Liwovien
LIving WithOut VIolating the ENvironment
Posts in Health, Fitness, & FoodCrab Soupon February 12th, 2010 by Chrissy
I made crab soup for the first time ever. I found a recipe and tried to follow what I could and then add replacement items for stuff I didn’t have. I purchased crab meat in the grocery store about a week or so ago in hopes to make something with crab and all of the cold weather made soup seem like the perfect option. Substitutions (that worked well) since we didn’t have certain items :
It was awesome. A little spicy and good flavor. And it made about 8 2cup servings.
Tags: food, recipes P90X: The What, When and Why of Supplementson July 31st, 2009 by Matt
It can be really tough knowing exactly what supplements to take, when to take them, and why you should take them while on the P90X fitness plan. This especially difficult for those of you that want to save a little cash with alternatives to the P90X supplements offered by Beach Body. I am providing this guide to help clear the murk. This is not a comprehensive guide, but it should answer many questions and give you enough knowledge to research more on your own, if you need to. VitaminsA rich multi-vitamin targeted to your gender and active/sport/athlete users is ideal while embarking on the P90X journey. I use the GNC brand Mega Men’s Sport multi-vitamin formula. However, you can find something else by printing out the nutritional information of the P90X formula and comparing it to other multi-vitamins for a close match. Due note that you will likely pee bright yellow the next time you go, after taking your vitamins. This is just your body passing the unused/unabsorbed vitamins and minerals that are in excess for the formula chosen. Accept it and do not be concerned. I take my multi-vitamin in the morning with food to help absorb it and make use of it throughout the day. Some people find it hard to take 2-4 capsules at the same time of day and take half in the morning, half in the evening. This works if you are not taking other vitamins. Once you start adding in other vitamins, you chance offsetting the balance provided by your multi-vitamin. Many of the vitamins, minerals and herbs found in a multi-vitamin show extreme percentages (e.g. 3,000% RDA). This should not alarm you about overdosing if you are following the directions. These numbers are so high for some of them because several vitamins and minerals counteract each other. Others fight for absorption. There is no perfect one-a-day vitamin for this reason, but it is much better than nothing at all. Your body will need the vitamins and minerals that you do not get from food. Protein SupplementationThere are many options for protein formulas. You can get protein supplements from whey, soy, and even pea. This gives us quite a bit of selection to meet our lifestyles and possible allergies. If you are allergic to dairy, avoid whey. Allergic to soy, avoid those proteins. If you are allergic to both dairy and soy, or you are vegan and cannot handle soy, get pea protein. It is as natural and safe as it gets. I use GNC’s brand of whey protein. I can get a 5-pound tub of the stuff for half the price of the other brands. Sure, it’s not the same as the others (primarily, it lacks L-glutamine), but it does the trick. I also eat Clif Builder’s Protein Bars as my bar portion. I intend on trying the newer pea protein formulas soon as well. Never take your protein supplement (or much of any other protein) right before your workout. If you take a lot of protein just before a workout, you will tank. You’ll be lucky to make it 10 minutes into your workout before feeling like jelly. Any other time you want to ingest protein is fine; even just before bed if you must stop hunger. I do not recommend taking more than 1 serving of your protein supplement within a couple hours of each other. The protein supplements are not absorbed by the body as fast as food-based proteins (which you can eat a ton of in a sitting if you want).
Protein is not stored by our bodies like fat and carbohydrates are. Protein is absorbed to repair and build muscle. Whatever is not used is passed through. This makes protein safe to eat before bed if you absolutely need to. It also makes it extremely difficult to workout while the body is processing protein. That is why you should not take much (really any) within a 30-60 minutes of a workout. Recovery DrinkThe key here is to find a formula that has a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein. Just make sure the total grams of carbohydrates is 4 times that of the total grams of protein on the label. You must fully ingest your recovery drink within 45-60 minutes of completing a strenuous workout. If you miss this opportunity, you might as well skip the drink. It is really unnecessary after 1 hour of your workout. This helps the body repair those recently torn muscle fibers before the optimal window of opportunity passes. If you do this correctly, you will not be as sore the next day and should be able to perform your next workout without loss of capacity. Without a recovery drink, you will not be able to perform as well the next day; not to mention the soreness. I use Accelerade as my recovery drink of choice. Again, others may have a little L-glutamine, and even some creatine, added, but the real key to a good recovery drink is the 4:1 ratio.
