know to keep my body healthy and strong, I always end up learning something new and beneficial along the way. Or, I'm reminded of something that I formerly knew, but just forgot.

My whole point here is that to prevent injury, and be the best we can in the gym without coming home in oodles of unnecessary pain, we need to know how to assess our current performance and mechanics and correct issues before they become a real problem.

And, I don't know about you, but I'd rather not depend on acetaminophen or ibuprofen for the rest of my life. My liver wouldn't like that very much.

So, I'm here to tell you about a new DVD by THE movement and correction experts, Eric Cressey MA CSCS, Bill Hartman PT CSCS, and Mike Robertson MS CSCS.

In this DVD, Assess and Correct, you'll learn how to evaluate your own posture and how to determine your imbalances and weaknesses. Then, you're given over 70 exercises and stretches to correct these issues and return your body to optimal health. This is all so you can perform at your best, and avoid hundreds of dollars paid out to your local physical therapy clinic.

Also, when you get the DVD, you also get these awesome free bonuses:

The Assess and Correct Assessment E-manual. This is the corresponding manual to DVD #1 that you can refer to regularly to keep your program focused on your needs.
The Assess and Correct E-manual. This is the corresponding manual to DVD #2 that includes photos and descriptions of each exercise that you can take to practice or the gym.
“The Great Eight Static Stretches” E-manual. These are our favorite 8 static stretches you can use daily to complement your Assess and Correct program.
The “Optimal Self Myofascial Release” E-manual. These are the same techniques we use with our athletes and clients to allow you to work on your own soft-tissue issues.
The “Warm-ups for Everybody” E-manual. This manual provides 38 different warm-up programs for 19 different sports and conditions.

All of this, for one low price of just $127. And, just to put this into perspective, one of the physical therapists I've seen in the past charges $90 for just ONE hour with her. Yes, she's worth it, but, you can only learn so much from her in that short period of time.

So, if you're looking to correct issues in your own body and learn how to perform even better, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Assess and Correct today. It's totally worth it and has made a huge difference for me and my back health.

Click here to learn more about the product and order today!

The Business of Being Born

2009-11-14T20:32:00.005-05:00

This weekend, my husband and I watched the movie, "The Business of Being Born", a documentary of birth by Ricki Lake and filmmaker Abby Epstein.

Even more so than being just about birth, it was about ways to approach birth other than through a traditional hospital, such as home births and water births. Now, I'm not against hospitals, but the movie did show some pretty disturbing clips about how birth in American hospitals has become more of a "business" than a service.

It showed several home births, some in the water, some not. And, I don't know about you, but watching a woman push through labor and then hold her baby in her arms did more than just choke me up (even hubby was a bit emotional). After watching all of these very wonderful home births, my husband was very passionate about us having our baby here at home.

Although a home birth would be a great idea and I've heard nothing but fabulous stories from women around me that have had home births, I unfortunately do not have the option to do so at home (no one in my area that can do it). I've currently been seeing an OB who delivers out of a hospital. My first OB and I did NOT click at all. Every time I waited HOURS for her to see me for an appointment, I felt like she didn't even care at all if I was there or not. She was quite cold. I've recently switched to a new practice (one of the OBs there is in my Boot Camp Class) who has a midwife, but this midwife can not deliver, only the OBs can. Also, there are seven OBs in this practice, and I have to meet with all of them (one I know well) because they're never sure who will be there when I deliver. That's a little unnerving.

I do have some faith in our medical establishment, and the doctors in this new practice, but know now that sometimes, procedures like c-sections and medications can be pushed on women when they really don't want them (or need them). If possible, I also do not want either (I already have enough scars on my abdomen from a colorectomy and appendectomy and don't want any more).

So, I'm feeling that a Doula, someone to hold my standards of care and beliefs up when I might be at my weakest, will be the best option for me right now. Thankfully I do have those around me and am meeting with a few this week. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to have both a midwife and Doula, but for now, this is what I've got going on.

Anyhow, back to the movie: I highly recommend that women who are interested in the best delivery possible should watch this. There's also the book version if you'd rather read.

True, I'll admit that some of the movie is a bit sensationalized - they show some crazy clips of hospital deliveries - but take that with a grain of salt and just use the information to learn more about where you'll be having your baby and what options you may or may not have.

Awhile back I posted a study that correlated low blood vitamin D levels with increased rates of c-sections. Now, I'm highly doubtful that this is true (the writers of the paper had a really good statistician...) and the increased rate may be more to do with what this movie has exposed.

To read more about this movie, visit the website, or read a review from the Giving Birth Naturally website. Both have great information.

I wish all the women around me (there's about ten in my immediate circle of friends pregnant right now) a happy, healthy and natural pregnancy. With knowledge comes freedom. Learn as much as you can, if you desire, and do whatever you feel is best for you and your child.

Kettlebell Boot Camp Videos.. while pregnant!

2009-11-12T22:45:00.003-05:00

Two videos for you all from one of the Kettlebell boot camp classes I teach. This one was from this past Tuesday.

Here, you can also see the pregnancy belly at work. Who says you have to stop working out if you're pregnant? This was a great workout and baby loved it too!

You'll see in the KB floor presses that I am in a supine position, which is said to be avoided. Well, I've been reading research showing that during exercise, it's not dangerous to be in a supine position. And, I'll attest that I do feel fine. However, sleeping is another story. I can no longer lay on my back at night or I get really (really) nauseous.

Video of Saturday Women's Boot Camp

2009-11-07T11:55:00.005-05:00

Hey Everyone!

Here's two videos for you to see what we do at Saturday morning women's boot camp at Lightning Fitness in South Windsor, CT.

In the first circuit, the ladies did 45 seconds on and 20 seconds rest of the following circuit:
1) Inverted Rows
2) Ball Weighted Supine Hip Extensions (SHE)
3) Bar Pushups
4) Squat to Cable Row
5) Mini-band Side Steppers
6) Landmine Rock Stars
7) Ab Wheel Roll-outs
We did these for four rounds following our Dynamic Warm-up. This video was taken at round three, so some of the ladies were getting a bit tired.

You can also see here my growth as a mommy... the belly is starting to get harder to hide :)

For the second round, we did the following circuit, 20 seconds on, 5 seconds off:
1) Battle Rope Drills (Slams, Alternates and Ins-Outs)
2) Kettle-bell Swings

After all that, we cooled down with easy stretching.

Happy Saturday!

One way to make exercise more appealing?

2009-11-03T22:05:00.003-05:00

I love this. One of my colleagues posted this video awhile ago, but then again today my husband sent it to me too - he told me to blog about it (and that never happens...)

It's called "The Fun Theory"
The site who makes these videos has the following motto:

"This site is dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better. Be it for yourself, for the environment, or for something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better."

The video above is called The Piano Staircase and says,

"”Take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator and feel better” is something we often hear or read in the Sunday papers. Few people actually follow that advice. Can we get more people to take the stairs over the escalator by making it fun to do? See the results here"

I'd love to see this happen. I love taking the stairs even though everyone thinks escalators are so much better. I'd be one way to help people become more active.

Visit The Fun Theory website to learn other fun ideas to make our world a better place.

She's not crazy, she's pregnant....

2009-11-02T12:26:00.002-05:00

Pregnancy can be a very stressful time in a woman's life. Not only is her body about to go through an amazing transformation (Hello, Stretch Marks), but her mind is racing with a million and one questions.

Just think about it: For most other big events in our lives, we're taught how to do the task at hand. Take reading for example, no one just hands you a book and says, "Read". No, you're taught over the course of several months and have someone helping you along the way. Then, swimming, no one just throws in you a pool and says, "Swim". No way. For most big events, we're taught, or we have time to learn so that we finally really get it (or have time to make mistakes). It's not like we have Pregnancy 101 in school or anything...

For some women, pregnancy happens when they least expect it, or potentially when they're not even ready. Even for those who try for a long time and finally do get pregnant, they're still left with many unanswered questions.

Questions like:
1) What pre-natal vitamin is really good for me? Are the blue-colored ones from the pharmacy really all that great? Or, is it better to avoid those artificial colors and go with one free of those ingredients?
2) I have a milk intolerance: are my bones or my baby's bones going to suffer because I just can't do dairy?
3) What can/ can't I do for exercise? If I'm a runner, is it ok to keep going? What about keeping my heart rate or body temperature low? Is that still valid? I'm I'm a lifter, can I still lift heavy?
4) What can I do about these food cravings? I feel like I'm going crazy! What do I do?
5) How much weight gain is ok for me? I've heard some women gain only 20 lbs while other gained 40 and both had healthy babies?
6) Who should choose to help me with my medical care? An OBGYN? A midwife? What about a Doula?
7) When I have the baby, can I go back to work right away? Or, will that compromise my baby's development?

Then, there are other topics that come up along the way that you never thought you'd even have to think about. In reality, all you really want to do is just have a healthy, comfortable pregnancy and birth, then raise a child without excessive fear of disease, death or disability to him or her.

Some women don't have much support around them in terms of other women who have gone through the same thing. They may be able to ask a few of their friends with children, but since every pregnancy and every woman is different, it's hard to know what is best for you and your growing child.

Sure, there are guidelines from your doctor, but with the way the medical establishement is moving (pressures on doctors to take more and more patients just to keep their practices running), it's unlikely you'll get more that 20 minutes with him or her if you have other things to ponder. Also, if and when you do find a good midwife, will she be able to answer all your questions either?

Then, you want to help your husband/partner understand the rollercoaster of emotions you're going through, but sometimes, even though they try, they may not fully be able to comprehend (and that's understandable).

Overall, people may label pregnant women as "crazy", but one just needs to consider all the thoughts going through their heads at any one time. It's more than just themselves they need to think about now, it's another human life. So be kind if it seems like some woman close to you is a little nutty. They're only trying to determine what is good for themselves and their child in a very short time.

I'm learning that pregnancy is really such a wonderful time in life even despite all the thoughts racing through my head. Women have been having babies since the dawn of time and it's a process our bodies are built to do. We just need to trust that we can do the right thing, and with a little investigation, come up with credible answers to our nagging questions.

My thoughts are with all my pregnant friends right now as we enter this fabulous phase in our lives. Motherhood is next with all the joys and excitement it too will bring.

Best, Cass

Halloween Saturday Morning Women's Boot Camp workout

2009-10-31T15:19:00.005-04:00

Happy Halloween everyone! To start out our Halloween, myself and the ladies of Lightning Fitness had an EXCELLENT morning boot camp class. Everyone was sweating buckets, including myself.

For today's workout, I incorporated Tabata Rounds, which are work-sets of 20 seconds work with 10 seconds rest for 2 straight minutes. I used the GymBoss Timer pictured about to keep time. These rounds might not sound hard, but, trust me, they were. Everyone was loving the challenge in a sadistic, love-hate kind of way.... (and, I didn't tell the ladies this, but I actually had them work for 23 seconds instead of just 20 :)... I know, I'm evil).

Here's what we did: Following a 15 minute dynamic warm-up we moved to Tabatas, alternating an upper body exercise with a lower body exercise for the 2 minutes:

1) Dips or shoulder press (I only had a limited amount of DBs for all my ladies, 1/2 did bench dips and the other did shoulder press. They then switched for each round).
2) Jump Squats
3) Push-ups (on toes or knees - just as long as form was good - i.e., elbows were tucked in and butt was down)
4) Speed Skaters
5) Bent over rows (with DBs - we used anything from 15 to 30 lbs each hand)
6) Split squat jumps
7) Walking push-ups or Dive bomber push-ups
8) Burpees

Then, rest for 2 -4 minutes (we really needed it.... the rounds were killer) and repeat 5 times.

For myself being 20 weeks pregnant, I did pretty good considering. And, I wasn't the only pregnant woman in the class - my girlfriend Sandy was in the class and she's 17 weeks along. Both of us were feeling it - for me: the hardest part was catching my breath because baby likes to take my oxygen. So, on the third round I only did every other exercise and used that time to ensure everyone was doing the exercises correctly (like the push-ups, bent over rows, dive-bomber or walking pushups). I really needed that break and so did Sandra - she also did the same thing on round three.

The coolest feedback from the ladies was from the two who do triathlons. Both of them commented that the class was just like hard sprint workouts and much harder than the long distance running they do. And, they hardly do sprint workouts because they're so hard.

After we felt like our lungs reached their maximum, we moved onto a core/strength workout for 15 minutes and then did 5 minutes of stretching a cool down. It was a great morning and we all felt great.

Following that workout, my girlfriend came in the gym and her, Sandy and I did a bit more light weight training for about 30 minutes. We used this time to have a good gabbing session talking about "girl" stuff and baby stuff.

I hope everyone also had a great Saturday morning. Enjoy your Halloween night and try not to eat too much chocolate!

In health, Cassandra

Manitoba Harvest October 2009 Newsletter - Check it out!

2009-10-29T10:00:00.002-04:00

I'm a huge fan of hemp food products and one of my most favorite hemp companies is Manitoba Harvest. This company is based out of Winterpeg (I mean Winnipeg... only the Canadians will understand that one... :) ), Manitoba and produces some of the most yummy and nutritious hemp food products inlcuding:

Hemp Pro 70 - the first high protein hemp protein concentrate

Hemp Butter - just as tasty, but even more nutritious as any other nut butter

Hemp Bliss - certified hemp beverage

Hemp Seed Oil - a terrific fatty acid composition for health

Shelled Hemp Seeds - delicious and easy to digest

This month, the company has published a very cool and interesting newsletter to celebrate the Halloween festivities. Check out their recipe for Gruesome Guacamole, which includes the healthy fat-containing hemp oil and hemp seeds.

To read more, click the link here: Manitoba Harvest October Newsletter

Low blood vitamin D and birth by c-section

2009-10-26T21:44:00.003-04:00

Tonight I'm prepping for the class I teach at UConn on Wednesday nights and the topic of the evening is vitamin D. Since the text I'm teaching out of is a bit outdated with respect to the recent findings on vitamin D, I had to do some extra researching to provide accurate info to my students. In my search, I came across this interesting study on the relationship between low blood vitamin D levels and c-section deliveries. So, because my brain is engulfed in thoughts on pregnancy and delivery, I was quite happy to share this all with you.

Association between vitamin D deficiency and primary cesarean section

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009 Mar;94(3):940-5

BACKGROUND: At the turn of the 20th century, women commonly died in childbirth due to rachitic pelvis. Although rickets virtually disappeared with the discovery of the hormone vitamin D, recent reports suggest vitamin D deficiency is widespread in industrialized nations. Poor muscular performance is an established symptom of vitamin D deficiency. The current U.S. cesarean birth rate is at an all-time high of 30.2%. We analyzed the relationship between maternal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] status, and prevalence of primary cesarean section.

METHODS: Between 2005 and 2007, we measured maternal and infant serum 25(OH)D at birth and abstracted demographic and medical data from the maternal medical record at an urban teaching hospital (Boston, MA) with 2500 births per year. We enrolled 253 women, of whom 43 (17%) had a primary cesarean.

RESULTS: There was an inverse association with having a cesarean section and serum 25(OH)D levels. We found that 28% of women with serum 25(OH)D less than 37.5 nmol/liter had a cesarean section, compared with only 14% of women with 25(OH)D 37.5nmol/liter or greater (P = 0.012). In multivariable logistic regression analysis controlling for race, age, education level, insurance status, and alcohol use, women with 25(OH)D less than 37.5 nmol/liter were almost 4 times as likely to have a cesarean than women with 25(OH)D 37.5 nmol/liter or greater (adjusted odds ratio 3.84; 95% confidence interval 1.71 to 8.62).

