Category: Lifestyle

Updates!

by Goal Fit, posted in Lifestyle

We’ve had a busy week & are getting ready for a yummy Thanksgiving! We were guests on a podcast & are busy prepping for our Q & A (see below) in Lexington on 11.29. A few thoughts shared in the video above.

*Note -We do avoid highly processed foods like Impossible Burgers, Beyond Meat, Oreos, sodas and other packaged foods that have a long list of chemical ingredients that we can’t pronounce & our bodies don’t recognize as coming from Mother Nature. Olive oil is somewhat processed (as Dr. Tallio said, there’s an olive tree, but not an olive oil tree). We occasionally use olive oil & don’t avoid it just because there’s some processing involved (ex: we use nut butters, which have a degree of processing, too). We choose to be careful with olive oil – as Dr. Tallio says in the video above, it has 120 calories per TB – if we use a few TB to saute, a few in salad dressing & a few for roasting, it would be easy to have 600-700 calories in one day just from oil. If weight loss is a goal, that’s a large chunk of your daily calories. Check out this graphic on food density from Plantstrong.com and join us on 11/29 at the Co-op. We’re always happy to answer questions!

Be sure to come & see us for this free event in Lexington at Good Foods Co-op on November 29th. (see below)

We’re also hosting a Whole New You program for women from 6-8pm on January 10, 17, 24, and 31 at Dr. Tallio’s Mindful Medicine office to help support you in your journey to feel your best & get healthy! More information on that to come, or feel free to reach out to me via email at goalfitmethod@gmail.com If you’re already subscribed to my email list, I’ll be sending updates as soon as we have all the details ironed out!

*This is not medical advice – always speak to your healthcare provider before making changes to your diet or exercise program.*

Dr. Esselstyn &Heart Disease

by Goal Fit, posted in Lifestyle

“We are never going to get rid of this epidemic with the present drugs, stents & bypasses. The cardiology tools we have today utterly fail. Why? Because they don’t address the cause of the illness.“

“The seismic revolution in health is never going to come about with the invention of another pill, another drug, another stent, another bypass, but truly the revolution that’s going to come about when we in the profession have the will, the grit, and the determination to share with the public and the patients precisely what is the lifestyle and most specifically what is the nutritional literacy that is going to empower them as the locus of control to absolutely annihilate chronic illness.“

Don’t let the title of this episode deter you- this conversation is jam packed with information on how we can prevent, treat and reverse chronic disease. You can listen to the podcast version on the go via your favorite podcast platform as well. Just search Plant Strong Podcast.

If you’re unfamiliar with Dr. Esselstyn, he is a physician and currently leads the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Reversal Program at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute. Read more about “Essy” here: http://www.dresselstyn.com/site/about/about-dr-esselstyn/

Essy’s awesome wife, Anne, is in her late 80s as well and routinely runs while dragging a tire up & down her street including hills. Her most recent cookbook – Be a Plant Based Woman Warrior was written with her daughter, Jane.

One last quote from this episode: “Truth be told, cardiovascular disease is nothing more than a toothless paper tiger that need never ever exist, and if it does exist, it need never ever progress. Why? This is a completely benign food borne illness & it’s really almost embarassing for the medical profession when you think that of the fact we have known for over 100 years, there are multiple cultures then & now where cardiovascular disease is really almost virtually non-existent. Why is that? Because they thrive on whole food plant based nutrition without oil. And, it’s interesting that knowing that information, why haven’t we brought that information to this country where we have an absolute epidemic, where cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of women & men in western civilization.“

Good news about Alzheimer’s and lifestyle

by Goal Fit, posted in Lifestyle

An important neuropathological study revealed

  • The most common Alzheimer’s pathology was vascular disease (which is preventable).
  • Just 10-30% of clinical Alzheimer’s cases have pure Alzheimer’s-like pathology

From @thebraindocs, Drs Dean and Ayesha Sherzai, practicing neurologists:

“For a long time, researchers only focused on identifying abnormal protein deposition in the brain resulting in Alzheimer’s disease, but with advances in tools and our understanding, we now know that there is a HUGE overlap between vascular (blood vessel) disease in the brain and clinical Alzheimer’s disease. And this study helped us understand it better. 

1,161 people donated their brains to be studied after their death. Only 10-30% of the cases were pure Alzheimer’s-like pathologies, and a larger percentage of the pathologies were attributable to stroke, cerebral amyloid angiopathy (abnormal protein deposition in blood vessels), atherosclerosis, and arteriolosclerosis – all vascular diseases that are profoundly influenced by factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose metabolism – which in turn are influenced by lifestyle – what you eat, how much you move, your sleep patterns, etc.”

