Hope for Americans when Grocery Shopping?

Finally someone with power is taking a step in the right direction and helping Americans receive the information they deserve in a clear and concise way. On February 27th, Michelle Obama announced that the Obama administration wants shopping for healthy food to be made easier by redesigning the 20 year old nutrition labels on food packaging.  While fat content used to be the main focus and concern for shoppers in the past, it is now calories and processed sugars. The OA is working with the FDA to impose a new law on food producers that will require them to label the calories in bold, add a sub-category to sugar and label it “added sugar” therefore differentiating between what was already in the whole ingredients and what was added, and to adjust the serving sizes to what Americans realistically eat now in order to make them aware that they are consuming more than they realize. (Further information can be found here).

I could not be more thrilled by this news! In a nation that suffers from obscene levels of obesity due to increased insulin levels it is important that the government takes steps to aid those who do not understand what they are consuming. Although this small step will not totally eliminate obesity, it is the largest step in the right direction that I have seen in a while.

What I think should be done next?

1. Add a limit to what chemicals and how many can be placed into a food product.

2. Arrive to a more concrete definition for what is “healthy” and “nutritious” and screen products that desire to be labeled as such before they are allowed on shelves.

3.  Instead of simply labeling GMOs I believe they should eliminate them as well as any artificial coloring or over processing.

We still have a long way to go before we can feed Americans what their bodies deserve, and by all means I am no saint! But in my book every day should be like February 27th, because any day where progress like this is made is a good day to me!

The Desire To Work Out In The Morning Is Like Drinking Red Wine

To me waking up early to go work out first thing in the morning is as mature as drinking a glass of red wine. Coming from a young college student who is just about to turn 22 this weekend, I’m ashamed to admit that I still can’t handle a glass of red wine. The combination of an empty wallet and the pallet of a 6-year old leads me to drift towards the sweet white wines such as pinot grigio and moscato, the 2 Buck Chuck, or if I don’t have a car, the $5 bottle at the local corner store.  Then throw in the personality trait of the worst morning person ever (especially after enjoying that glass or two) and there you have it: ME!

I have heard countless times that working out in the morning boosts your metabolism and leaves you feeling more energetic and positive.  Creating that rhythm of waking up at the same time every morning and letting that fresh morning air greet you does something to the mind and body that is supposed to be better than a double shot of espresso.

An article posted by the New York Times discusses the downfalls of holiday weight gain and a study done in Australia in order to prove that weight gain can be preventable if people commit to setting that alarm and doing a fasted work out (exercising before breakfast).

I have decided to commit myself to waking up early and working out in the morning at least twice a week but will be trying for three times a week. The rest of my workouts I will continue to do during the day wherever my class schedule permits. I hope that these steps will be the building blocks to developing healthy habits and soon I will be able to do more than three.

From my minimal web surfing this is how I have been inspired to plan to follow through and you are more than welcome to join along wih me:

Never Hit the Snooze:  Studies show that it is not beneficial to hit the snooze and sleep for a little longer since your  body will not be able to fall back into the REM sleep. By hitting snooze, you are just delaying the day and the sleep that follows will actually not make it any easier to wake up later.

Get Going Quickly and Don’t Make Your Routine Too Comfortable: Many people enjoy the fantasy of casually sipping a cup of coffee while reading the newspaper as part of their morning ritual. Although that may work for many, for others it will just leave them in a sense of limbo from the world of being awake and the world of sleeping. In order to kick my day I plan to move through my process as quickly as possible and get out the door.

Alternate Your Workouts: By switching up what you do every morning you will be less encouraged to convince yourself you did it the day and can afford to skip a day. If some mornings you go for a walk, others a run, or sometimes a nice yoga session, you will be able to convince yourself that since last time you only walked, today you really need to run!

Plan a Filling and Nutritious Breakfast to Look Forward to: If you start your day off with eating healthy, it is proven that you are less likely to cheat and eat something unhealthy later. I like to make overnight oats which are super simple, healthy, and delicious.

Photo taken from Fit Foodie Finds and although it looks very similar to the one I eat, it is not the same recipe or my photo! Check her blog out though it is amazing!

