The post today is going go into detail on..
Today's Tip of the Day!
Don't drink your calories!!!
You may have heard the saying, but have you ever wondered why they say
"don't drink your calories!" - or heard the term "empty
calories" and wondered what it meant? Well read on friends for a little.. science!
Well, technically it's the physiology
of the digestive system, but I digress...
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| Oh, by the way, I just downloaded this totally cool free app called "the Human Body". I think it's made for kids, to help them understand how the human body works, but it's really fun for adults too! |
SO - In the digestive process, your stomach
breaks down the food you eat from a solid state to a liquid state.
Once it is a liquid, it can leave your stomach and enter the
intestines for the absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream. If
you drink your calories, they enter the bloodstream as quick as they
can get to and through your stomach because they don't have to be
broken down; it's already liquid! Drinking your calories means the
delivery of energy -yes, but you won't get the benefit of feeling a
full tummy, and you'll most likely be feeling hungry again sooner.
There is also generally less nutritional value in liquid calories,
because they have already been broken down. This is what the term
"empty calories” means.
When food is broken down slowly, at the
rate the stomach digests, there is a slow release of liquid-food
matter from the stomach into the intestines, and thus, the absorption
of nutrients and delivery of energy is equally slow, and spaced out.
When you drink your calories, or eat highly processed food
(pre-broken down) you may sometimes experience a sugar rush! That is-
a quick burst of energy due to the quick delivery of calories/energy
into the bloodstream and out into the body. This is bad, because the
body has to produce insulin to help the body regulate blood sugar,
and a spike in insulin, especially repeated and regular spikes can
lead to... that's right, Diabetes.
Meg's Thoughts on THIS: I was researching the cause of
diabetes, and they didn't clearly specify an answer, so I thought
about it. They say that there are genetics
factoring into whether or not you get it. I think that's bull. You
can also develop diabetes if you have NO genetic history of diabetes.
Also, do people who eat healthy, balanced diets have diabetes? No,
not really. Then logically, it has to do with what you eat.
I think diabetes comes from cells in
your body that produce insulin getting worn out, because when you eat
(or drink) a lot of highly-processed, sugar-filled crap, like soda,
and demand that your body cope with it - creating the high amounts of
the insulin required to handle it, they just get pooped out, and stop
producing insulin! They go on strike! I'm pretty sure that if people
who have diabetes stop eating poorly and start eating healthily, for
a sustained amount of time, that their diabetes will go away, just
like my Crohn's disease went away when I made a lifestyle change.
So how does “genetics” play into
it? I think all that means is that if your family members have bad
habits of eating crap, then you're more likely to eat crap. If your
family members are fat, you're probably going to be fat. Its a
culture of bad habits and indulgence.
Apparently they just redefined Obesity
as a disease. I think that's crap. I think they're just to chicken to
say “HEY, STOP EATING CRAP! You are polluting your body and KILLING
YOURSELF!!”
So, the point about this whole tirade
on not “drinking your calories”? Just remember, the longer it
stays in your stomach, the longer you feel full, and won't be tempted
to eat too much! The only exception is post really-hard workout, it's
OK to have a recovery smoothie, to help your muscles recover faster. And having the occasional treat beverage is OK, like a pumpkin-spice latte!!
So today...
Food
Breakfast: Apple-cinnamon oatmeal and 2
HBE's with FGBPepper :)
Lunch: Tomato-coleslaw sammy and 2
HBE's
Snack: a small apple, 4 sticks of
celery and 1 TBS almond butter, 10 mini sweet bell peppers
Dinner: Skinny soup, a string cheese
and a pear with a little bit of bittersweet chocolate for dessert!
*I've found that eating mozzarella cheese while eating the soup brings out the wonderful flavor in the cheese and the soup. It's delicious!!
Exercise
It's an Insanity day! Today's workout was a little lighter, but was more-like hard-core YOGA!! Strength and stability. The reason I LOVE insanity is the deep-stretching that Sean T takes you though. It feels SO good to work your body hard, and then treat it right by stretching! Stretching is SO important for your overall health! I can't function without stretching. My job is so physical and demanding that my longevity as an LMP is dependent on my body NOT wearing out.
Thanks SO much for reading all!
Keep the comments and suggestions coming!
Thanks SO much for reading all!
Keep the comments and suggestions coming!
1 comment:
I agree that we often make the same choices our parents made. It's what we know. Therefore, we are likely to make the same mistakes as our parents.
I don't think diseases are caused by genetics, but I do think genetics lead to certain vulnerabilities. This is true of the mind and body. Our chemical make-up, blood type, and numerous other characteristics have both advantages and disadvantages.
It's important to have an understanding of your family history. That history will provide indicators of weaknesses from either genetics, family culture, or both.
Some people are born into more challenges than others. None-the-less it's not helpful for me to say to myself, "it's not my fault, because everyone in my family is like this." All that statement does is remove myself from personal judgement and the judgement I perceive from others. That doesn't actually help me get or feel better.
However, feeling judged for vulnerabilities out of my control puts a heavy weight on on shoulders and can negatively affect my choices. I work hard not to judge others and I've noticed the benefit is that I feel less judgement from others. Are others judging me? I don't and can't know. As long as I don't perceive judgement I am a happier and healthier person able to pursue my desires with freedom.
How does this relate to Megan's blog? I can decide if she is judging people for diabetes or not. My perception is in my head. I'm cheating, because I know Megan intimately, but I can say for certain she isn't judging. She is loving and today's blog has some tough love for those who need it.
She barely mentioned overcoming Crohn's Disease. Before she was diagnosed it was very, very scary for us. Frankly, the diagnosis didn't make us feel much better. She had a choice: throw up her hands in defeat by an incurable disease that required severe medication or change her lifestyle.
She chose the later. She chose the later for me, her husband, her family, and future children. She chose the later for love. She was tough on herself for love and will be tough on her readers out of love.
In this blog she shared some of her hard learned lessons and I admire her bravery.
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