CONCLUSION: Vitamin D deficiency was associated with increased odds of primary cesarean section.

Looking for a new website

2009-10-26T15:29:00.001-04:00

As mentioned earlier, I'm looking for a revamp to my current website, www.cassandraforsythe.com

I'd like a new look, a cleaner layout and a few new components. If anyone out there is looking for work, or knows of someone that would be good for this project, please contact me at cassandraforsythe@gmail.com.

Thank you!

Women's Boot Camp Saturday Workout

2009-10-26T11:39:00.004-04:00

This weekend in the North East was absolutely fabulous. The hubby, baby (in tummy) and I headed up to Kennebunk Maine to visit the Cressey's and hang out with our good friends Eric and Anna.

We also got a chance to goof around. Above is me (at 19 weeks and not looking so plump thanks to baggy sweaters) attempting to lift a 3 TON anchor in memory of George H. W. Bush (kidding).

Below is Eric, Anna and I on our bikes posing in front of Strong Lane (yes, we're all dorks).

I've finally learned after too many weekends working that we all need to take time on the weekends to enjoy life. This was one of those weekends and it's made me a better and happier person because of it.

Prior to our trip to Maine, I taught my Saturday Morning Women's Boot Camp Class at Lightning Fitness. After engaging the women in a good 10 min dynamic warm-up, we performed the following exercises in a circuit fashion:
***40 seconds of work, with 15 seconds to switch stations. 2-3 mins rest between sets, repeat 3-4 times.
A1) Landmine shoulder press tosses (basically a dynamic shoulder press with the landmine where you throw the bar from shoulder to shoulder)
A2) Dynamax Med Ball Side to Side Wall Slams
A3) Swiss Ball Supine Hip Extensions
A4) Mini Band Side to Side Steps (I like to call these "7th grade dancing")
A5) Ab Wheel Roll-outs
A6) Kettle Bell Deadlifts
A7) Ball-resisted V-sits

Then, we moved to the following exercises in a circuit style with 40/15 work rest. Repeated 3 times:
B1) Tire Jumps (jump on the 600 lb tire)
B2) Burpees
B3) Jump Rope (good to work those kegel muscles...)

Finally, we ended with a bit of core stabilization:
Bird-dogs
Front Planks/Side Planks
Dead Bugs
Supine Leg Lowering

Then, a good cool-down stretching period.

That was it! And, girl, those ladies were happy and tired! What a great way to start the weekend!!!

After I taught class I did the same workout with my training partner, but then threw in tire flips and a bit more abdominal work. I was pooped!

This week I'll get some video of our workouts so you can all see what we're up to. :)

Happy Monday!

Pregnancy, RD and Excess Omega-3 fatty Acids

2009-10-22T22:12:00.007-04:00

My apologies to anyone checking my blog and wondering what the heck is going on. It's been a crazy few weeks. So, for now, a quick update and then a cool research study to discuss.

First: I passed my Registered Dietitian exam two weeks ago (Oct 5th). So now, after many long years in school and a year internship, I'm finally able to say that I'm a RD. Yay!
I was so nervous about the exam. I used two different study guides to help me pass, and thankfully, they worked! The exam was pretty tough and I didn't study as much as I should have, but... hey, it doesn't matter!!! I passed and can now officially practice nutrition and dietetics.

Second: My pregnancy is progressing along very nicely. I'm sitting at 18 weeks right now (due date, March 25, 2010) and looking more pregnant every day. It's amazing: some mornings I wake up and swear my belly has grown over-night.
I'm definitely now in maternity clothes, but am starting to appreciate the new curves I've developed. I try to just stay away from my non-maternity clothes because only a small handful (well, very small handful) of them still fit,,,, especially those that were tight around the bust or the belly.
I can't say I've felt the baby move yet, but I sure have seen it. One day this week when I was in the gym for example, my whole tummy was shifted towards the left and looked lop-sided. It was wild and very noticeable.

For training: my intensity went way up between weeks 12 and 16, but lately, it's been going back down again. I do try my hardest to kick my own butt in the gym, but sometimes my lungs don't want to catch up.

Tonight's workout was the following, which required 1+ minutes between sets:
Set A, three rounds, 10 reps:
A1) KB Front Squats - 35 lbs
A2) Cable crunches - 119 lbs
A3) Chain push-ups - 20 lb chain over my back.

Set B, four rounds, 40 seconds at each station, 15 seconds between each exercise. 2 min rest.
B1) KB Swings - 60 lbs
B2) Sandbag Pulls and Squats - 20 lbs
B3) Renegade Rows - 20 lbs each hand
B4) Tire Jumps (jump on a tire)
B5) Snatches - 55 lbs (45 lb oly bar plus 5 lbs each side)
** This was brutal... I was dying by the end, but it was a good dying :)

Tomorrow's workout will be something similar - about an hour of total work time, plus going for two walks with my doggies in the morning and night.

Third: I'm teaching 5 boot camps a week now and absolutely loving it.

Two through South Windsor CT Parks and R ec on Tuesday and Thursday nights at 645 pm.
Three through the gym I also personal train out of, Lightning Fitness, on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday mornings at 9am (the pics of our new gym with 3,000 sq ft aren't up yet, but will be soon).

If you live in the area, contact me and I can let you know more details.

Fourth: I'm also teaching a nutrition course at the University of Connecticut, and enjoy it a lot. It's an undergrad course, but the students I teach are just fabulous and some of them really are in love with nutrition (I remember being in their shoes when I was an undergrad).

Finally: I'm looking to completely revamp my website with client testimonials (I do online and in person nutrition counseling), the magazine articles I've written, new services I offer and an upcoming e-book (about pregnancy, nutrition and exercise). I'll keep you posted with the details.

Now, a research update:

While perusing the literature on pregnancy and nutrition, I came across this series of interesting studies on omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil.

Abnormal neurological responses in young adult offspring caused by excess omega-3 fatty acid (fish oil) consumption by the mother during pregnancy and lactation.

Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2009 Jan-Feb;31(1):26-33. Epub 2008 Sep 16

Consuming omega-3 fatty acids (omega-3 FA) during pregnancy and lactation benefits fetal and infant brain development and might reduce the severity of preterm births by prolonging pregnancy. However, diets that are relatively rich in omega-3 FA can adversely affect fetal and infant development and the auditory brainstem response (ABR), a measure of brain development and sensory function. We previously examined the offspring of female rats fed excessive, adequate or deficient amounts of omega-3 FA during pregnancy and lactation. The 24-day-old offspring in the Excess group, compared to the Control group, had postnatal growth retardation and poor hearing acuity and prolonged neural transmission times as evidenced by the ABR. The Deficient group was intermediate. The current study followed these offspring to see if these poor outcomes persisted into young adulthood. Based on prior findings, we hypothesized that the Excess and Deficient offspring would "catch-up" to the Control offspring by young adulthood. Female Wistar rats received one of the three diet conditions from day 1 of pregnancy through lactation. The three diets were the Control omega-3 FA condition (omega-3/omega-6 ratio approximately 0.14), the Excess omega-3 FA condition (omega-3/omega-6 ratio approximately 14.0) and Deficient omega-3 FA condition (omega-3/omega-6 ratio approximately 0% ratio). The Control diet contained 7% soybean oil; whereas the Deficient and Excess omega-3 FA diets contained 7% safflower oil and 7% fish oil, respectively. One male and female offspring per litter were ABR-tested as young adults using tone pip stimuli of 2, 4, 8 and 16 kHz. The postnatal growth retardation and prolonged neural transmission times in the Excess and Deficient pups had dissipated by young adulthood. In contrast, the Excess group had elevated ABR thresholds (hearing loss) at all tone pip frequencies in comparison to the Control and Deficient groups. The Deficient group had worse ABR thresholds than the Control group in response to the 8 kHz tone pips only. The Excess group also had ABR amplitude-intensity profiles suggestive of hyperacusis. These results are consistent with the Barker hypothesis concerning the fetal and neonatal origins of adult diseases. Thus, consuming diets that are excessively rich or deficient in omega-3 FA during pregnancy and lactation seems inadvisable because of risks for long-lasting adverse effects on brain development and sensory function.

From Me: After reading through this study, the authors described similar situations occurring in human women and their offspring from excess omega-3 fatty acid consumption. It seems that the exact dose in humans to achieve this same effect in you or I is not the main issue, but rather the issue is the ratio of omega-3 fats to omega-6s.

Yes, omega-3s are beneficial, but from this line of work, and others, you can really get too much of a good thing, especially from fish oil.

In order to prevent harm to your baby/fetus/child, keep the fish oil to a reasonable dose: 1 to 2 grams of omega-3s per day (from 3 to 6 capsules of fish oil) is often enough to show benefits for your infant. If your diet is quite high in total fat, you could use a bit more omega-3 to balance out the omega-6. A good ratio appears to be a ratio of about 7:1 to 3:1 of omega-6 to omega-3. Any more than that might likely lead to negative consequences.

In health, Cassandra (and baby)

Do Your Genes Determine Which Diet Means Weight-Loss Success?

2009-10-01T21:40:00.003-04:00

Recently, Katherine Hobson of U.S. News & World Report interviewed me for her article, titled,: Do Your Genes Determine Which Diet Means Weight-Loss Success?

This article is really great. It discusses why some women (and men) do better with certain diets/diet planning versus other individuals and other plans based on their diet-gene interactions.

She interviews plenty of other nutrition experts, PhDs and MDs and comes up with a lot of really interesting (and factual) information.

Thanks Katherine!

In other news: I just returned from a 5-day trip to Sedona AZ, which is one of the most beautiful places in the desert I've ever seen. My husband has the pics on his laptop, but I'll post some here and on my facebook profile this weekend (add me as a Facebook friend if you haven't already). We went there to celebrate a good friend's wedding, but also get away on vacation. We went with 7 other friends, stayed in a mansion (VRBO), rented Mercedes Benz cars (the groom worked at Enterprize and got us all sweet rides), saw the Grand Canyon, and enjoyed the beauty of Arizona. My baby also got to climb a rock face and see a tarantula (gross!). Overall, it was a great time and I did a lot of recreational exercise (hiking, climbing) which was fabulous.

This weekend I'm studying for my RD (Registered Dietitian) exam, which I'm taking on Monday. This exam finally allows me to have the designation of RD after all my years of school and after doing a year-long dietetic internship. So, other than working out (which, I've finally got my energy back and have been kicking butt in the gym... tonight I pushed the prowler and did 5x3 log press cleans amongst other great lifts), I'll be just studying, which is just SO much fun.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! Be back soon.

Exercise and My First Trimester of Pregnancy

2009-09-22T14:21:00.011-04:00

Now that I'm almost at the end of my first trimester (I'm at week 14 right now), and everything looks pretty good with my developing baby, I felt like it was time to start sharing with you all my experiences in the weight room during these first three months.

Many of you probably already guessed I was pregnant by the nature of some of my recent posts, but before I was ready to start telling my own story, I wanted to make sure everything was going well (and so far, so good).

First off, this pregnancy was completely unplanned and unexpected. In fact, I was told most of my life that I'd likely never be able to have children due to issues I had with my cycle (more on that later, but in short, I was amenorrheic for 5+ years with no completely clear explanation.... no, I wasn't too skinny, I didn't undereat, blah, blah, blah.... I had chronic yeast and bladder infections in my teens, and I was recently on bio-identical hormones for 15 months). So, it was to my utter and total surprise when I randomly decided to take a pregnancy test at home when my period following cessation of my bio-identical hormones didn't come as expected and I saw two lines instead of one!

I'm guessing I became pregnant at the end of June/beginning of July, RIGHT AFTER I had graduated from my 1 year dietetic internship AND just completed my 5 year PhD. Pregnancy was the last thing on my mind. All I really wanted to do was to start a normal, non-student life for the first time EVER, and get my body back, as I had lost it along the way while writing my PhD dissertation and doing my internship at the same time this past year.

The first signs I was pregnant were about 7 days after implantation: I started feeling uncontrollably tired any time I set foot in the gym (any time I started exerting myself physically). My training partner even made fun of me and thought I was just trying to be a wimp. But, I honestly couldn't even do what I wanted to even though I set up a great training program to get me in awesome bikini-shape.

Then, it was about a week later that I took the pregnancy test and almost passed out in shock: "Me? Pregnant? Never! Ahhh!!!!!"

It took awhile for me to adjust to what was happening, but then I decided that it was all good and that I'd now work on building a 'super baby'. For nutrition, I turned to all the recent pregnancy nutrition research for guidance (such as choline supplementation, which isn't widely known about), and tried to maintain a good diet. I'll talk more about diet in another post though (I had a few weeks of extreme sugar cravings... yuck).

For training: I didn't really know what I was supposed to do and not do for exercise, especially for strength training. I was confused by the older pregnancy and exercise advice to keep heart rate low during exercise (less than 140 bpm to keep body temp below 38C). But this advise was then revised due to new research showing that women who trained at higher body temps and heart rates had no ill effects on their babies.
The book, Women in Sport by Barbara Drinkwater, and The Pregnant Athlete Chapter has some good information about strength-training exercise for pregnant women and basically says that if a woman exercises strenuously prior to pregnancy, she can do almost that during pregnancy, up to a certain extent. According to the authors, there are risks to the fetus of overly strenuous strength exercises such as:

decreased maternal blood glucose values, especially later in pregnancy (it's more common for pregnant women to develop hypoglycemia during exercise as the baby grow larger due to the baby's increased demand for glucose);
reduced uterine blood flow which would be an issue for both the mother and fetus - however, the baby is protected from this more than the mother because the placenta has a high oxygen extraction rate
increased maternal body temperature in response to exercise - however, research on this shows that women become more efficient at dissipating heat as pregnancy progresses

Overall (from Women in Sport), women who exercise during pregnancy are advised to:

Avoid prolonged or strenuous exercise during the first trimester (I can attest to that because you're so darn tired and nauseous in the 1st trimester)
Avoid isometric exercise or straining while holding your breath
Avoid exercising in warm/humid environments (I had to have a fan on me in the gym almost every time I trained...)
Avoid the supine position after the 4th month (I've been bench pressing as much as I can now...)
Avoid activities that involve physical contact or danger of falling (mountain biking is contradicted, to my demise... even though I still mtn biked up until a few weeks ago).

My experiences
1) Oh, the Fatigue: For me, I wanted to continue weight training with the same intensity that I had been doing before, but that just wasn't happening. As I said, I was extremely fatigued in these first three months. I made it my goal to go to the gym everyday after work, but on some days I was just too tired, and opted to go home and simply walk with my dogs outside. Then, other days, I'd get to the gym (with my eyes closing on my way there) and have to take a power-nap in the parking lot before I started working out. One time, in the gym where I train clients out of, I got there a bit earlier than my appointments, and took a George Costanza Nap - I put my gym bag on the floor under a desk and completely passed out for 20 mins; it felt great.

Also, about 1 month into the pregnancy, was my husband and I's one year anniversary. We got married in Vermont last year and so planned on returning there to do a long weekend of hiking in the Green Mountains. This was all fine and dandy (I love camping), but my body had a really hard time getting up those mountains... I just had no energy at all. My husband even had to get behind me when the mountain was steeper and help push me up. It was pathetic.... but understandable.

