Plant-Based Nutrition Archives - Page 3 of 5

Posted on April 28, 2016July 20, 2017 by Kelly Gibson

Can Eating Salad make me Fat?

Is a salad with dressing really worse than a cheeseburger? A pound of lettuce is going to contribute about 20 calories so there is a negligent amount of macronutrients to worry about in that by itself. The real calories come from what you add to the salad. Let’s take a look to answer your question “Can Eating Salad make me Fat?”:

It almost seems silly to compare the two, since their macronutrient ratios are entirely different. However, in terms of calories you would need to add 6-7 tablespoons of Italian Dressing to make a plain salad as unhealhty as a cheeseburger. That means almost a half of a cup of dressing! I don’t know anyone who needs that much dressing. What a relief! So I guess we should keep adding dressing to our salads as long as we control our portions, right?

Wrong and let me tell you why. The first ingredient in majority of store-bought dressings is the most overused sweetener in America, and the worst part is? Everyone tells you to stop having it. You may not know it, but you are defeating the purpose of a healthy salad when you add High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), with a hint of added flavors and preservatives. What about Fat-Free? Don’t worry, food companies will sneak in some artificial sweeteners like sucralose or dextrins to make it taste better.

Unfortunately, toxins like these can make it very difficult to lose weight, even if you’re limiting your overall calorie intake. I suggest you take a look in your refrigerator and read the ingredient label on your salad dressings (or ALL condiments for that matter). If it’s got HFCS, I recommend you chuck it or donate it to your local food drive.

Many of you may already be aware of this problem, and you probably stock up on organic dressings. But there’s still a ton of sodium in those too. Hmm! What to do now? I know I know… create your own salad dressing! It takes 2 minutes or less to whip up a healthier dressing to ensure you’re not putting toxic ingredients in your body. Sounds worth it to me. It’s important to add healthy proteins to your salad and cut down on the processed oils, so I tend to make nut or seed butter dressings like tahini, made from sesame seeds.

Try my mega easy 30-SECOND dressing recipe! It contains more protein than most store-bought dressings.

Lemon tahini dressing:

1 TBSP Tahini

1TSP Lemon Juice

1TSP Water

Instructions: Whip together all of the ingredients in a small bowl for one serving. 3 ingredients in 30 seconds? You must think I’m joking!! Seriously I’m not, this is my go-to salad dressing and its as easy as 1 2 3! Give it a try and let me know how you like it! If you eat salad wtih this amazing protein dense dressing you wont be asking “Can Eating Salad make me Fat?” anymore.

Looking for more easy vegan recipe ideas? Try a Vegan Challenge or Contact Me for More Info:

Posted on April 28, 2016July 20, 2017 by Kelly Gibson

The Vitamin D Deficiency Problem

Video Transcript: Do you take a multivitamin to ensure that you cover your bases? Or maybe your doctor already diagnosed you with a Vitamin D deficiency and put you on a high dose?

You’re not alone. The Vitamin D Deficiency Problem affects up to 75% of the population in the U.S. There are 3 main reasons why it’s so common today – 1. the overuse of sunscreen, people treat the sun like it’s full of germs and they’re afraid to get sunlight for a few minutes they’ll catch cancer. It’s beneficial to use sunscreen for longer duration of sunlight, but it’s ok to use spf 8 on occasion to get more vit d. 2. the American lifestyle of having desk jobs, playing on our computers or smartphones all day and spending less time outdoors, and 3. Eating a diet high in processed foods or fast foods. Does this sound familiar? Well If you suffer from any of the following symptoms – keep watching:

Weight Gain or Inability to Lose Weight
Severe asthma
Depression or gloomy moods
Weak, Brittle Bones or Bone Pain
Cognitive issues or poor mental function
Skin rashes like Psoriasis or Dermatitis

If you suffer from any of these symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency the first thing I’d recommend is getting sunshine 15 minutes a day 3 times a week – minimum. An easy way to do this is to do a cardio warmup and stretch outside for your workout. Your body produces vitamin D through skin exposure to UV rays – so you have to be in direct sunlight (not through a window or in the shade) to boost your D levels. Your improved vitamin D levels can help release norepinephrine and dopamine (similar to an anti-depressant), AND you’ll release endorphins from the exercise which also improves your mood. Win-win. If you live in a climate where that’s just not possible, then try to get your vit D from whole food sources of fat such as nuts, seeds, and oils. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for the average adult is 600IU (international units) or higher.

