This video shows you how to be a detective and track down processed sugar, grain, and oil in your food!
Processed Food Detective
Find Out What is in Your Food!
In this video, I share some tips on how to find processed sugar, grain, and oil in packaged foods. Included is a helpful tip on the many names for “Sugar” when you are looking at ingredients. Take a look at the video, and try it out at home, or next time you shop!
Food Labels 101-Reading and Understanding Nutrition Facts
If reading and understanding food labels is brand new for you, please take a look at a previous blog post I created on how to read and understand what is in your food. This post (and video) covers the very basics of reading and understanding nutrition facts, and the ingredients label.
Watch this video and learn one secret to diet and nutrition which is 100% non-debatable, doesn’t matter who you ask!
Diet Secret!
Are You Ready!
Diets and nutrition can be very confusing, do we even know what is healthy anymore?! What if I told you that there is one nutrition tip that has 100% consensus across all diets, and nutrition plans? Well, there is! Doesn’t matter if you ask someone who is Paleo, Keto, Vegan, Vegetarian, Mediterranean Diet…anyone!
The Diet Secret you need to know…
Here it is: if you cut processed sugar, processed grains, and processed oils from your diet, and substitute in more whole foods/ingredients, that is a healthy move! If you ask a Vegan, they might say “well yes, that is a healthy thing to do, but don’t eat Animal products!” If you ask someone who is Keto: “well yes, that would be a healthy thing to do, but on my plan you can eat Butter, Bacon, and Burgers! (with no bun, of course)”
So, while there is not consensus from everyone about the proper macro nutrient ratios etc, you will not find anyone who works in the Health/Fitness industry who will argue with you about this tip. If you do find anyone in the industry who argues that leaving processed sugar, grains, and oils in your diet is healthy, personally I would question the validity of any other advice they give.
Why are Sugar, Processed Grain, and Processed Oils Problematic?
In short, the processing methods for all of these foods cause our body to react differently to these foods, compared to in their natural state. The example I give in the video is that a whole Apple does have some naturally occurring sugar, called Fructose; when you eat the Apple, you get the Fructose with some natural packaging/dietary fiber, which results in a more moderate impact on your blood sugar and insulin. Your body’s response to Fructose in fruit with that of High Fructose Corn Syrup (processed sugar) is dramatically different. A similar comparison can be made to your body’s response to whole grain vs processed, enriched flour and other processed grain products.
For an breakdown of Oil processing methods and why some may be problematic, check out my previous blog post/video. Unfortunately, you will see a theme that the most highly processed sugar, grains, and oils are the cheapest for you to buy, and the most heavily marketed.
How to start this Diet Secret
If you eat a lot of processed food and want to make this change, it is best to start gradually. For example, if you drink a lot of soda or other sugary drinks, that is a great place to put this diet secret into action. What are some options to substitute for sugary drinks?
Water
Water with fresh lemon/fruit
Seltzer water
Herbal Tea
Black Tea
Black Coffee
Your staples should be water or water with lemon/fruit since everyone needs to stay hydrated, but there are some options to explore if you want to substitute in something else for your sweet drinks. Diet/artificially sweetened drinks are a whole other topic, if our focus is eliminating processed foods, steering clear of these products fits that aim.
How do I know if I am eating Processed Food???
How do I find these mystery ingredients in food I have in my pantry, food I see at the grocery store?! Never fear, my next blog post will show you how to be a detective and track down processed sugar, grain, and oil in your food…see you next time!
Interview covers Insights from Working in Healthcare, the transition when you stop being an Athlete, and Fitness Benefits for Mothers to be.
Interview Topics:
Health Insights from CRNA (and what a CRNA is)
What happens when you stop being an Athlete?
Why is activity/fitness important for expecting mothers?
Insights from Working in Healthcare
My sister, Gina shares insights with us from her experience as an ICU Nurse and a CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist). The most surprising topic was what happens to people who come to the Hospital with chronic diseases, which may be influenced by lifestyle factors; no nutrition or exercise consultation! Hospital staff are trained to treat the patient so they can leave the Hospital, Gina explains, and Doctors do not provide any advice or resources on lifestyle factors which may help manage their condition (in her experience).
Gina does share that one lifestyle intervention Hospitals do provide information on is smoking cessation. We both speculate that the reason for this is that the science is settled at this point, smoking is bad for you. Because there are some many different diets/nutritional approaches, perhaps the medical field has collectively decided to stay out of the discussion when treating patients.
What Happens When you Stop Being an Athlete?
Gina played NCAA Division 1 Field Hockey, and even played in a Final 4! We discuss what happens when you go from having a competitive season to train for, meals and workouts scheduled, to working full time, paying bills, and having to make time for exercise.
The Benefits of Exercise and Fitness for Mothers to Be
Gina is going to be a mom soon, super exciting! We talk about the benefits of staying active during pregnancy, from her experience so far. There are many different guidelines to exercising while pregnant, so anyone reading this or viewing the interview is advised to consult with their Doctor about considerations during all different time periods and trimesters of pregnancy.
We hope to be back soon with an interview on how to prioritize your health and fitness as a new mom!
I’m sitting down with my dad, Bob Uguccioni, who is an experienced personal trainer, and strength and conditioning coach. Topics Bob gives insights on include:
How to pick the right Personal Trainer
Intro to the Ketogenic Diet
Intro to Intermittent Fasting
Top Insights
Bob walks us through his experience, and professional certifications related to training and nutrition. One thing to note, not all certifications are created equal, in fact some only require a multiple choice exam! A good test taker does not (necessary) make a good personal trainer/coach. Bob gives some tips on how to pick the right trainer to help you meet your goals.
When thinking about the Keto Diet, a lot of people think that eating Bacon Cheeseburgers with no bun put us right into Ketosis/Fat Burning mode. Bob clarifies the important role of vegetables in the Keto Diet, and gives insight into his experience with the Diet.
Fasting means controlled periods of time when one chooses not to eat, this is different from starvation. Intermittent Fasting is periodic times when someone chooses to fast; the most basic model is a 16 hour fasting window, and an 8 hour eating window each day (rather than constantly eating small meals/snacking. Bob tells us why fasting is more challenging for people who eat processed sugar and grains.
In Closing
Thanks so much for checking out this interview, I will have many more coming to help gain additional perspective and expertise on Health and Fitness related topics.
Dom's 10 Minute Health and Fitness Tips 