2) Recovery: Another issue I was having after I did get in a good workout (this involved exercises like heavy front squats, med ball slams, chip-ups, bench press, ropes) was that it was taking me a lot longer to recover both between sets and after the session was over. I'd be sore for 2-4 days, where I only used to feel like that if I'd take a long time off the gym. And, between sets, I'd have to rest for much more than 2 minutes sometimes just to catch my breath.

3) Strength & Stamina: In this first month, my strength stayed relatively the same, but my stamina suffered. I often cut a workout short because I just didn't have the energy for it.

4) Nausea: I was extremely nauseated from about week 5 to week 10 (I know that's not that bad as some women have it for many more weeks with even worse symptoms). As such, sometimes it was really hard to get in a good lift because all I wanted to do was eat something to ease my upset tummy. Thankfully I never vomited, and thankfully, I found some great remedies that really helped ease the nausea such as Sea Bands and a few different homeopathics.

5) Back & hip pain: I was diagnosed with a Grade 1 spondylolithesis (basically a broken spine) at L5/S1 when I was 15 years old as a result of my gymnastics training. At the time, my back doctor told me that if I got pregnant, I'd have really hard time with the pain I normally experience, especially as I got bigger. Well, I experienced my first bout of really bad back pain at about week 8 after my husband and I flew to MN to visit family. All the sitting and the lack of good shoes totally threw my back and hips out of place. My physical therapist has now recommended that I start wearing a SI belt on a chronic basis to help with my hip and back instability that's progressively becoming worse through the pregnancy.

6) Core Strength and Kegels: Also because of my increased demand for a strong core, pelvis and glutes (due to my back issues in combo with pregnancy), I've really kicked up my core and glute training. Additionally, I'm finally learning how to correctly use my kegel muscles which I think is a department I was sorely lacking in before. Some of the key core exercises I'm focusing on are: bird-dogs, prone and side bridges, staggered kneeling cable chops and rows, swiss ball jacknives, and front body-loaded exercises such as Zercher squats and front squats.

Now that I'm nearing my second trimester I'm starting to kick my intensity back up. For the past two weeks I've been training pretty hard 3 days a week. On the other days, my training is light or it's outdoors with my dogs or on my bike.

I'm looking forward to these next 6 months and will share with you what's going on. Thank you to all the women that shared their pregnancy & exercise experiences. I am still working on this for an article, but need to collect some interviews from gynecologists and researchers.

Ok - now I'm off to teach boot camp tonight.... doing all the work I can while I'm still functioning normally.

Celebrity Interview on Ready to Launch Fitness

2009-09-20T12:43:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago, I was interviewed by Casey Roberts of Ready to Launch Fitness. He called it a "celebrity interview" although I wouldn't exactly classify myself as one [just yet, that is ;) ].

He's also interviewed popular fitness trainers and advocates such as Dan John, Adam Glass and Forest Vance. Check out what they have to say about dieting, training and living healthy.

To read my interview by Casey and see what my thoughts are on these topics, click here.

Thanks, Casey!

Great post by Coach Dos

2009-09-18T08:40:00.004-04:00

This morning I read an enlightening blog post by Coach Robert Dos Remedios about the popular TV show, "The Biggest Loser" and I wanted to share it all with you.

The Real Biggest Losers.....the viewers

I absolutely LOVE what Coach Dos wrote here for this post. In summary, although "The Biggest Loser" is one of the most popular TV reality weight loss show, it really has a lot of flaws.

I'll let you read what Coach Dos wrote to get the whole picture. Thanks, Coach.

In other news, my 12-week ultrasound on Monday went VERY well. My baby is progressing along nicely: no signs of any NTDs, all his/her parts in the right place, and it's circulation is doing what its supposed to do. I was a bit disappointed because the quality of the scan wasn't so great (the machine looked pretty old), and so we (my husband and I) didn't get the best look at our new creation. However, the doctor was very pleased with the baby's development and said the baby looked "beautiful".

So, now that it looks like everything is going the way it should, I'll start blogging about my pregnancy experiences. My due date is March 23 (or so...) and right now I'm about 14 weeks. My weight for the first trimester really hasn't increased a lot, only about 1-2 lbs depending on when I weight myself, but my body fat is a lot higher. This could be because I've lost muscle and gained fat, or it just could be because fat really doesn't weigh that much and when I put on fat, it's mostly right under my skin (subQ). My tummy is starting to buldge, my chest has grown a full size and my recovery in the gym is a lot longer than it used to be (I'm sore a lot longer after I lift than I ever have been before).

OK - more on that tomorrow. Today I have to study a few hours for my RD exam, which I'm taking on October 5th, then I'm helping my training partner move our gym to a new location (we're moving the gym to a place 3times bigger, so I'm going to have a lot more room to work with my clients and teach my boot camp classes which I plan to teach as long as I possibly can and have 2 morning and 2 evening classes lined up until the end of November for sure).

I hope everyone else has a great Friday and weekend - today's my day off from the clinic, so I'm using it to get as much done as I possibly can (which includes also planning the next two nutrition classes that I teach at Univ of Conn. , studying for my RD exam, getting some much needed housework done, working on an article, etc...and of course, getting in at least 3 solid workouts.... busy, busy)

Get to know your neighborhood while improving your fitness.

2009-09-13T19:24:00.003-04:00

One of my most favorite things to do is ride my bike outside.

Now, I'm not a fast road biker in fancy spandex - I tried that sport, but unfortunately, because of my back (I have a grade 2 unstable spondylolithesis at L5/S1 with a herniation at L4), I can't tolerate the flexion position of a road bike, no matter how I adjust the frame.

The bike I ride sits me more like the picture above; mostly upright. And this is a very comfortable position for me to enjoy the beauty of the world around me, while on my bike.

Today was my day off of lifting in the gym and, just my luck, it was a gorgeous one. My husband and I spent the morning at the Hebron Harvest Fair watching the Dock Dogs, Extreme Motocross, and checking out the cute barn yard animals (my favorite are the goats). We returned home at about 2pm (It was getting hot and I wasn't doing so well in the heat), and then spent time with our neighbors celebrating their daughter's 7th birthday.

With my day off, I also enjoyed some "treats" - a slice of birthday cake and an oatmeal raisin cookie - and boy, they were good ;) So, my planned evening hour ride (about 10 miles for me on my Granny bike) was well worth it.

But, what I love the most about riding outside, is, unlike spin class, where you're stuck indoors praying that the air conditioning will work, you get to enjoy the secrets of your own neighborhood and discover new places and people.

For example, I live in a pretty rural part of Connecticut (and I love it). My house is surrounded by a few different farms including tobacco, corn, berry, apple, and peach, and each time I go out for a ride from my house I find either a new farmer's market or a new farm.

Tonight I found a new peach farm just up the road, a new farmers market (Juknis Farms) and then discovered a beautiful field of sunflowers (and I'm a total sunflower fanatic - so I had to stop and say hello to all of them). I also had the opportunity to admire some of the nice homes in my area and fantasize what my future dream home would look like - I don't want anything large or obnoxious, just something open and spacious (minimal walls), with plently of land around it and LOTS of sunflowers.

My whole point of this blog post is just to share with you how wonderful the world can really be when you take the time to admire what you have around you. At the same time too, you can burn some calories, build some cardiovascular endurance and challenge your muscles (especially if you find some great hills to attack... which I did).

You don't have to bike, you can run, or hike, or roller blade, or snowshoe or cross-country ski,.... you get the idea. Just do something that gets you outside and gets your heart working and muscle fibers contracting. No matter if you live in the city or the country, there's always something new to explore and appreciate right in your own neighborhood while you work up a good sweat. Plus, when the weather's co-operative, it helps you open up your mind and take away any unwanted stress.

After my ride, I fired up the stove to boil some local corn-on-the-cob, some East coast mussels and steamed green beans with butter. It was a perfect conclusion to a perfect ride and a great way to end my weekend. I'm looking forward to this upcoming week as tomorrow I'm having my week 12 ultrasound and will get to see how my baby is progressing, and then on Wednesday I'm teaching my third night class at UConn on the topic of carbohydrates and can't wait to share new research with the students on how lower-carb diets are very effective for certain health conditions.

I hope all of you get to enjoy a wonderful week ahead, and if you can, will soak up the beauty in the world around you.

In health and fitness,

Cassandra

Guest Blog: 7 Excellent Blogs for Wellness Tips

2009-09-07T21:40:00.004-04:00

Today's blog comes from Mary Ward, a freelance writer who blogs about various job issues in the health care field, including how to study to obtain a MHA online.

7 Excellent Blogs for Wellness Tips

As people search for ways to improve upon their overall wellness, they look to the top blogs out there as one source of information. Though there are a number of blogs out there that focus on health specifically, these blogs will help you to pull out some general wellness tips as you get to better health in the process.

1. Dr. Weil – The nice part about this blog is that it offers a wide array of topics and some very common questions that one may have about wellness and health. No topic is off limits as this doctor goes in depth on everything from sexual health and well being to Vitamin D deficiencies, measuring all along the way just how important these factors are to your wellness. A very comprehensive blog indeed!

2. Wako Wa Salon: Everyday Wellness – This is one blog that appeals to the people and tells you that from the start. This is a blog that focuses around healthy living and wellness overall, with a strong focus on alternative medicine. Rather than throwing out traditional recommendations or going with the general public on all issues, this blog asks for content and contributions from those who know. The content is captivating and you are sure to learn something about wellness on here.

3. Deepest Health – Though the focus of this blog is on Chinese medicine and alternative approaches such as acupuncture, it also incorporates a deep understanding of wellness. You can learn some rather unconventional practices from the mainstream, but get a deeper understanding of how wellness pertains to your life and overall well being.

4. Medicine World – This isn’t what you would expect as it is overseen by a practicing physician, but focuses on your overall well being. The news stories are interceded by personal postings to give a fresh point of view. This is nice as it strays from the mainstream in that it focuses on well being rather than just how to get to better health alone from a very real and informed perspective.

5. Workin on My Fitness – Though the main focus is initially on diet and exercise, it encompasses healthy living and wellness overall. This blog offers a fresh and interesting perspective from a real person with a real point of view. She is down to earth and focuses on why good health equals overall wellness as part of the equation.

6. Balanced Health and Nutrition – What makes this an interesting blog is the fact that it calls out misconceptions and possible misinformation in the media and helps you to understand how to decipher all of it. That’s only one aspect of how this blog focuses on your wellness and how to achieve the results through healthy living and a good positive attitude overall.

7. Onibasu – As this blog focus is on alternative living and health practices, you can gain some excellent insight into wellness. You can learn everything about eating for your health to how to center yourself for proper mental health, making it a very comprehensive and easy to understand blog.

Good wellness tips are hard to come by, but these blogs make finding the good stuff easy. Follow along and be well!

From Science Daily: Discovery of new gene that controls fat cell development

2009-09-05T13:21:00.003-04:00

I just read this article today on ScienceDaily.com and thought it was pretty interesting. Apparently, researchers at University of Central Florida have discovered a new gene that regulates fat cell formation. This new information might have important applications for the treatment of obesity and diabetes.

To read more, click the link below. Enjoy!

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090826110112.htm

Pregorexia: scary, but very real

2009-09-01T14:05:00.007-04:00

Pregorexia: some of you may have heard of this term, some of you may have not.

This term didn't even exist until up to a few years ago and was coined to describe the plethora of pregnant women out there who do everything they can to prevent the natural weight gain of pregnancy. From over-exercising, to over-dieting, this phenomenon is more than real, and it's very, very sad.

Where did this new trend for pregorexia come from? Well, we can't really point fingers, but with the Hollywood obsession our society has, and the recent trend for pregnancy among female actresses, we can't help but notice how thin these women stay while carrying their next child.

For example, stars like Angelina Jolie and Nicole Kidman both looked unnaturally thin during their pregnancies, leading all women to believe this is the norm.

Now, I'm not saying that women need to stuff their faces silly during their pregnancies, or abandone their exercise routine. Not all all. But, restricting calories and pushing exercise even when your body is yelling at you to back off, is totally wrong.

To define pregorexia, it's a term often used to describe preoccupation with weight control through extreme dieting and exercising while pregnant. Physicians are concerned that more women than ever are experiencing this condition, without ever realizing the health effects they're having on their unborn.

I found this story by a woman named Maggie Baumann, who experienced pregorexia during both her pregnancies. Her story is very sad. Due to her restrictive eating, after birth, one of her daughters eveloped seizures and attention deficit problems, which her doctor suggested may have been linked with poor fetal nutrition. Now, Maggie is a family therapist who is trying to help women avoid this condition. Here's some of her story below with a link to the remainder.

Pregorexia: Starving for Two
Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Pregnancy is a time for most women to embrace the wonders of pending motherhood. Picking the baby's name, speculating about the sex of the baby, and often, enjoying the freedom to "eat for two" make up some of the traditions expecting mothers experience.

However, for me, pregnancy was a nine-month battle in which I lived in a dissociated state from my body-- horrified by my expanding "self" that protested every ounce of weight I gained.

I did not experience the freedom to eat for two; rather, I experienced the restriction of starving for two.

Here are some other good reads on pregorexia:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/features/article4541959.ece

http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2009/06/pregorexia-the-pregnant-womans-eating-disorder/

http://www.parentdish.com/2008/08/13/pregorexia-takes-moms-by-storm/

http://www.divinecaroline.com/37077/79534-skinny-pregorexia

(It's very interesting to read the comments below these articles).

Also, on a personal level, one of my physician friends told me her experience with one of her clinic patients while in Ob/Gyn residency: "This thin woman, of 36 years, tried for 14 months to get pregnant. When she finally did, she didn't give up on her intense exercise and dieting regimine, but kept this quiet to us. Until the day she came in for extreme bleeding. She miscarried at 10 weeks. Since she was at the age of genetic abnormalities in a fetus, we did complete genetic testing on the unborn. Nothing was found. When we did a complete history, all we could identify was her intense exercise and dieting as the cause, supported by her very thin and lean build."

Overall, if you know you struggle with food and your body prior to becoming pregnant, and you would like to produce a healthy child, please address these issues with someone who can help you (your therapist, etc).

Remember, you're creating a new life. You wouldn't be here unless your mother took the care to create you, and the same holds true for your unborn child. You don't have to gain more weight than recommended, but you should at least aim for those recommendations (between 20 and 40 lbs depending on your height and prior weight). And, remember, after your hormone levels balance back out, your body will quickly revert back to normal, especially if you were fit before pregnancy, and if you breastfeed. So don't fear pregnancy, ebrace it, and look forward to the new friend and family member you're about to meet.

Pregnancy and Weight Lifting

2009-08-30T16:46:00.003-04:00

Pregnancy: It seems to me that society treats this as such a delicate time. But, really, does it have to be like that?

What I'm referring to mostly is weight lifting exercise, and what pregnant women can and can not do to help them have a healthier and happier pregnancy and delivery.

When I did a Google image search for pregnancy and exercise (or weight lifting), all I saw were pictures of very pregnant women doing yoga or ball exercises. The only weight lifting picture I could find was the one you see above. And, I wouldn't even really consider that weight lifting (I think the last time I did a lateral shoulder raise I was 16 years old and a newbie). No squatting, no pushups, no chipups, nada.

But, what I really want to know, and what I need help from YOU (the female "you", that is), is how and can a pregnant woman lift during her pregnancy?