The benefits of having healthy levels of Vitamin D is:

Lower risk of getting type II diabetes
Weight Loss or lower body fat
Helps with the absorption of calcium into your bones which is why you’ll notice that calcium supplements also contain vitamin D

Before you start going overboard with getting rays of sun every day let me just warn you that there are some side effects from having an overdose of Vitamin D: Here’s what to watch out for:

Increased risk of skin cancer or sunburn by getting too much sun

Obtaining more than 4000IU per day can be a health risk, increasing your blood calcium levels which can lead to kidney stones.

Foods fortified with Vit D – typically means the natural source of Vit D has been stripped from the food in processing and they needed to reapply the vitamin to the food to make you think its healthy and compete for your business.

Remember – spend about 15 minutes a day 3 days a week to get sufficient vitamin D levels, avoid fortified foods, only supplement if you are allergic to the sun or suffer from a severe Vitamin D deficiency, and make sure you don’t overdo it. Too much of anything can be bad!

Want to learn more about where to get vitamins in food? Try Nutrition Coaching or Contact Me for More Info:

Resources/Credit:

www.webmd.com

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-Consumer/#h4

Video by Kelly Gibson on July 30, 2014

Vegan Nutrition Coach | Plant Based Nutrtition | Vegan Personal Trainer for Women

Posted on April 6, 2016July 20, 2017 by Kelly Gibson

Benefits of Phytonutrients

Benefits of Phytonutrients

Phytonutrients are organic yet chemical-like substances only existent in plants such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, teas, and nuts. Although they are not “essential” for human life, the benefits of phytonutrients are their health-promoting properties. Phytonutrients come in many classes, such as flavonoids, carotenoids, and phytoestrogens.

3 Foods with Phytonutrients: Moringa, Chlorella, and Spirulina

If you are wondering “why would I eat these?” let me explain the benefits of phytonutrients. Flavonoids are compounds that are known to have antiviral, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant affects on the human body. Carotenoids are naturally occurring pigments responsible for coloration of fruits and vegetables. They provide a source of vitamin A, protect the body from free radicals, and are known to lower mortality rate from chronic illnesses. Phytoestrogens are compounds (most notably contained in soy) that mimic the function of the hormone estrogen, and is known to lower risk of osteoporosis, heart disease, and breast cancer.

“Moringa is a nutrient-rich superfood that’s packed with more vitamin A than carrots, more calcium than milk, more iron than spinach, more vitamin C than oranges, and more potassium than bananas. No wonder moringa is considered to be one of the most nutrient-rich plants on earth. Moringa has natural anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties and is known to promote energy, vitality, athletic performance, and weight loss, while boosting the immune system and protecting against disease.

Spirulina – this high-protein blue-green algae superfood can help boost your immune system, as well asregulate cholesterol and blood pressure levels. Spirulina is one of the few plant sources of vitamin B12, and provides high concentrations of amino acids, chelated minerals, pigmentations, rhamnose sugars (complex natural plant sugars), trace elements, and enzymes—all in an easily assimilable form.

Chlorella is a blue-green algae superfood that has an amazing ability to cleanse the blood, digestive system, and liver of toxins and heavy metals. It regulates blood sugar, helps lower cholesterol, promotes healthy blood pressure, heals wounds, enhances the immune system, and battles free radicals. Chlorella also contains high concentrations of iron and B-complex vitamins.”

Need more info on how to increase phytonutrient intake in your diet, try Nutrition Coaching with Kelly Athletics!

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