My Recipe Is:

1/4 cup Trader Joes Gluten Free Rolled Oats

1/4 Cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

1 tbls Chia Seeds

1 tbls Bob’s Red Mill Unsweetened Flaked Coconut

Touch of Cinnamon (can vary to taste)

1/2 Sliced Banana

1/2 Cup Boiling Water.

Place all the ingredients into a mason jar, adding the boiling water last and then shake it all around. Place jar into the fridge overnight and then there you have it! A tasty and wholesome breakfast to help kick-start you’re already turbo kick-started day!

NOW LET’S ALL GET TO WORK! READY…SET…GO!!! 

Lululemon’s New CEO Seems Just As Impressive As The Company’s Pants

Its impossible not to have heard about the infamous Chip Wilson, Lululemon’s former CEO and chairman of the board. Many men/women may praise Wilson for inventing a way to make it “okay” for ladies to throw away the jeans and shift towards a version of pants that resemble no pants at all (especially when the see through leggings fiasco went down). Yet, it was probably best for the company that he stepped down this year after repeatedly being hounded in the press for his demeaning and racist comments. His most recent and one of the most controversial comments arose after he was asked by customers why their pants kept pilling, to which he responded that their thighs must be too big and that Lululemon pants won’t work for all body types. In my opinion the comments weren’t hard to see coming, after all, he pointed out in an interview that he named his company Lululemon because people from Asia would often have a hard time pronouncing the name.

In walks Laurent Potdevin, the man who has had dream job after dream job: CEO of Burton Snowboards (15yrs), president of TOMS ( 2yrs 10months), and now CEO of Lululemon. Talk about a business connection I’d like to have in my back pocket. The way Lululemon introduced its new CEO expressed the turning of a leaf for the company, not only because Potdevin first appeared to Lululemon’s publics through a video, but because even in the video it showed Potdevin turning a page in his own life by leaving Burton, LA, and TOMS behind. Without having done some research before watching the video, I may not have realized the true significance of the items placed as props in Potdevin’s early morning routine. The LA mug signifies his transition from Los Angelos to Canada, and when he kicked off his TOMS and goes into a meditative pose he demonstrates his change from president of TOMS to CEO of Lululemon. My favorite part of the entire video was when his whole face finally appears and he gives the viewer a crooked little smile. It showed how personable he was and made him relatable. A far cry from the controversial Chip Wilson. 

Here are three ways I believe Lululemon can use Laurent Potdevin’s successful image to help itself recover as a company: 

• Due to Potdevin’s vast connections with outdoor companies, I believe Lululemon could market to a new demographic of adventurous consumers who love snowboarding, hiking, biking, climbing, etc. in extreme conditions. 
• Lululemon could use Potdevin’s personable introduction to rebrand the company and put to bed the backlash from Wilson’s comments.  One way it could do this is to launch a campaign that tells women to embrace their bodies and unique attributes in order to love themselves for who they are. 
• Finally, the company can continue to post videos in a similar silent movie fashion in order to convey its message through body movement and expressions. This would be a positive approach since it is a company who’s core is centered around physical health and mental wellbeing. 

 

Cleansing the Body May Be Only Cleansing the Spirit

Sixty day, thirty day, seven day, three day cleanse… Master Cleanse, Juice Cleanse, Raw Foods Cleanse, Sunshine and Water Cleanse…  Despite the various answers and suggestions regarding cleansing that publics are internalizing each day, a persistent concern remains: are cleanses good for you and which one should you do?

https://willleathergoods.com/journal/local-spotlight-portland-juice-press/

Since coming to college in the beautiful but raining Eugene, OR.  I have been influenced by the local’s “hippy” ways of eating wholesome diets of complex grains, fruits and vegetables. This diet has been hard to maintain on a college budget, and even harder to maintain as a sugar addict who has DQ and Yogurt Extreme 2-3 blocks away. I constantly kept making every day the infamous “cheat day” until one day I decided I had had anough. I attempted to do a DIY juice cleanse. I went out and bought my very own cold juice press and enough fruits and vegetables to drive my roommates mad. After two days, the green and orange concoctions in my mason jar started to haunt my every thought and the sound of my stomach growling echoed through each classroom. Needless to say, I gave up on that real quick!