Obviously, in the first 3-4 months, almost anything that you can tolerate should be do-able (when there's not any nausea or uncontrollable fatigue). Then after the belly starts to bulge, any supine (lying on back) positions, should be avoided due to the potential to restrict blood flow through the vena cava.

The American College of Ob/Gyn has a one-sentence line about strength training:

"Strength training will make your muscles stronger and may help prevent some of the aches and pains common in pregnancy. "

But, other than this, it's really a grey (or gray) area as far as weight lifting and pregnancy goes.

So, I'm doing as much research as I can here, scanning the peer-reviewed literature, and reading text books. But as I said, I need some help from real women who have lifted during their pregnancies:

What did you and could you do for weight lifting during your pregnancy?

Did you stop and just walk or doing light aerobics?

Did you keep doing what you were doing prior, but with some modifications (and what were they)?

Did you train harder? Did you try a new training program (And which one)? Etc.

I'd love to hear what you ladies out there did. One of my readers told me she was doing pull-ups the day before she delivered (wicked!) and another said she road her bike 10 miles a few days prior to delivery (and she was 2 weeks late, so she was quite big at this pt).

You can post your reply here, or send me an email (cassandraforsythe@gmail.com).

I promise that your thoughts and comments will be kept private if that's what you'd like. Also, this information might end up as an article in the next issue of Muscle and Fitness Hers and Fit Pregnancy.

Cheers to a healthy and strong pregnancy!

Book Recommendation: Woman, An Intimate Geography

2009-08-27T22:51:00.003-04:00

Now that I'm finally finished my PhD and being a student, I have time to really enjoy reading. Before this, all my reading was for school: research papers, class assignments, text book chapters, etc. So, the thought of picking up another book just wasn't enjoyable.

But, now, I'm diving into all the books I partially started, or planned to read, but just never had the time or the desire.

I'd like to make this book recommendation blog post a regular item. My plan is to let you know what I'm reading right now and why I think you should read it too.

So, to start off first, I want to tell you all about one of the most fascinating books about the female body, psyche, physiology and history I've ever read. (Note: gentlemen, this book might not be up your alley, but if you read it, it might win you some brownie points with your ladies... or at least help you understand the opposite sex a bit better).

Natalie Anger has won the Pulitzer Prize for the writing of this book. In it, she actually makes topics like female reproduction, female hormones, and female biology absolutely interesting and... might I say, amusing (you'll definitely laugh/giggle when you read her wording).

I first learned about this book about 3 years ago when I was researching the reproductive physiology of women and the biological differences between men and women. The reviews on it were amazing, and I just knew I had to have it. With chapter titles like, "The Mosiac Imagination: Understanding the 'Female' Chromosome", "Cheap Meat: Learning to Make Muscle", how could you not want to dive into this book?

I actually started reading it in the middle with the chapter on women and testosterone, and was hooked (however, like I said, I just didn't have time to finish it all... but that's not the case now).

Because I'm not skilled necessarily in writing the most complete book review, I'd like to quote other's comments on this book. From this, you'll see that this book is definitely one you want to start reading as soon as you can.

From Rambles: The "geography" that Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer NatalieAngier refers to in the title of her book ranges from the southernmost clitoris and associated vulval landmarks to the high summits of the brain in her exploration of new theories of female anatomy, physiology, psychology, biology and various permutations of these topics across the life span. In gorgeous prose displaying high style and metaphor, wit and verve, Angier by turns is serious, angry, joyous and loving; at times didactic and hortatory; at other times confessional, the result being a book brimming in information.

From Salon.com: BY MAGGIE JONES | Simone de Beauvoir probably would have agreed with Natalie Angier's theory of feminism -- with one exception. De Beauvoir believed women were the biological runners-up in the gender wars; Angier, the stylish, Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer for the New York Times, takes the contrary view. In "Woman: An Intimate Geography," she argues that women's bodies are complex, versatile and powerful, and that they often surpass men's. To prove her point, she takes us on a tantalizing, witty journey through female biology, debunking many entrenched stereotypes and myths and a lot of questionable science.

Equipped with an eye for detail and a sure grasp of science, Angier maps the female body -- eggs, uterus, breasts, hormones, brain -- enlisting a remarkable array of studies and little-known facts, as well as examples from history and literature, to offer a feminist take on biology. She explains, for instance, that the clitoris has 8,000 nerve endings, twice as many as the penis. "All this," she gloats, "and to no greater purpose than to subserve a woman's pleasure. In the clitoris alone we see a sexual organ so pure of purpose that it needn't moonlight as a secretory or excretory device." She details the power of estrogen on the brain and heart and the complexity of the female chromosome, which boasts thousands of genes, compared to the male counterpart's puny two dozen. ....

From Random House: Natalie Angier's text is a detailed exploration of female anatomy. By showing how culture based assumptions have influenced research in evolutionary psychology and have consequently lead to dubious conclusions about "female nature," she deals a body blow to Darwinian-based gender stereotypes. Her ability to choose just the right word, as well as illustrating anecdote, gives this densely packed mapping of the female form a lightness of touch and renders it eminently accessible. From eggs to testosterone ("Wolf Whistles and Hyena Smiles") and from the vagina to "sensory exploitation theory," she creates an exposé of enlightened subversion and a "snarl at injustice."

Woman is a seminal work, and an essential statement in the cultural conversation about how biology affects who we are and how we perceive ourselves.

From me:
This book will definitely teach you something about yourself that you never knew before. It will give you a better appreciation of yourself as a woman, and help you learn to love everything that makes you who you are.

I hope you get to enjoy it today... I sure am.

Cheers, Cass

Nutrition and Metabolism Society: The place to go to get the most accurate information on low-carb and Diabetes management

2009-08-26T11:39:00.002-04:00

I often receive emails asking me where people can learn about the science behind low-carbohydrate diets and where to learn more about how to best manage diabetes, heart disease and metabolic syndrome.

The first place I send them is to the Nutrition and Metabolism Society's website which includes information from the top diabetes and low-carb researchers in the world.

Here is their Mission Statement:

The Metabolism Society is dedicated to addressing the problems of obesity, diabetes & cardiovascular disease through public awareness and education. The Society believes specifically that the therapeutic potential of carbohydrate-restricted diets for the treatment of these diseases is under-investigated and under-utilized. The Society seeks to support research in this area. Our mission is to improve current nutritional guidelines and to see that sound scientific information is provided for the public.

On this site, you can learn everything you didn't know about the world of low-carb research, how to attend a meeting focused on low-carb science, how to locate a professional that specializes in low-carb nutrition, and the big one.... is fat really that bad?

You can also join the society and receive up-to-date newsletters and mailings about the research and progress in this area.

I hope you enjoy this resource as much as I do.

Visit the site today!

http://www.nmsociety.org/Default.aspx

The wonders of photoshop and our distorted society.

2009-08-20T21:11:00.002-04:00

I just found this video on youtube tonight, care of a friend. I thought many of you would find it interesting. Particularly interesting is that this woman had a beautiful body to begin with.

Top 10 Best Female Science Bloggers from forensicscienceschools.org

2009-08-19T07:32:00.003-04:00

This morning, Suzane from the site Forensic Science Schools sent me an email telling me that my site was included in the "Top 10 Best Female Science Bloggers" list.

Very cool!

To check out the wicked smart women of this top 10 ten list, visit their site below:

Top 10 Best Female Science Bloggers

There's some really cool (and brainy) ladies out there! What an honor to be included!

Thanks Suzane!

Three interesting nutrition articles to read

2009-08-18T13:01:00.003-04:00

Nutraingredients-usa.com has three interesting nutrition articles that I thought I'd share with you all:

Most Americans ready to embrace nutrigenomics

This article touches on the new science and acceptability of nutrigenomics - essentially, using one's unique genetic code to prescribe the healthiest diet. But, as this article states, and as many genetic scientists know, this technology is 10 to 15 years in the making. Here, at my lab at the University of Connecticut, we contributed to realm of nutrigenomics science here.

New nutrient profiling system proposed by US researchers

Most of us know what we're not supposed to eat, but how do we decide what's really good for us and what is not? Here, US researchers are developing a Nutrient-Rich-Foods (NRF) Index to rank foods based on their nutrient composition. To read the abstract, click here.

Canadians identify barriers to healthy eating

It can be hard to eat well in today's society, especially with the economic crunch. Read this article to see a few other reasons people find it hard to eat well. Consumer education not only needs to teach what to eat to be healthy, but how to do it: shopping, cooking, etc.

Real women aren't magazine cover-models or mannequins

2009-08-15T08:10:00.006-04:00

Yesterday, I watched an amazing story on the Today show about how a recent magazine cover photo of Kelly Clarkson was re-touched, and Kelly was not too happy about it.

Kelly Clarkson's Self magazine photo retouched

As you'll read and see at the link above, the magazine editor-in-chief of SELF magazine was brought on to the Today show to explain why they drastically retouched the picture of Kelly Clarkson to make her look much thinner than she really is.

As we all know, Kelly has her curves, but, like so many women, Kelly is proud of these curves. Yes, there is a difference between curves and being overweight, but for some women, they are never EVER going to look like women on magazine covers (or as mannequins in the store). I'll admit, I'm one of them... my thighs touch and my arms are bigger at the bicep than my forearm. And I like it.

For Kelly, she was very unimpressed that Self magazine would do this to her image. But, as you can see the editor-in-chief from SELF had issues of her own: this woman looked like she'd been eating paper towels and ice chips for a few weeks before appearing on the show. Her arms were seriously scary. And, I, out of most people I know, do appreciated vascularity in a woman's arms when she's lifting heavy at the gym. But, this woman just looked like she needed a good meal. It was scary.

She obviously thinks women in this world are too fat, including Kelly Clarkson, who was invited to be on her magazine cover.

It seems that no woman would be thin enough to be on magazine covers today, which is a topic I've blogged about before. Even the cover models themselves.

This is exactely why women today need to stop judging themselves based on these images. Most women have thighs, and when they bend to the side, they probably will get a little roll. Most women even over the age of 25, usually have a little pooch not because they don't know how to take care of themselves, but because nature and gravity have their ways.

Here is another take on this story by examiner.come: Do magazine covers set unrealistic expectations?

Women usually only have a super flat stomach plus perfect thighs and arms for three reasons:
a) They're 18 or younger
b) They have wonderful genetics
c) They're right about to step on stage for a bodybuilding/figure show and have been dieting and exercising insanely for the past 16 or more weeks.

So, ladies, unless you're one of these, enjoy the skin you're in. Yes, workout hard and eat well to attain what God will let you, but know your limits. If your mother has hips, you probably will too, and that's ok. (Guys actually really like hips and don't think boy hips are all that attractive.)

You can look great and feel great, but you likely won't look like women on magazine covers. Make your role models real women in your life either in real pictures or in person. No matter who we are, we all have our imperfections, but the bottom line is that if we don't like ourselves for what we can be, no one else is going to make us look any better.

Even Kelly isn't happy about her new body - but apparently SELF magazine doesn't think she should be'' herself... she should be the 'self' they think she should be.

Thoughts?

Nutritionist vs RD

2009-08-11T07:54:00.002-04:00

This past Sunday on Good Morning America, a "nutritionist" was profiled giving her nutrition expertise to the public.

To read the full story, check out the link here:

What to Eat When: Foods for Slimming, Sleeping and Satisfying

The comments/recommendations made by this "nutritionist" (which, anyone can call themselves a nutritionist) including statements such as:

"Don't eat protein bars because most of them contain soy protein isolate which difficult to digest and can slow thyroid function"

"Don't feed kids pre-packaged fruit snacks, even if they're 100% fruit juice because they are laced with sugar which spikes your child's blood sugar levels"

"Don't drink diet soda because it is high-glycemic and will throw blood sugars off. Also, it is acid-forming and demineralizes bones"

"Don't eat fruit at night because it will 'sit' on top of slower digesting foods in the stomach and cause indigestion"

Now, these statements really ruffled the feathers of many (many) Registered Dietitians (RD). First they were upset that this woman claimed to be a nutrition expert, when they feel a Registered Dietitian is the true nutrition expert. Then, they were upset because she made statements about diet soda and protein bars that they feel is not accurate.

If you check out both GMA's website on this story and the ADA's Facebook page, you'll see the plethora of comments from RDs about how this story was so terrible and how this woman was not credentialed to give this information.

Well, here's my two cents about all of this:

First, yes, I would have to agree that it should have been a RD on the show giving nutrition information rather than a self-proclaimed "nutrition expert". After having gone through 12 years of nutrition education myself and a dietetic internship to become a RD, I do respect the training some RDs have in order to be qualified to give nutrition advice.

HOWEVER, keep in mind that the majority of the public thinks most RDs are idiots. Some RDs only repeat what they read in nutrition textbooks, but never take the time to learn the recommendations themselves by sourcing back to the originial researched information. In some cases, for example, with the recommendations for a low-fat, low/moderate protein diet to make everyone healthy (even diabetics), they'd see that the recommendation was never based on any hard and sturdy science. A low-fat diet is not the answer to everyone's nutrition problems. Yes, maybe for some people it is a good choice, but overconsuming carbs because protein will kill you and fat is evil is not helping our country's expanding waistline. And, there is loads of real science on the benefits of carb restriction.

The RDs who commented on this story felt that the recommendation to not consume protein bars because they contain soy protein isolate was absolutely wrong and inaccurate. They feel soy is a great food, and that it is not harmful at all.

Yet, there is mounds of research showing that isolated soy proteins may actually have negative health implications for bone and hormonal balance. Thus, it may be wise to not overconsume isolated soy, in bars or other products. However, soy as a whole food (as edamame) and fermented soy products like natto, have been shown to be healthy and are foods often consumed by Asian cultures for hundreds of year without harm. So, perhaps this statement made on GMA wasn't so terrible, but could have been stated in a different way. She could have said that when looking for protein bar to look for proteins from non-soy sources like whey protein, hemp protein, rice protein or nut and seed protein instead because the health effects of soy protein isolate are questionable.

Then, her statement about diet soda is not entirely accurate, but not completely out to lunch either. As I posted recently, artificial sweeteners have been shown to have similar effects on metabolism as sugar - meaning that they seem to elicit the same insulin response and thus, act in the same way as the food they are trying to replace. Thus, the statement made on GMA could have instead referenced this research showing that it's better to avoid all sweeteners -real or fake - beause of their potential to increase risk factors for diabetes. The fact that they are high-glycemic though is not correct. They don't raise blood glucose levels. Instead, they could be considered high-insulinemic. So, for RDs to defend this statement as completely wrong could be valid, but instead, they should have corrected it based on scientific research showing how artificial sweeteners may actually not be the answer to everybody's blood sugar problems.

Finally, the statement about fruit seems quite odd. I don't know of anything that would say this is true. Also, this advice doesn't really help the mounds of people that desire something sweet after they eat dinner. Rather than eating cake or other desserts, I think fruit is a much better option. The statement recommends vegetables, and that's good too, but I don't think many people are craving carrot sticks to help them curb a sweet tooth. Show some evidence for this rotting effect and I'd be more convinced.

Overall, GMA should know better than to use someone without any credentials to give advice to millions of people. There are very bright and talented RDs out there that have busted their butts to become the true nutrition experts. Yes, this woman may have some good ideas, but just like other people have commented: if you wanted to give out medical advice, you wouldn't have ask a self-proclaimed medical expert to be on the show. You would have asked a true medical doctor. Do the same for your nutrition recommendations.