I have taken care of countless patients and some family members with Alzheimer’s disease. It is a nightmare for the patient and their caregivers. I want to do everything I possibly can to avoid passing this burden on to my children, and this is great news – by managing the lifestyle factors that I can control, I am significantly reducing my risk of living this nightmare myself. 

SOURCE    SOURCE

Plant Protein to Prevent Frailty

by Goal Fit, posted in Food, Lifestyle

Check out THIS ARTICLE in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle that followed 85,000 women from 1980-2010 and found that:

“Women with a higher intake of plant protein had a lower risk of developing frailty after adjustment for all relevant confounders [relative risks across quintiles of consumption: 1.00, 0.94, 0.89, 0.86, and 0.86; P-trend < 0.001]. In contrast, those with a higher intake of animal protein intake had a higher risk of frailty [relative risks across quintiles of consumption: 1.00, 0.98, 0.99, 1.00, and 1.07; P-trend 0.04]. The intake of total and dairy protein showed no significant association with frailty in the full model. Substituting 5% of energy from plant protein intake at the expense of animal protein, dairy protein, or non-dairy animal protein was associated with 38% (29%, 47%), 32% (21%, 42%), and 42% (33%, 50%) reduced risk of frailty.” SOURCE

As Dr. Garth Davis stated, it’s not hard to find an online influencer and even some doctors claiming that animal protein is superior to plant protein based on the fact that rodent studies have demonstrated higher absorption of amino acids like leucine which they claim may help grow muscle & prevent sarcopenia with aging; however, is that always a good thing? Studies are showing that an aging pathway – mTOR – is activated by leucine…food for thought, for sure! And make sure to include resistance training with weights to benefit muscle preservation as you age as well!

*I’m not a physician & this isn’t medical advice*

Stay Healthy on Vacation

by Goal Fit, posted in Lifestyle

Woo Hoo! It’s time to travel!  Got Spring Break coming up or a summer vacay planned? Here are some tips to stay healthy.

First, don’t derail all your progress just because you’re not at home! Things you eat & do (or don’t do) on vacation definitely count.  You can have fun & be a little more flexible, but don’t go crazy.  If you typically follow 80×20 or 90×10 during the week at home for things like alcohol, sugar or working out, pick another split & stick to it – maybe 60×40 or even 50×50. 

Look at your daily routines & think about what you can easily carry over on vacation. I always have my warm water first thing in the morning before coffee, and my Natural Calm at night before bed to help with sleep & regularity (don’t start taking NC on the road, it can cause issues – start at home first & then stay consistent with it on your trip).

  • Stay hydrated! It helps prevent dehydration (duh!) and helps with digestion & regularity.  Feel free to add Nuun tabs (make sure you don’t get the ones with caffeine) or Ultima powder.  Bring along your reusable water bottle & keep it filled and with you! This is especially true when flying.
  •  You’ll probably be eating things that aren’t in your usual diet. Consider taking digestive enzymes with meals containing foods or ingredients that aren’t your usual. 
  • Get gassy/upset tummy when flying? You’re not alone!  Check out THIS ARTICLE  stating that lower air pressure & a rapid increase in air pressure actually do make you more likely to have issues with gas. Consider consuming lower FODMAP foods the day prior to travel and taking something with simethicone (like Gas-X) just before boarding and maybe a few times mid-flight. Avoid carbonated beverages while airborne & move around the cabin as well. You may also want to think about self-massage for digestion before & after your flight – VIDEO HERE.
  • Make sure to have at least one 100% meal per day – oats with fruit for breakfast, a big salad with light dressing for lunch, grilled protein (whether it’s seafood or tofu) and steamed veg are some suggestions.  
  • Enjoy some indulgences but make sure they’re worth it! Savor the decadent dessert at a restaurant, but skip the Kit Kat at the airport or gas station. 
  • Pack some healthy snacks – I love raw nuts & fruit (fresh or dried).
  • Stay active – get all of your steps in for the day! I love trying new boutique fitness classes when I travel, but feel free to also hit the hotel gym, see if your gym has reciprocity with a facility near you.
  • Prioiritize sleep – aim for your usual number of hours per sleep.  It likely won’t be a problem to catch up on a little extra sleep, but don’t sleep in too much, stay up too late, or do anything that you know will throw you off (like sleeping with the TV on, excessive scrolling, eating too close to bedtime, excessive alcohol close to bedtime.)
  • Schedule your work: try your best to have designated work time & truly be ‘out of office’ the rest of the time. Schedule any calls/meetings and do any other tasks around those times, then disconnect & be present & enjoy your trip!
  • Keep your space somewhat clutter-free.  No one loves living out of a suitcase.  I’ve recently started unpacking soon after checking in & will never go back! When your environment is cluttered, your mind is cluttered & you are less likely to make good decisions. 

What am I missing? Share your favorite travel tips in the comments!