I recently came across an article in the Huffington Post titled, Do Juice Cleanses Work? 10 Truths About the Fad.  It highlights some important issues that come with a long-term cleanse.  The article brings attention to the fact that when juicing you are actually getting rid of some key nutrients your body needs, such as fiber that can be found in the peel or pulp of the fruit or vegetable. It also discusses the fact that a cleanse is not cheap and that your body naturally eliminates many of the toxins that the juice cleanse claims it gets rid of.

The IHRSA reported that the total revenue reached by the fitness industry in 2012 was 21.8 billion (Insight) and that over a quarter of Americans were on diets in 2007 (Franchise Help). There is no doubt that the juice cleanse industry is growing quickly and that it is just as much of a money making business as any other diet fad.  The juice cleanse advocates claim that cleanses rid your body of any toxins it has accumulated over time (intriguing to any student who enjoys a “quality” Keystone Light on the regular), it heightens your immune system, prevents cancer, gives your colon a break, etc. All these claims sound absolutely marvelous, and at the same time completely ludicrous.

Despite the controversial materials I had read and my failed attempt before, I decided that if I only committed to 3 days then following the fad wouldn’t kill me. So two weeks ago I walked into the Portland Juice Press. It was a new year, a new me, and I was about to conquer a new obstacle.

I’m not sure if it was all the money leaving my wallet, the wider variety of tastes that this cleanse presented me with (the OM juice was the best which was made out of hazelnuts, vanilla, cinnamon and dates), or the stage I was at when I tried it this time, but I conqured that cleanse like it was nobody’s business! Not only was I not hungry, but I struggled to drink all six of the drinks that I was supposed to each day. I never once felt lightheaded and I was full of energy for a majority of each day.

The main difference I noticed following the cleanse was that my sweet tooth had become a less demanding dragon and I was satisfied by a single piece of chocolate as opposed to the entire bar. I also became full much more quickly and could control my portions even when I went out to eat.

In conclusion I have decided that even if all the articles are right and the juice cleanse is just a dangerous fad, I am happy I did it. If cleansing my body was in turn only cleansing my spirit then gosh darn it I feel cleansed! I would never recommend it for a long period of time, but for a simple three days I would recommend it for anyone who is feeling a little sluggish and looking for a quick pick-me-up.

Fitspo, Belfies and “Fitness Trainers” on Instagram

As someone who spends an embarrassing amount of their time on Instagram, I pride myself in being able to recognize different Instagram trends. The most prominent of which seems to be the ever increasing “fitspiration” or “fitspo” accounts.  These accounts feature women such as, Jen Selter (2.0m followers) , Chalene Johnson (297k followers) , Stephanie Pacca (86k followers) and Kayla Itsines (337k followers). Every day they post motivational photos of their washboard abs, their tanned and toned legs, and inspirational quotes telling others to put the donuts down and go for a run.

The hashtag #fitspo has over 6 million photos associated with it and numbers are rising every day. The words “fitspiration” or “fitspo” is a blend of the words fitness and inspiration, and refer to a body or person that someone aspires to look like.  The images these women post make both users shield their eyes in fear of invading their privacy, and yet not be able to peel their eyes away in utter jealousy.

Another term I learned when reading an article in USA Today on this very subject, was “Belfie”. I couldn’t help myself but to laugh in the middle of the library when I learned that it is a blend of the word “butt” and “selfie”. Yup, you guessed it! It is most definitely a photo that someone has taken of their own posterior and then posted as motivation on the internet.

By posting these hashtags and photos, people are attempting to motivate others throughout the world of Instagram.  These women have become so popular that they are publishing nutrition and workout guides that they sell to their followers from anywhere of $19.95 – $150.

It is my belief that this trend is being fueled by many factors:

1. The sexual appeal of seeing women in very little clothing is undoubtably a factor.
2. The world wide push to make citizens aware of what they eat and the amount of exercise they commit to.
3. Instagram users associate these women as “real people”. They aren’t the typical model you see photoshopped in a magazine, but rather someone who has taken a quick selfie with their smartphone.
4. Everyone loves some good inspiration! A story or constant reminder of something that they desire, a goal if you will.