I'd love to hear any of your thoughts. I wrote this on the fly before leaving for work this morning (and between bouts of morning sickness), so if you have anything more to add, that would be great.

Cassandra

Pregnancy: Two eggs a day will keep the NTD's away

2009-07-28T20:59:00.005-04:00

If you're a woman who is trying to get pregnant, or who currently is pregnant, you better get cracking; eggs that is.

Eggs are often thought of as an inexpensive source of high quality protein, however, for pregnant women, they also serve another important purpose.

Eggs, specifically their yolks, are incredibly rich in the very important B-vitamin, choline.

Just like Folic Acid, choline taken during pregnancy is shown to be a key factor in the development of infant's memory functions, and in later life, choline may improve memory.

Research has shown that insufficient intake of choline during pregnancy (this research must be done in animals, because it's absolutely NOT ethical to do so in humans) can cause either defective memory or lower memory capacity.

Choline has also recently been shown to protect against the development of Neural Tube Defects (NTDs) in women who were currently taking adequate amounts of Folic Acid. Thus, it appears that taking Folic Acid isn't enough to produce the healthiest baby possible.

Each egg yolk contains 125 mg of choline. The National Academy of Sciences recommend that women of childbearing age consume 425 mg of choline per day and those who are pregnant consume 450 mg per day.

Consuming two eggs a day (for breakfast, at lunch, or for dinner) provides you with 250 mg of choline. And, the benefits of including eggs at your breakfast also helps improve satiety. The rest of your choline can come from additional eggs (it's ok to eat more than two eggs a day), or other foods rich in choline, like steak, cauliflower and wheat germ.

Yet, for some pregnant women, the smell of eggs brings on uneasy feelings. In this case, try hiding the eggs in a baked product or perhaps in a salad. If that doesn't work, consider an extra choline supplement as most pre-natal vitamins do not contain enough, if any choline at all (yet... that is going to change very soon).

Eggs also have the benefit of containing beneficial protein, iron, zinc, lutein and zeathanthin - nutrients that support the development of a health baby and a healthy you.

So, as I said at the beginning of this post, "Ladies: get cracking!" Your baby's memory and health will greatly benefit and so will you.

Do you have to drink a protein shake after your workout?

2009-07-27T21:20:00.005-04:00

I get this question all the time from readers:

"Do I have to drink a whey protein shake right after my weight-training workout, like you recommend in your books, or can I eat a whole food meal containing protein and get the same benefits?"

Well, the truth is that you don't HAVE to drink a whey protein shake after each and every workout, but there are benefits. The reason why whey is recommended before and after each workout is because of the special amino acid profile (amino acids are the building blocks of protein and each protein has a different profile) it contains. Whey is very high in the amino acid Leucine, (containing about 12% leucine) which is one of the essential branch chain amino acids primarily responsible for prompting muscle protein synthesis.

Following your weight workout, initiating muscle protein synthesis is important because, if you worked your muscles hard enough, you purposefully damaged them. This damage and repair process following a workout is exactly how you develop more muscle tissue and in turn, melt away unsightly body fat.

So, your goal after your workout is to help your muscles repair as quickly as possible so you can:
a) return to the gym sooner than later and continue your fat-burning, muscle-building process
b) prevent your muscles from feeling so sore that you never want to lift again

Drinking a whey protein shake will definitely help you do this, but what if you workout just before dinner and you'd rather eat your protein than drink it? (Also, so you can enjoy a dinner with your family instead of sitting on the sidelines enjoying the view).

Well, you can absolutely enjoy a whole meal instead of a shake and still reap the benefits of leucine.

Certain whole proteins are particularly rich in leucine, so following your workout, make sure you have at least a 3 oz serving of these particular proteins:

Beef
Pork
Salmon
Shrimp
Chicken
Whole Eggs (the yolks have more leucine than whites)
Milk

In fact, a lot of research has been done on the benefits of drinking milk following a workout.

Also, new research is coming out about the benefits of eating eggs and a powerful workout food:

Eggs Pack Protein, Power and Strength

As an example, a good way to support your muscles after your workout with a whole meal is to have a glass of milk with a 2 egg omelet and 2 extra whites, steamed veggies (carrots and corn, in addition to dark green veggies would be good post-workout), and fresh fruit (pineapple would be a good choice due to it's greater sugar content and anti-inflammatory properties). Your family will probably go for this as well, and you won't go broke in the process!

So, if you're watching what you eat and you'd rather eat a whole meal following your workout than drink a shake, go right ahead. Just make sure you include a good portion of the proteins listed above and your muscles will thank you.

Help for Sore Muscles

2009-07-25T20:56:00.007-04:00

Last month, I offered free samples of Tiger Balm Neck and Shoulder Rub to three lucky readers. This Chinese formula has been used for as long as I've been alive (don't really know how long exactly... :) ) and has helped many people soothe their sore muscles without using drugs.

Tiger Balm recently re-invented their formula into a new Neck and Shoulder Rub cream. It works fantastically and is much more user-friendly than their previous formulas.

I wanted to share the testimonials from my readers who used this product, just so you can see how good it really is (Note: I am NOT receiving any kickbacks from this product. I just truly think it's great).

From Lauryn:

Cassandra, I'm finally getting around to responding to your email about the Tiger Balm rub you sent me. I have to say I love it so far. I'm currently training for a triathlon and going through the New Rules of Lifting as my strength training, so I'm working pretty hard most days. All of my workouts are in the afternoon, so I don't have to do too much once I'm done. Typically it will be workout, foam roller/stretch, protein shake, dinner, relax for a few hours, then shower, cold water for about 1 minute, then some Tiger Balm on the sore spots and bed. The neck and shoulder rub is a lot nicer to use than the original Tiger Balm since its not so sticky and doesn't smell quite so much. You definitely feel the tingle a few minutes after you put it on, but its nothing burning. The neck and shoulder seems to work just fine on the legs and back as well as the neck and shoulders too, which is nice. In the mornings I wake up refreshed and most of my soreness is gone. I know there are a lot of other things that go into recovery, but I think the Tiger Balm is really helping me out. I appreciate you sending me this sample, and will most likely order another bottle when this one runs out. Thanks again for everything! Lauryn S

From Patty T:

Hi Cassandra, THANK YOU so much for the Tiger Balm! I received it yesterday and the timing was perfect. I pulled a personal best today in the deadlift... a measly 60 lbs plus bar weight but considering I've been doing it for all of 3 weeks, I'm happy :) My back muscles, however, are talking to me and grumbling a little from the extra effort. The Tiger Balm is helping tremendously. Thanks for everything! Sincerely, Patty

If you have sore muscles, especially from lifting (the best soreness there is in my humble opinion), you should give this a try!

Next week I'm going to be posting a review of a set of curtains I'm getting from Bedroomfurniture.com My current curtains just aren't doing the trick and I'm so excited about these new ones. Check out the site for your bedroom needs too! :) Try their platform beds too if you're looking for a new bed; they're awesome!!

Hope you're having a great weekend!! Happy Summer!

Wal-Mart Pushing a Green Movement

2009-07-24T04:16:00.003-04:00

Not many people know this about me, but I'm totally an environmentalist. I posted a bit about my recycling/green passion here back in January. I'm so concerned about what's going to happen to our planet that I'm almost considering switching careers and becoming and environmental scientist. But... after 12 years of nutrition, I think I'll just combine the two.

For example, to show my concern, my father-in-law recently moved out of his home after 30 years (my mother-in-law passed away 7 years ago), and as you can imagine, he threw away a lot of "junk". However, I wasn't going to let him just toss everything. Instead, I went through every garbage can and separated the papers from the plastics from the metal from the electronics. I took all the recyclables to the local recycling center, found a special electronics recycling station for all the old computer parts and accessories, and took anything re-usable to the Salvation Army.

Also, in my own home, I've reduced our trash so much through recycling and composting that we only have to take the trash "out" every 2 to 3 weeks (Our recycling bin though is packed!)

So when one of my friends, Summer, passed along this great story about Wal-Mart pushing the green movement, I was ecstatic! And what better company than this to do so considering that many people who have little to no clue about their carbon footprint/environmental impact shop there and waste more than necessary?

I'm glad to see Wal-Mart doing this - it'll only help our planet instead of continually harming it.

Read the article below. You can find it all over the internet to read about it more. Enjoy!

Wal-Mart To Become Green Umpire

Mon Jul 13, 2009 5:49pm EDT

PepsiCo (PEP) buys lots of renewable energy, while a Coca Cola (KO) plant recycles plastic bottles. Should environmentalists drink Pepsi or Coke?

Dell (DELL) is "carbon neutral." Hewlett Packard (HPQ) says it designs for the environment. Whose laptops are more "green"?

So many choices, so little reliable guidance: Clorox GreenWorks or Seventh Generation? Local or organic strawberries? Paper or plastic? Who's to say?

Wal-Mart (WMT), that's who.

The giant retailer ($406 billion in revenues in 2008) is developing an ambitious, comprehensive, and fiendishly complex plan to measure the sustainability of every product it sells. Wal-Mart has been working quietly on what it calls a "sustainability index" for more than a year, and it will take another year or two for labels to appear on products. But the company's grand plan-"audacious beyond words" is how one insider describes it-has the potential to transform retailing by requiring manufacturers of consumer products to dig deep into their supply chains, measure their environmental impact, and compete on those terms for favorable treatment from the world's most powerful retailer.

Wal-Mart intends to announce the sustainability index at a meeting on Thursday, July 16, at its corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., to which hundreds of suppliers, academics, environmentalists, and government officials have been invited. There, the company will unveil a sustainability consortium led by the University of Arkansas and Arizona State University that will provide scientific research to support the effort. Faculty at Duke, Harvard, Stanford, the University of California at Berkeley, and the University of Michigan have been involved in planning the index, but they haven't yet agreed to join the consortium, in part because some college administrators are skittish about working with Wal-Mart. Consumer-goods companies Procter & Gamble (PG), General Mills (GIS), Tyson (TSN), and Unilever (UN), among others, are partners in the consortium. And competing retailers including Costco (COST), Target (TGT), and Kroger (KR) have been invited to join. This is, in other words, a very big deal.

Wal-Mart declined to discuss the index in advance of its meeting. So did other retailers. But details are trickling out.

"Bringing clarity to this question of what is more sustainable is a key role for Wal-Mart," said Rand Waddoups, senior director of business strategy and sustainability at Wal-Mart, when we talked at a Greenbiz.com conference in May.

"Imagine one day when every product on the shelf has behind it enough information from a life-cycle-thinking perspective that allows us to be much, much more intelligent about how we're buying," he went on. "And really, in the end, eventually, what consumers should be."

While Waddoups did not say much more than that, he made clear that one goal of the index will be to help consumers navigate conflicting or misleading claims.

"We understand green-washing. [Our customer] doesn't. She may not even be aware that it's going on," he said.

The initiative raises a thicket of questions, some about the very idea of a sustainability index and others about the nitty-gritty of its execution. To begin with, an obvious question: Who chose Wal-Mart to be America's regulator?

This isn't a facetious question. Wal-Mart has an enormous influence over which products get made, and which don't. Last year, the company said it would stop selling baby bottles containing the chemical bisphenol-A, which is approved by U.S. and European regulators. (A story that I wrote about this for Fortune magazine ran under the headline "Wal-Mart: the New FDA"). When, as part of its ambitious sustainability program, Wal-Mart said it would sell only concentrated laundry detergent, which uses less packaging and water, manufacturers fell into line. The company even makes foreign policy, of sorts, declaring last year that it would stop selling products made with cotton from Uzbekistan, to try to put an end to forced child labor in cotton harvesting.

Wal-Mart doesn't ultimately want to own the sustainability index, which is why it is forming the consortium. "They are willing to get the ball rolling, but they want to hand it off to someone else," an insider says. Most likely, the index will eventually be run by a nonprofit group financed by retailers and suppliers, much like the Marine Stewardship Council, which certifies the sustainability of fisheries, and the Forest Stewardship Council, which does the same for wood products.

Still, measuring the sustainability of a flat-screen TV, a trampoline, a backpack, a baby stroller, or a bag of poultry feed—all of which are sold by Wal-Mart—is a whole lot more complicated than certifying a fishery or forest. Wal-Mart plans to use a tool known as Life Cycle Assessment, which is designed to measure the full environmental impact of a product through manufacture, use, and disposal. It will ask its 60,000 suppliers to help.

"The idea is to be as comprehensive as possible," says Jon Johnson, who holds the Walton professorship in sustainability at the University of Arkansas. "Unless you look at the entire life cycle of the product, you just can't measure the environmental impact." Johnson and Jay Golden, an assistant professor in the school of sustainability at Arizona State, are leading the consortium.

For the index to work, consumer-goods makers will need to understand the origins of everything they put into their products. Wal-Mart has talked about assessing sustainability in four broad categories: energy and greenhouse gas emissions, materials, natural resources, and "people and communities," which will attempt to measure social impacts. Right now, most supply chains are opaque: Try tracing a hamburger to a particular cow.

"Can you have trackable, traceable supply chains that give you full visibility?" asks Andrew Hutson of the Environmental Defense Fund, who works with Wal-Mart. "It is extraordinarily difficult at this moment. But it can be done." We'll soon see if he is right.

A great pick-me-up poem

2009-07-21T21:13:00.006-04:00

Image by spisharam - Back and Catching up =) via Flickr

Hi Friends,

Since my graduation (from both my internship and PhD), I've been trying to sort through my life and figure out what exactly I'm going to do with myself. It's just so weird. I never would have thought that after all this schooling and work, that I'd be hanging out in job limbo land. But, I am.

I am working: at a physician's office for anti-aging and natural medicine (which is super cool - started a few weeks ago and love it); doing personal training and boot camps (been doing that for over a year); and now, also teaching a University level nutrition course in the Fall.

But, it just seemed to me that it would be different and I'd be doing so much more. However a wonderful quote I read recently said:

"Apply yourself. Get all the education you can. But then, do something with it. Don't just sit there."

How true it that? It's not like success always just falls in your lap. You need to work your butt off to get there. So, in these tough times, we all just need to keep our chins up and know if we keep working hard, good things will come.

Here's a poem one of my good friends, Michelle sent me tonight. She's a beautiful, smart and savvy girl that has her hard times, but finds that writing poems helps her get though it easier. I hope you find this poem below as supportive as I found it for me:

I sat beside a bird today
He turned to me and started to say,
“Good day to you, how do you do?”
I said, “Not great, I’m starting to hate –
My school, my life, my food and house.
I only wish I were a mouse,
Who could hide in a hole and eat cheese all day
Then I would have no bills to pay.”
The bird then chirped a mean, mean chirp
He said, “You cannot be such a jerk.”
He said, “Look at the sky, how blue and free..
Look at the trees, how green you see?”
I nodded my head and agreed, “But what has this to do with my plead?”
He said, “It’s not the school, the food, or the house
And how do you know how happy is the mouse?
You have many an opportunity each day
The mouse can barely see over the hay.
You can see for miles and miles
And you, yourself, you need to smile.
You must open your eyes and look at the future
And realize the obstacles that you encounter
Are merely small and large heaps of hay
That you will jump over and then say:
“I’ve done it again - my life is great!”
And then you can notice all the wonders
This small world has to bring us.”
And then that bird flew far away.
I sat on the bench and stared into space.
I noticed the eyes of a little gray face.
It was a mouse – just smiling away.
And I knew then I would love all the world
Because I sat next to a bird today.
It was a bird that said not to be smug
To look at the simple things in life
And you will experience not the strife
But the triumphs that your life does bring
So listen to the birds, how pretty the song they sing.

Training like women!

2009-07-17T12:16:00.003-04:00

Hey Readers!

Just wanted to share with you a video of my workout yesterday with my good friend, Charron. That's me sumo deadlifting (nice butt, eh?) and her doing a push-up ball matrix.

We did this at our gym in Vernon, CT: Lightning Fitness. If you're in the area, come join us! Both my training partner, Matt Mills, CSCS, and I train clients here and we have a ton of fun!

Let's get strong! Lift like a man... look like a godess !

New look for my blog

2009-07-16T20:52:00.001-04:00

Hello Readers!

I just changed the look of my blog.

Please let me know what you think.

Thank you!!!

Networking about nutrition in Chicago

2009-07-16T07:59:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I flew in and out of Chicago to speak at the American Egg Board - Egg Nutrition Center's Annual Nutrition Meeting. I was presenting the data from my dissertation work that they funded over the past three years.

I wasn't sure what this meeting was going to be all about, but it turned out to be a pleasant experience and a great networking opportunity.

While there, I heard Donald Layman PhD speak. If you don't know who he is, he's basically "THE" expert on protein intake for muscle mass synthesis and satiety. In fact, he shared with us that he's writing his very own diet book all about how higher protein diets improve satiety. I think this one's going to be a winner, and I'm totally looking forward to it.

I also met a great group of nutritionists, researchers and dietitians from Food Minds, a public affairs company. They're doing some great work in the nutrition world, including influencing the direction the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Two of their goals (along with the help of others, are to remove the restrictions on dietary cholesterol (because there's NO reason to restrict this awesome nutrient, especially from eggs) and to encourage Americans to eat more protein to improve satiety and weight control.

Finally, there is a fantastic PR group called Edelman, bringing truth of science to the public, without skewing the messages. Check out their nutrition page and see all the wonderful things they're doing.

I will post more tomorrow about what I learned yesterday protein, eggs and how these can help you maintain a healthy body weight and lots of lean muscle mass. Today, first, I have to go to work!!! :)

In health, Cassandra

Are artificial sweeteners healthier than real sugar?

2009-07-13T16:23:00.005-04:00

Image by Bukowsky18 via Flickr

A few weeks ago, I posted a research study summary that showed an increase incidence of diabetes in people that used artificial sweeteners.

I thought this study was quite interesting because I've often wondered if artificial sweeteners really were the best substitute for sugar.

As I mentioned, in the lab, when we were studying low-carb dieters, whenever we'd allow someone to have an artificially sweetened food, it would knock them out of ketosis . If you don't know what ketosis is, it's the state your body will enter in order to use fat as a major fuel source when you're not consuming a lot of carbohydrates.

So, in the case of artificial sweeteners, even though they're considered a "zero-calorie" food item, the body seems to actually be responding to it just like it was sugar.

In fact, that's what the investigators stated:

Artificial sweeteners activate sweet taste receptors in enteroendocrine cells, leading to the release of incretin, which is known to contribute to glucose absorption. Recent epidemiologic studies in Circulation (2008;117:754-761) and Obesity (2008;16:1894-1900) showed an association between diet soda consumption and the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Also, looking into pubmed, you will find plenty of other studies that say the same thing.

For example, this study by Nakagawa Y et al, PLoS One. 2009;4(4), Sweet taste receptor expressed in pancreatic beta-cells activates the calcium and cyclic AMP signaling systems and stimulates insulin secretion, states:

...artificial sweeteners such as sucralose, succharin, and acesulfame-K increased insulin secretion and augmented secretion induced by glucose. ...

Then, this study by Swithers SE et al, A role for sweet taste: calorie predictive relations in energy regulation by rats, states:

We found that reducing the correlation between sweet taste and the caloric content of foods using artificial sweeteners in rats resulted in increased caloric intake, increased body weight, and increased adiposity, as well as diminished caloric compensation and blunted thermic responses to sweet-tasting diets. These results suggest that consumption of products containing artificial sweeteners may lead to increased body weight and obesity by interfering with fundamental homeostatic, physiological processes.

So, what's the answer? What should we use instead of sugar?

Well, in my personal opinion, we've become a nation addicted to sugar and most of us need to go to rehab. I know that sounds a little harsh, but I think it's true.

We've lost our appreciation for Mother Nature's sweetness from fruit and other natural foods and instead need to go to sickenly high levels of sweetness with excess sugar/artificial sweeteners to get any satisfaction.

Sure, a little sugar can be ok, but why do we need to drink/eat everything with a mega-dose of sweeteness?

How many times have I heard that "I just can't go without my Crystal Light, or Chocolate Cake, or Ice Cream or Sweet Treat, etc, each day?" Way too often.

Sugar is almost like cigarettes or another addictive substance. It may not seem easy to quit it at first, but it is possible.

I have one female client for example that only used to use artificially sweetened whey protein products. She then switched to unsweetened hemp protein, rice protein and egg white protein for a month. When she went back to the original whey product, she was disgusted at how sweet it was!

On the topic of whey protein: I now buy unsweetened whey protein from trueprotein.com. I don't miss the sweeteness at all and the natural vanilla extract added to it makes it very enjoyable in smoothies, in oatmeal, etc. You should try it too.

So, the take home message is that artificial sweeteners seem to be no better, and in fact might be worse that regular sugar (now, I'm not talking about HFCS here, just regular sugar).

Try to reduce your taste preference for sugar by reducing all artificial sweeteners in your diet. If you need the sugar, just eat something with natural sugars, or with real sugar instead and be accountable to those calories instead of thinking your doing your body a favor.

Once you start to eat less sugar, you'll start to crave it less and find many foods sweeter than they need be.

Please let me know your thoughts.

In health, Cassandra

Testimonial for the benefits of glucomannan

2009-07-12T10:00:00.004-04:00

Cover via Amazon

This was was pretty busy for me: lots of work, and not much time at the computer at all. So, I'm sorry for not publishing all the great posts after last week's blog right away (I seriously am considering getting an iPhone so I can approve comments and blog on the road... that phone rocks).

Anyhow, what I'd really like to bring your attention to today is one of the comments an anonymous reader posting regarding her experiences with glucomannan. Her feedback really speaks the power of this special fiber and how it can help men and women with poor blood sugar and appetite control.

Here's her story:

First of all, I want to thank you for your book, Women's Health Perfect Body diet, which really introduced me to Glucomannan. I had heard of this fiber before, but never had taken it seriously.

Let me cut to the chase. I am not on any diet (except that I avoid casein and gluten for health reasons), and to be honest, I bought your book because I wanted to learn more about this unique fiber, not because I wanted a new diet.

End result: Glucomannan is helping my prediabetes unlike everything else I've tried. I finally feel like a normal person as far as food is concerned. I can literally go HOURS without food, thanks to glucomannan. I used to be hungry ALL DAY LONG.

The secret, as you say in your book is not swallowing the capsules, but emptying them whole into food.

I use the capsules to open up and dump in food when I'm away from home. At home I use Konjac brand Glucomannan powder to mix into food/beverages.

Thank you for your book, recipes, and wonderful tips on using this amazing fiber. I can't believe it's not more popular.

Please come out with a cookbook entirely devoted to glucomannan.

Because of this centuries old fiber, I will finally reach my goal weight.

Thank you again for bringing it to public attention. I truly believe it's saved my health.

Whoever this is: Please send me an email at cassandraforsythe@gmail.com because I have something special for you.

Best, Cassandra

Fiber helps you achieve your own perfect body

2009-07-07T07:09:00.004-04:00

Weight loss is hard. Period.

And, for most women, it can be really hard. For women, our hormones, genetic evolution and hectic lives as wife, mother, worker and housekeeper really make it difficult to take of those pounds that have creeped up over the years.

Sure, maybe it's easy to lose a few pounds here and there, especially when those pounds are just unwanted water weight. But, to really lose weight, it takes some effort.

It's not just about eating less either, although that can help since many of us eat much more than our bodies need (especially at holiday events, picnics and celebrations). It's really about eating better calories and eating them more consistently.

But, to some, those "better" calories might not always be as filling or give us that same feeling that unhealthy calories gave us (ie., the difference between eating a large ice cream cone vs. a bowl full of berries with a slice of cheese).

That's why I love fiber and one of the major reasons I included it in my book, Perfect Body Diet.

Fiber can help fill you up and make you feel very satisfied without adding excess calories.

One of my favorite fibers is glucomannan (pictured above as part of Your Perfect Mannan glucomannan).

I first learned about this fiber while researching it at the University of Connecticut for a weight loss and exercise study. For this investigation, we had our subjects consume 2 capsules (containing 2 g fiber) three times a day before meals. For some, the fiber helped them eat less, but for others it wasn't that effective.

The problem was taking the fiber in capsule form and not the fiber itself.

I then learned while at a fiber conference I attended, that glucomannan and other fibers, worked best when then were consumed as part of a meal and not as a separate unit (like a capsule). Mixing the fiber in food (like as part of a smoothie or added to yogurt), makes the food thicker, more filling and thus, helps you eat less later on in the day. It also makes you feel more satisfied at that meal time.

Another issue with glucomannan is that the actual plant it comes from can be processed in many different ways to produce different thickening-rate abilities, different granularities, different solubilities in food and different rates of digestion. Some might not thicken food well, might make it grainy, and might not dissolve easily, leaving your food lumpy.

So, after testing and checking the type of glucomannan in several different brands of products, I found that Your Perfect Mannan brand had the properties that were most desired for consumption within a food product.

Also, this product does not contain any other fillers (like magnesium stearate) or starch, instead of 100% pure fiber.

In your quest for your own perfect body, fiber can really be your best ally. It can help you choose the right proportion of healthy foods, but still feel as full and as satisfied as you did eating more of potentially unhealthy items.

If you haven't tried fiber yet and are struggling to reach your ideal weight, I highly recommend Your Perfect Mannan glucomannan. Let me know what you think. For additional recipes with this weight-loss fiber, check you my book, Perfect Body Diet.

Beaches and bikinis, here we come!

Technical Challenges to Reducing Sugar in Foods

2009-07-06T10:39:00.003-04:00

Image by dhammza via Flickr

When I first moved here from Canada, I was amazed at how much excess sugar was found in foods. From breads to crackers to canned vegetables to frozen fruit, there was just more sugar in US foods than Canadian foods.

However, according to this scientific report, food scientists say that some sugar is necessary to provide proper texture to food (and impart better taste).

Sugar Interview

Yes, I totally agree with this statement and interview, but there seems to be much more than necessary nowadays. This is one of the reasons that food is now so irresistible (and as a result, leads to our state of over-fatness)

What are your thoughts?

What are your 4th of July long weekend plans?

2009-07-03T08:55:00.004-04:00

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Happy 4th of July weekend to all my American family and friends!

(Yes, I'm both Canadian and American, so I'm sending love to both!)

Since most people have Friday off (including myself), I hope you're all making it as enjoyable as possible without sacrificing your health and fitness goals.

Today my husband and I are heading out for good mountain bike ride around our area. We both own Ellsworth mountain bikes, and love to hit the trails when we can. Even our dogs join us (the oldest one, Kodi, who is 15, stays home though).

Last night, we all went for a walk in the park, despite the rain and thunder that just won't stop.... and finished up with movies and strawberries for snacking (yummy).

Tomorrow, we're going down to the lake, to do some wakeboarding and BBQ'ing. However, one has to be careful when enjoying their time at a BBQ - BBQ's are typically full of high sugar, high bad fat, and high refined carb foods: cookies, cakes, brownies, chips, pretzels, refined hot dogs, etc... the list can go on and on.

I even saw one women in front of me at the grocery store by $175 worth of "BBQ" food which included the items I listed above plus a whole lot more. It was scary. I felt sorry for her arteries and waist line.

Since most people are going to do some sort of picnic/BBQ celebrating, why not try to enjoy the seasonal foods that aren't going to destroy your health and fitness acheivements? Sure, we all need to enjoy something naughty now and then, but there is a limit. So, instead of cookies, cakes and other sugary foods, why not bring along fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries and other fresh and fun food items? Instead of bags of chips, why not crunchy carrots, cucumbers or snap peas? For meat, choose unprocessed cuts of any product you like - the porterhouse isn't going to clog your arteries, it's all the trans fat in those baked goods you might have bought.

I hope all of you have a safe and fabulous 4th of July with friends, family and fun.

I'll be back after the weekend to talk more about the potential downfalls of artificial sweeteners.

In health, Cassandra

I am Canadian! Happy Canada Day!

2009-07-01T10:30:00.001-04:00

To all my Canadian friends and family:

O Canada lyrics

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command
With glowing hearts we see thee rise
The True North strong and free!

From far and wide
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee

God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee

Artificial Sweeteners and Incidence of Diabetes

2009-06-28T13:29:00.004-04:00

This just out. I thought this was quite interesting. When we researched ketogenic low-carb diets in the lab, whenever we'd let someone have an "artificially-sweetened" product, it would knock them out of ketosis.This indicates that the body was recognizing the "carb-free" product as an actual carb.

I'll comment more on this later this week.

Happy Weekend!

From Medscape Medical News
ENDO 2009: Use of Artificial Sweeteners Linked to 2-Fold Increase in Diabetes

Crina Frincu-Mallos, PhD

June 15, 2009 (Washington, DC) — People who use artificial sweeteners are heavier, more likely to have diabetes, and more likely to be insulin-resistant compared with nonusers, according to data presented here during ENDO 2009, the 91st annual meeting of The Endocrine Society.

Results show an inverse association between obesity and diabetes, on one side, and daily total caloric, carbohydrate, and fat intake, on the other side, when comparing artificial sweetener users and control subjects.

First author Kristofer S. Gravenstein, a postbaccalaureate researcher with the Clinical Research Branch at the National Institute of Aging (NIA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), said the association may reflect the increased use of artificial sweeteners by obese and/or diabetic study participants. "This is a cross-section study," Mr. Gravenstein told Medscape Diabetes & Endocrinology, "so there are limitations — we cannot say that artificial sweetener use causes obesity, we can say it is associated with it."

Increased Use vs Increased Glucose Absorption

Artificial sweeteners activate sweet taste receptors in enteroendocrine cells, leading to the release of incretin, which is known to contribute to glucose absorption. Recent epidemiologic studies in Circulation (2008;117:754-761) and Obesity (2008;16:1894-1900) showed an association between diet soda consumption and the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome.

This report tested whether participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA), which began in 1958, differ in anthropometric measures, daily caloric intake, and glucose status, separating them into 3 different groups: artificial sweetener users, artificial sweetener nonusers, or controls.

A total of 1257 participants, with a mean age of 64.8 years (range, 21 - 96 years), had data on self-reported 7-day dietary intake, 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), and anthropometric measures. The major artificial sweetener consumed was aspartame, preferred by 66% of BLSA participants, followed by saccharin (13%), sucralose (1.0%), and combinations of the three (21%).

"In our study, we were actually able to isolate what type of sweetener was used at a certain point in time, as we used food diaries, and not food questionnaires," Mr. Gravenstein pointed out.

"When we first did this analysis, we found that people ate more fat before 1983, which is the year [of] a big increase in artificial sweetener consumption in the American population — it was actually when aspartame was approved and diet Coke was introduced," he explained.

As a result, the study further analyzed data from a subset of participants, starting in 1983. Compared with 550 people who did not use artificial sweeteners, the 443 people who did were younger, heavier, and had a higher body mass index (BMI), yet they did not consume more calories from people who did not use artificial sweeteners. Fat, carbohydrate, protein, and total caloric intake were not different between the 2 groups (users vs nonusers).

Furthermore, Mr. Gravenstein noted that people who used artificial sweeteners "were less likely to have a normal OGTT, or they were less likely to be diagnosed as having a normal glucose homeostasis."

In terms of glucose status, the impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and/or impaired fasting glucose (IFG), the data show that artificial sweetener users "were not different than the prediabetics, ie, they had the same prevalence of prediabetes," he said, adding that "in our population, people who used artificial sweeteners were twice as likely to have diabetes, 8.8% compared to 4.4% for controls."

Analyzing the data further, the investigators focused on a subpopulation, in which fasting insulin values were available from 374 nonusers and 311 artificial sweetener users. The users had a higher fasting glucose levels, higher fasting insulin levels, and a higher measure of insulin resistance, as measured by the homeostasis model assessment, but glycosylated hemoglobin A1C levels were similar between the 2 groups.

Alternative Hypothesis and Clinicians' Role

The researchers suggest an alternative hypothesis, that artificial sweeteners modulate the metabolic rate through enteroendocrine cells, therefore contributing to the development of diabetes and/or obesity. However, this hypothesis needs further testing in longitudinal analysis and intervention studies, said the investigators.

"Also, it could be that artificial sweeteners are causing diabetes, or it could be that there is a higher use of them because a lot of physicians actually recommend people to use artificial sweeteners to prevent diabetes...." Mr. Gravenstein said. The researchers are planning to address this question with a prospective analysis.

"This is a very interesting study," Rachel C. Edelen, MD, a pediatric endocrinology practitioner at the Aspen Centre in Rapid City, South Dakota, told Medscape Diabetes & Endocrinology in an interview. "I diet screen all my patients, and they are not drinking enough milk. Usually, they replace the milk with something else, sweetened tea, Gatorade, etc, not just water. With my type 1 diabetics, the information they were getting from the hospital was to drink diet pop. But who even goes into the hospital and drinks pop?" she wondered.

Support for this study was provided by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Edelen and Mr. Gravenstein have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

ENDO 2009: The Annual Meeting of the Endocrine Society: Abstract P2-478. Presented June 11, 2009.

Authors and Disclosures
Journalist

Crina Frincu-Mallos, PhD

Crina Frincu-Mallos is a freelance writer for Medscape Medical News.

Tiger Balm Neck & Shoulder Rub

2009-06-25T20:39:00.003-04:00

I'm so proud to say that after 10 months, my dietetic internship is coming to an end tomorrow. All the while I was doing my dissertation this past year, I also was in this internship. I worked 4-days a week on it since August, and had a lot of great experiences. I'm really glad I did it.

Now though, with more time on my hands, I've started hitting the gym and outdoor sports with a vengeance. In fact, I could hardly get out of bed this morning because my legs were so sore from heavy deadlifts and heavy reverse lunges the other day. But, it's a soreness that I totally love.

My traps and shoulders were also quite fired up, but thankfully, I have Tiger Balm Neck and Shoulder Rub. I rubbed this non-greasy, soothing lotion onto my neck before I went to bed last night and it really helped ease my aches and pains in that area (I think I'm going to use it on my legs tonight too).

If you're someone who lifts heavy like me and enjoys a good feeling of DOMS (delayed on-set muscle soreness), but also appreciates when their muscles are given relief, you should really try this product.

I've been using Tiger Balm products for years and am so happy they've extended their line of products. To learn more about Tiger Balm, visit their website here.

Also, the first 3 people from the U.S. (sorry Canada... shipping is too expensive) who email me at cassandraforsythe@gmail.com will get a free bottle of this new neck and shoulder rub product.

Make those muscles happy!

What the world eats. Quite the difference between countries.

2009-06-23T19:08:00.003-04:00

My husband recently returned home from a 9-day business trip to Germany. All the while he was there, he kept telling me: "Nobody here is overweight...What's wrong with Americans?"

Here on the East Coast of the U.S., we have our fair share of overweight and obese people. In fact, when I first moved here from Canada 5 years ago, I was astonished at how large and out of shape people here were! Then I walked into my first grocery store and finally understood. Compared to Canada (at least where I came from in British Columbia), the grocery stores here were packed with more junk food than I'd ever seen in my life. I also couldn't for the life of me find a can of tuna that didn't contain soy because it was packed in vegetable broth, or couldn't find a sprouted grain bread product that didn't contain excess sugar (I've found one now thankfully).

The other difference between my home country and here is the lack of physical activity that people participate in each day. I swear, since moving here, I've driven more in my car in the past 5 years than I have in my whole life! I used to walk to stores, ride my bike or take the bus. There's none of that happening here, that's for sure.

The increased physical activity is also what my husband noticed in Germany and felt attributed to the lack of fatness. Women (beautiful ones he had to tell me...) rode their bikes everywhere wearing dresses or skirts, while the men wore their suits. That was just the way it was.

Here I once tried riding my bike to the gym and to school, but because of the lack of sidewalks or bike paths, I saw my life flash before my eyes as cars tried to use me for target practice. I never did that again.

Daily food choices just are totally different in Germany compared to the US (and yes, I'll admit, parts of Canada), which accounts for a lot of the differences between body composition of the people. My husband absolutely LOVED the HIGH FAT diet of the Germans. Yes, I said high fat. But, the diet wasn't high sugar, which is the difference between here and there. For example, there isn't such as thing as low-fat milk over there. Whereas here, we push low-fat milk like it's supposed to be a calorie-saver. However, the lack of fat leads to lack of satiety. And, there are beneficial fats in milk (like MCTs and CLA), that might actually increase fat oxidation.

Doesn't it seem strange that for the past 40 years, our country has been pushing a low-fat diet and the people have gotten fatter??? When in other countries fat isn't restricted, and the people are leaner? Hmmmm....

Anyways, to prove my point a bit more, have a look at the difference between food intake from families around the world in this slide show from the book "Hungry Planet" by Peter Menzel. This is a slide show portraying a week's worth of food from families across the world.

Pay close attention to the vast difference between each country/family. For example in the US and Mexican families, the fluids are all in plastic bottles (in Germany, the bottles are glass), there's a lot of fast food and processed food, and specifically, from the North Carolina family, there are BARELY any fruits and vegetables in their weekly grocery line-up (but there sure are a lot of potato chips! [don't those count as vegetables?]).

I'd be interested to hear all your thoughts about this and if you think there's something drastically wrong with the way many Americans (and some Canadians) live their lives. Lack of physical movement and poor food choices sure aren't making anyone's waist line smaller.

How to save money on good food - tips for tough times

2009-06-22T09:33:00.004-04:00

Times are tough for a lot of people now, including myself. It's not like after finishing a PhD I'm swimming in money... in fact, it's quite the opposite. But, things will turn around soon and at this time I'm learning how to save money on good food everyday. I just thought I'd share with you how I've learned to save money on groceries.

I will be the first to admit that all through college (university for the Canadians), I NEVER sacrificed eating good food. Nope, I wasn't one of those kids eating Mr Noodles (Ramen noodles) soup, or Kraft Mac N'Cheese. Instead, I ensured my fridge and cupboards were full of vegetables, fruit, protein, and whole grain carbs. The same holds true to this day, and even though money is tight, I still won't let my diet fall to the wayside.

When I went grocery shopping, I always looked for sale items, and tried not to buy something if it was overpriced. For example, if I was planning on buying turkey, but chicken was cheaper, I'd make the switch.

I also tried to use coupons when I could. I remember laughing at one of my colleagues for clipping coupons, but now, I look forward to the penny saver section of the newspaper.

Recently, I've discovered "discount grocery stores". And I'm ecstatic! These stores have already save me hundreds of dollars on good food items, without sacrificing quality. One has to be careful though and still read labels, because hidden sugars and trans fats are still lurking in some of their products. For example, this store has it's own "Fit & Active" product line and something they call a "protein bar" is really just a sugary granola bar with 5 grams of soy protein added.... oh my.

At this grocery store though, I can buy fresh fruit, veggies, canned and frozen products, meats, eggs, spices and even paper products for so MUCH LESS than other stores in my area. Here, at Aldi, they reduce costs by not having fancy signage on the shelving, not having some over-paid dietitian tell me to eat a food because it's gluten-free , the basic line of products without all the fluff, no free samples, cashiers that do not bag your items when you check out, and carts that you pay $0.25 to use (but then get back when you're done shopping - which btw, it something they do in Canada and Australia already to help control the flow of grocery carts).

I actually love the idea of bagging my own groceries with re-usable bags from home rather than having someone do it for me. Oftentimes, the people bagging waste bags anyhow, and by bringing my own, I'm preventing over-accumulation in the environment (although, I do recycle those bags when I do get them - or use them to pick up doggy poopies :) ).

Sure, I will admit that the produce here is probably not organic, and sometimes isn't from a 100-mile radius, but, once I can get back to affording those foods, I'll start buying them again. I do look at the labels though and try not to buy things from overseas...rather I ensure it at least came from North America. I also wash my produce well with a natural cleaner to rid it of any possible chemicals. Most people don't even try to buy local or organic anyhow, so why not save money instead?

Overall, this store has been a money-saver for me and my family (pups and husband). I'd encourage you to try and find a store like this in your area.

Also, now that it's summer, plenty of farmer's markets are open along the road side. Sometimes you can find inexpensive local items that taste SOOO good. For example, yesterday on my way home I stopped and picked up a crate of fresh local strawberries (they're in season and so weren't quite cheap), and a bag of fresh picked peas.

Other tips: Look for coupons for items you would buy anyways, stick to the perimeter of your grocery store and choose items on sale, look at sale fliers and plan your grocery trips for great deals, and NEVER shop hungry - you might buy something you'd never usually buy if you do go with a grumbly tummy.

Happy Shopping! Eat well, and live long and healthy.

Best, Cassandra

Guest post: Why Women Should Lift Weights.

2009-06-13T17:19:00.003-04:00

Today's blog post comes from Nicole White at Health Care Administration Degree.com and is about a topic close to my heart: Weight lifting for women. Thank you Nicole!

Why Women Should Lift Weights

There is a lingering misconception among many women that lifting weights will make them look “masculine” or that a great cardio workout is all they really need to be fit and toned. Neither of these are necessarily true, and women of all ages can take advantage of numerous health benefits by adding a few weight training sessions into their personal workouts. Here are just a few reasons to consider starting your own weight training program:

You’ll look better. Most women will not gain significant amounts of muscle mass from regular weight training. Even those gifted with an athletic physique generally don’t have enough testosterone to support big, bulging muscles and only stand to gain more strength and toning from weight lifting. Of course, gaining the physique of a highly trained athlete isn’t really so bad compared to risks of being seriously overweight.

You’ll be stronger. Why rely on someone else to do the heavy lifting? With continued weight training you’ll be stronger and more able to take care of your own needs. Even things around the house will be easier, and you’ll be more adept at everything from carting around the kids to carrying in the groceries from the car.

You’ll lose weight faster. Gaining more muscle mass will help you burn your unwanted body fat off more quickly. As your lean muscle mass increases, your resting metabolism increases as well helping you burn more calories throughout the day. This small amount of extra calorie loss can make a big difference over time, helping you reach your goals faster and feel better while doing it.

You’ll improve your sports performance. Whether you love golf, swimming or even just riding your bike around town, weight training can help you do it better. With stronger muscles, you’ll be able to engage in activities for longer periods of time and reduce your risk of serious injuries that can have you on the sidelines for weeks.

You’ll lower your risk of illness and injury. Studies have shown that weight training can have some really great long-term health benefits. From decreasing your risk of osteoporosis to alleviating lower back pain, working out using weights certainly won’t hurt your overall health and may even have you feeling better than you have in years.

Whether you’re in your 20’s or your 60’s it’s always a good time to start weight training and enjoying the benefits of a stronger, healthier you.

This post was contributed by Nicole White, who writes about a masters of health care degree. She welcomes your feedback at Nicole.White222@gmail.com

Stainless steel water bottles to replace plastic

2009-06-07T15:02:00.007-04:00

It is WAAYYY too nice for me to be inside working today, but alas I am. I have one last weekend of internship homework to complete before I'm done FOR-EVER! Yay!

I did manage to get in a good, yet short, mountain bike ride this morning, but now I'm back at the grind.

In any matter: in relation to my previous posts about the nastiness of plastic water bottles, there are a few people wondering what they should use instead.

Pictured here is one of my favorite options: Kleen Kanteen water bottles. I have a few of these bottles, so I'm always with protected water. This company is just awesome, not just because they make these stainless steel water bottles, but because they are so eco-friendly and wonderful. Check out this quote for example, from their website:

"In addition to including environmental and fair labor consciousness in our business practices, we partner with local, national, and international organizations to support efforts toward health, clean drinking water, and protecting the environment. In 2008, Klean Kanteen became a member of 1% for the Planet, committing to donation of at least 1% of our annual sales to non-profits working to protect and promote the wellness of this one great Earth."

To ensure your tap water is safe, you can/should invest a bit of your money into a total home purification system. It's not just your drinking water that can be an issue, but the water you shower in can be problematic too. A whole home water filter is your best bet. That way you can ensure all the water in your house is safe

Here's a great article by John Hinds at www.thefreewaterreport.com about home water purification systems:

How to buy a whole house water filter

Another thing you can do to save $$ on your water bills, is to use grey water (or gray water if you're Canadian) in your toilet and to water your lawn, etc. Rather than flushing perfectly good water down the drain, you can use recycled water to do the trick.

Here's an example of a Grey/Gray Water System from treehugger.com:

Gray Water Units for your Home

Have wonderful weekend! I'm going back out in the sun after I get a bit more work done! Yay!

Happy Summer! :)

Harvard study confirms health risks from BPA leaching

2009-06-03T22:03:00.003-04:00

This was posted originally on www.foodproductiondaily.com

Harvard study confirms health risk from BPA leaching

By Mike Stones, 25-May-2009

Critics of the chemical bisphenol A or BPA have received powerful new ammunition in the form of a study from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) which confirmed that the substance can leach from polycarbonate drinking bottles into humans.

The study revealed that participants who drank for a week from polycarbonate bottles and baby bottles showed a two-thirds increase of BPA in their urine.

According to HSPH: “The study is the first to show that drinking from polycarbonate bottles increased the level of urinary BPA, and thus suggests that drinking containers made with BPA release the chemical into the liquid that people drink in sufficient amounts to increase the level of BPA excreted in human urine.”

Cardiovascular disease

BPA, used in the manufacture of polycarbonate and other plastics, has been linked to cardiovascular disease and diabetes in humans and disrupted reproductive development in animals.

The chemical is commonly found in drinking bottles, baby bottles and sipper cups as well as dentistry composites and sealants and in the lining of aluminum food and beverage cans.

Karin B. Michels, associate professor of epidemiology at HSPH and Harvard Medical School and senior author of the study, commented: “We found that drinking cold liquids from polycarbonate bottles for just one week increased urinary BPA levels by more than two-thirds. If you heat those bottles, as is the case with baby bottles, we would expect the levels to be considerably higher. This would be of concern since infants may be particularly susceptible to BPA's endocrine-disrupting potential."

Harvard College students were recruited for the study which was conducted in April 2008. The 77 participants began the study with a week of drinking all cold beverages from stainless steel bottles in order to minimize BPA exposure. They were then given two polycarbonate bottles and asked to drink all cold beverages from the bottles during the next week. Urine samples were provided throughout the trial.

Polycarbonate bottles

“The results showed that the participants' urinary BPA concentrations increased 69% after drinking from the polycarbonate bottles,” said HSPH. “Previous studies had found that BPA could leach from polycarbonate bottles into their contents; this study is the first to show a corresponding increase in urinary BPA concentrations in humans.”

BPA levels might have been higher had students drunk hot liquids from the bottles, the researchers note.

Canada banned the use of BPA in polycarbonate baby bottles last year and some polycarbonate bottle manufacturers have voluntarily eliminated BPA from their products.

Further research is needed to explore the effect of BPA on infants and on reproductive disorders and on breast cancer in adults, concluded the study.

The study appears on the website of the journal Environmental Health Perspectives and is available at http://www.ehponline.org/members/2009/0900604/0900604.pdf .

More safe water resources

2009-06-02T15:49:00.004-04:00

Wow! The responses to my last blog post were great! Some emails, some comments, but overall, so many people are also concerned about safe drinking water.

Remember: water cooler bottles are also #7 plastic... so stay away.

To help understand what kind of water crisis we're really in, and how to make your tap water even safer, I encourage you to visit the following sites:

The Free Water Report

Hunger and Environmental Nutrition Water Task Force

Food and Water Watch Report

Then, for a really great read, all about water, please check out John Hinds book (pictured above): What's in your water? , available on amazon.com. It's rated with nine 5stars and gives you many ways to obtain safe drinking water.

Water: it shouldn't be so dangerous, but it can be, so choose wisely.

Reasons why you don't need bottled water.

2009-05-31T11:28:00.003-04:00

I'm proud to say that I have not drank water from a plastic bottle in almost a year. I also have refrained from buying any other beverages or liquid consumables that come in a plastic bottle. Specifically for water, there are concerns that go beyond the potentially hazardous nature of the plastic.

Here is a list of reasons why you don't need plastic water bottles I obtained from my friend Mark Cooper in Toronto Canada. Mark has made it his mission in life to tell people about the dangers of bottled water:

Bottled water costs $1.50 or more per bottle. That's almost 1,900 times the price of tap water.
This means an average US citizen can spend over $400 every year on bottled water.
The water in the bottle can be damaged by toxic chemicals like BPA, leached from the bottle into the water.
Our environment then suffers because it's tainted by the production, transportation, packaging and disposal of plastic bottles (see picture above).
In 2004, bottled water us was marked as 26 billion liters which equals nearly 28 billion bottles a year, of which 86% end up as garbage (again see picture above).
1,500 water bottles end up as garbage EVERY SECOND!
26 billion liters means that 17 million barrels of oil were used to produce the bottles. This oil could have instead fueled home heating or other more essential activities.
26 billion liters also = 2,500,000 tons of carbon dioxide for bottle manufacturing.
And, 100 billion dollars spent on all these bottles every year.

It is possible that for a fraction of this amount, EVERYONE on the planet could have safe drinking water and proper sanitation.

Don't you think it's almost ludicrous that we use perfectly good drinking water to WATER our LAWNS???!!!! That water could be used obviously for better purposes.

Bottled water is NOT safer than tap water, and likely is less safe.

For those of us who keep our bottled water in the car, did you realize the heat of the car can increase the leaching of plastic chemicals into your water. Then, even if you didn't keep it in your car, do you know what extreme temperatures that bottle was exposed to before you bought it?

Stored in warehouses, temperatures can range from 26F to 85F.
Truck transportation: 100F to 150F
Loaded and unloaded onto docks: 45F to 100F.

You can safely drink tap water, with extra filtration if you know your tap water needs it (you can have your tap water tested in any local area). Then, drink it from a non-BPA bottle so you can enjoy water any time of the day, any where.

For facts about plastic #7 (the plastic used to make most water bottles and most water cooler bottles), please visit Earth911.com.

Other important websites to read regarding your health and the health of the earth:

www.earthpolicy.org/
www.filterforgood.com

Remember: we only have one body and one Earth; let's keep them both healthy for as long as possible. And that includes our drinking water.

Incredible Shrinking Snacks? Really? Not so sure...

2009-05-23T07:15:00.006-04:00

Women's health magazine online just published a short article entitled: "Incredible Shrinking Snacks: Satisfy a hankering for less than 100 calories."

Although the thought behind this article may be what most women THINK is right to help support their weight loss efforts, there are some major flaws that I just can't keep my mouth shut over.

First: As you peruse through their slide show, you'll see that some of the "snacks" mentioned are synthetic and completely unnatural. For example, to snack on something sweet less that 100 calories, they recommend the following items (I'm leaving out brand names...):

Sugar-free chocolate pudding
Low-fat (low-sugar) mini fudge pop

The first two items there are man-made sweets created with the help of sucralose, asulfame K, or aspartame. The more and more I learn about these artificial sweeteners, the more and more I tend to stay away. There's just something not right about them with respect to their health effects, and in fact, when it comes to satisfying a sugar-craving, they actually entice you to want more, rather than just helping the craving go away. The reason they make you want more is because in the case of a sugar-craving, your body is really just calling out for calories mostly because you're not feeding it what it needs during the rest of the day (i.e., undereating in an attempt to lose weight). It also can happen because you need more calories during certain times of the month (can we say PMS?), and the first thing your body screams for in these cases is quick, delicious, sugar.

So, when this happens, why not just listen to your body and eat more good calories rather than deprive yourself of what your body probably needs to help it grow, repair, and/or just function normally? Or, if you really need that sugar, eat natural sugars from fruit and then get the benefits of antioxidants and filling-fiber goodness? If that just won't do it, allow yourself some real dark chocolate; and I'm not talking about that 60% dark chocolate our there, that's plumped up with more sugar, I'm talking about the 75%+ dark chocolate that has much less sugar, but still gives your body those endorphin-stimulating properties from its chocolately goodness (not the sugar, it's from the actual cocoa).

Or, the article does give three other more appropriate (natural, no crazy synthetics) sugar-craving options:

Ciao Bella Ecuadorian Passion Fruit Sorbet - which is made with all-natural ingredients (including sugar). You just have to be careful, because the product is sold in pint-sized quantities, which is a LOT more than the 1/2 cup serving that WH mag recommends. Also, you have to not eat directly from the pint...

Pepperidge Farm Gingerman Homestyle Cookies - these yummy cookies are just like home-made ones you get at Christmas. However, to get less than 100 calories, you can only eat 3... so becareful and hide the bag once you've had those few.
Thomas' Hearty Grains Double Fiber Honey Wheat muffin with 2 tsp Smucker's Sweet Orange Marmalade - Although this is a real-food item (I think the marmalade is the real stuff at least), who really can use only 2tsp of marmalade? Try measuring that out and see if you can do it. Honestly, in this case, just use a whole damn tablespoon and realize you might get more than 100 calories. Just use those calories to work out harder later that day or tomorrow and you won't be set back on your goals.

Second: Sure, I get it that we all sometimes just need to reach for something sweet, salty, savory, crunchy, etc, even if "it's not on our diet plan", but think about this: Why can't it be on your diet plan? Sure, some foods should really be avoided due to their high synthetic chemical content, and sure, I understand caloric balance (or caloric deficit to lost weight) but why the heck can't a girl have a piece of chocolate and just know that some days your caloric needs are higher than you THINK they are, or that you will need to work it off later?

Almost all foods should be able to fit into your diet plan. And, remember, a diet is not DIE with a "T" at the end, but it's a way of eating to meet your body's needs for energy and, in a sense, life.

There is no need to starve yourself to get the body you want, and when it comes to eating something you really want, just factor it into your diet plan, and know how to balance the calories in other places either with other food choices or with more exercise. Or, just chalk it up to a higher calorie day that we all need about once a week to help prevent metabolic derrangements that come with ultra-low calorie dieting?

Third: I'm sick, sick, sick of people thinking that fat-free ultimately means you can eat it without getting fat. What year are we living in, really? 1970? Remember: fat is something your body NEEDS to help it use more fat as a fuel. Also, fat keeps you more satisfied for a longer period of time than any other food (protein is right after it). Finally, some fat is essential, meaning that your body can NOT make it, and must get it from food you eat.

So, when Women's Health recommended fat-free microwave popcorn, I almost wanted to scream (OK, I did...). They recommend this to help combat salt cravings, but I much prefer their other option of the Kalamata Olives. At least with the olives you're getting healthy monounsaturated fat and some protein, where with the popcorn, you're getting nothing but carbs and salt. Plus, whatever chemicals they use to make that popcorn pop for you in the microwave, might really not be so good for you. (Then, there's my whole opinion on microwaves in general.... but I won't go there).

Sure, popcorn has fiber and you can eat three cups and only get 94 calories, but why can't you just have 2 cups that you pop naturally in an air-popper and then add your own satisfying fat (butter or olive oil perhaps) plus some nutritious sea salt? Why? Probably because it takes too long to make (really, it doesn't) and we've become a society of "Feed me Now, Feed me Quick, I don't care if it's healthy for me or not". Or, because we've starved ourselves at work and now we're pulling out the bag of fat-free microwave popcorn to make it through the rest of the day. Better idea: eat more good food during the day and you won't have to slam a bag of popcorn down your throat just to feel better.

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Well, those are just lovely thoughts on an early Saturday morning. I've got to get some breakfast in my belly before I head to the gym, and you can bet your bottom that I'll be eating healthy, natural, fat, protein and carbs and nothing artifical or synthetic. And, I won't be starving either.

PS. My weight-loss goals are moving along excellently. Already I'm fitting into pants I couldn't wear just 3 weeks ago (literally, couldn't even button them up). Eating and exercing are good things :)

My Clinical Nutrition Experiences

2009-05-22T15:04:00.003-04:00

Despite the fact that I completed my PhD just recently, I'm still not done my educational path. Currently, I'm finishing up my Registered Dietitian Internship through UMass Amherst so I can finally become a Registered Dietitian.

I started the internship last August (right after my wedding) and will graduate at the end of June this year (YAY!!). For the internship, I've gone through the various "rotations" that all interns go through to become a RD. I started in community nutrition, then went to food service (at an elementary school) and am now in clinical.

Clinical has been pretty interesting. I always told myself that I never wanted to work as a Clinical Dietitian, because working in a hospital just really isn't any fun. Well, I was wrong and right all at the same time.

My clinical rotation is through Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA, which is one of the top teaching hospitals in the US. We get to see some of the craziest cases/patients here, which is what has made it so interesting. Through my experience in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit), I've learned to ALWAYS wear my seatbelt and never drink and drive.... (we see TERRIBLE car accident victims, which is so sad). I also learned that people do some stupid things and get really hurt, like cooking on a grill inside their home in the winter.... uh... Hello? Anyone in there? My goodness.

Anyhow, the frustrating part of being a clinical dietitian is that I don't agree with the nutrition guidelines and nutrition treatments that we have to give to most patients.

For example, if you have a patient who developed diabetes because of illness stress or the high-carb nutrition in the hospital, we're not allowed to cut back their carbs. Instead, we have to give them "counted carbs" and then dose them with insulin accordingly!!! It just doesn't make sense; why not just remove the insulting issue and lessen the use of drugs?

I put a picture of Ensure at the top of the page, because this is the "Beverage of Choice" that we offer patients when they don't have a good appetite, or they need more protein. The issue I have with this product though is that nothing in it is natural. Just take a look at the ingredient list:

Water (UD), Corn Syrup, Corn Maltodextrin, Sugar (Sucrose), Sodium, Calcium Caseinates, Canola Oil, Corn Oil, High Oleic Safflower Oil, Cocoa Powder (Processed with Alkali), Soy Protein Isolate, Soy Lecithin, Natural & Artificial Flavor, Carrageenan, Vitamins & Minerals: Magnesium Chloride, Potassium Citrate, Calcium Phosphate Tribasic, Sodium Citrate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Ascorbic Acid (more synthetic vitamins...)

Since when is Corn Syrup a complete food that can help someone heal quicker or feel better?

Then, the protein choice is less than desirable (soy, calcium caseinates), and in the end, only provides someone with 13 grams of protein alongside the 50 grams of carbohydrates (from mostly sugar!).

It really goes against all I've researched and learned under my PhD supervisor to give people some of the foods that we give them here while they're sick and in the hospital.

Why not just blend up a healthy shake for someone made with real food instead of synthetic items if they have a hard time getting in enough calories?

There are some hospitals out there that do this kind of thing, but unfortunately, the choice we make are driven by BigPharma and Medical Insurance companies.... sad, sad.

I must say, thankfully, the dietitians at Baystate that I'm learning under are very smart and do appreciate the importance of additional protein in the diet, fiber for constipation instead of drugs, probiotics to help combat antibiotics, and essential fats from fish oil to help with healing. I'm happy I've had my experience here in clinical dietetics, because I've heard horror stories from some of my fellow interns in other areas.

Bottom line: if you get sick and are stuck in the hospital, fight for the best nutrition you can get. Some people even bring in their own food and supplements, which in my opinion, can be one of the best options out there.

Now, stay healthy, and remember: don't try to put out a fire with gasoline (true story... it happened here in MA).

70% Hemp Protein coming to stores soon!

2009-05-04T22:22:00.003-04:00

A few weekends ago, I had the pleasure of attending the SCAN (sports, cardiovascular and wellness nutrition) meeting (a practice group of the American Dietetic Assoc.) in beautiful Phoenix Arizona.

While there, I checked out the vendors and was thrilled to seem my fellow Canadians from Manitoba Harvest, Hemp Foods and Oils there promoting their tasty and nutritious hemp products.

Even more exciting was that they were revealing a brand-new hemp protein product that is going to make many people very happy. I've pictured the product here as I was lucky enough to get a whole container of it to try.

Unlike other hemp proteins, this product is 70% protein, containing (like other high quality protein products), 21 grams of complete protein, 4.5 grams of fat (essential ALA and healthy GLA), and only 4.5 grams of carbohydrates!!!

The product is gluten-free, contains no artificial sweeteners and is also Kosher! (I have a few Jewish friends, so this was a bonus).

I have used this product now many times in my morning breakfast smoothies. My normal smoothy is to blend a serving of the hemp protein with 1/2 cup of the organic, natural Hemp Bliss milk (also from Manitoba Harvest), 1/2 cup water, 1/3 cup frozen berries, 2 tbsp chia seeds, 1 tbsp of Earth's Promise Purple Berry Pomegranate, and 1/4 cup dry oats. This high protein, good fats and healthy carb breakfast shake gives me great energy in the morning and provides me with 27 grams of high quality protein! I love it!

Unfortunately, this hemp product is not yet available on the Manitoba Harvest website, but it will be very soon. I'll keep you all posted on the status of it, or you can check out the website yourself for updates.

I predict that this product is going to be very popular, not just with people who choose a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, but those looking for alternative protein sources other than whey or.... dare I say it... soy.

I like this product because it tastes great, but it gives me something else to have in my morning smoothies other than cow's whey. I have issues normally with cow milk protein, so I try to limit it when I can.

Keep your eyes out for this product! It's great and you're going to love it!