Tags: fitness, food, health, p90x, supplements Creatineon July 30th, 2009 by Matt
Today’s fitness warriors hear a lot about the different types of supplements they can ingest to boost their success with their fitness goals. The biggest problem is; what can you believe? The topic for this post is creatine. What is Creatine?Creatine is an organic acid (amino acid) found naturally in humans. In fact, it’s found naturally in all vertebrates. It’s purpose is to supply energy to our muscles. Primarily, it is focused and stored in our skeletal muscle. Creatine is not a steroid, vitamin, mineral, hormone, or herb. We primarily get creatine into our systems from fresh meat, like fish and beef. Vegetables do not contain creatine whatsoever. Many vegetarians looking to gain muscle resort to supplementing creatine in their diet. Is It Safe?There is still a lot of uncertainty around the safety of creatine. It seems obvious that the creatine we acquire from food is not an issue. What is the focus of study and concern is the intake of creatine via supplementation. Creatine supplementation has only been in mainstream use for about 15 years; in 1992 at the Barcelona Olympic games. There simply is not enough data to support whether creatine supplementation is safe or not. No studies have conclusive results with short-term or long-term use of creatine supplements. Until such information is certain, it is up to the consumer to take on all risk. This is no different than eating artificial sweeteners; you must decide if it is worth taking without knowing all the facts. Do know that no data has been collected showing that creatine is harmful as a supplement. No reports of toxicity have been found. That is the main reason bodybuilders use creatine daily. With no proven side effects, many people have decided to use creatine to build lean muscle and increase energy. Why is It in My Fitness Drink or Other Supplement?Creatine monohydrate is sometimes added to fitness drinks or other supplements as a way to increase your energy and production of lean muscle. It definitely does just that. Amazing results are usually seen with a consistent use of concentrated creatine. When and How Should I Use Creatine Monohydrate?You will likely see it added to fitness foods that are high in carbohydrates. It is known to work best when combined with a base of high carbs. A good idea is to mix the powder with a non-acidic juice. Grape juice is a common drink used to mix creatine monohydrate with. Do not let a creatine powder sit in a liquid for more than a few hours before consuming it. It will be wasted if it sits too long. Many claim that the best time to ingest creatine supplements is about a half-hour before a workout. However, the benefits of creatine are noticeable regardless of when you take it. Should I Supplement with Creatine?That is a decision left entirely to the individual. The benefits of supplementing with creatine are tremendous. However, the unknown is always something to be concerned with. In the end, we all have to make the choice for ourselves and live with the results. Good luck and good health!
Tags: fitness, food, health, p90x Scalloped Potatoeson April 22nd, 2009 by Chrissy
I had never made scalloped potatoes before today. I looked at over 5 recipes and wasn’t happy with any of them. So, I took bits and pieces of different recipes and added an idea of my own. Below is the result of the concoction. It is not the typical scalloped potatoes but all of the major ingredients are there and it tastes great. Plus, 4 out of the 5 ingredients are organic. The only ingredient I haven’t found in an organic variety is cream cheese… one day.
Ingredients
Directions
Nutritional Information
Makes 10 servings
Tags: food, recipes Trail Mix Recipe Modon February 20th, 2009 by Chrissy
Recently, we have been making our original Trail Mix recipe on the lighter granola side (maybe a winter thing) and since I make our granola from this blog every time, I thought I would update the recipe. There are only 2 modifications: double all of the non-granola ingredients (or cut the granola in half with respect to the other ingredients) and remove the dates (we were not enjoying them) and replace them with 1/2 raisins and 1/2 cranberries.
In a large bowl, mix the following ingredients:
Note: All ingredients are listed in grams, ounces, and measuring device depending on how specific you want to be and what your scale reads. If you want something more exact with a closer repeatability, use the grams/oz measurements. If you want something a little bit more random or want to put it together really fast, use the Tbsp/cup measurements. Store in an air tight container and enjoy. We store the bulk of it in a large air tight container and then put small 30 g servings in small air tight containers that we can take to work or throw in our bags when we have to run out the door quickly. It gives a whole new meaning to fast food. Nutritional Information… coming soon
There are lots of substitutions that can be made. Some substitutions are:
If there are any allergies, remove those foods and either add more of something already in the recipe or something else. The trick is to keep a preferred ratio of granola to the additional ingredients. If you like it more on the granola side, then add more of it and if you don’t, then add less. Trail mix is so easy to make and it relatively good for you in small quantities when not exercising; and, it is a great energy food when hiking or such. Just remember to write down what you do end up making so you can make it the same way or know what to increase or decrease next time. Just remember, trail mix is supposed to be an energy food not junk food.
Tags: food, recipes What Muscle Recovery Drink Should I Use?on February 15th, 2009 by Matt
I actually get this question myself a lot. I am no expert! However, I have done quite a bit of research because I am extremely conscious of what goes into my body; knowingly and unknowingly. The most important factor of any recovery drink, including P90X’s Recovery Drink, is the 4 to 1 ratio (4:1). 4 parts carbohydrates to 1 part protein taken within an hour of finishing your workout. That’s the magic ratio and the magic window of time you need to take it in. From that, there are so many possibilities. Do I use whey protein? Do I use soy protein or pea protein because I’m a vegan? Do I use sucrose, fructose, or a non-sugar based carbohydrate? Do I use something with creatine in it? The last question above is a pretty common one; with regards to recovery drinks or otherwise. Is creatine important for muscle recovery, or should it be taken before a workout for best results? Creatine is an energy compound. It’s primarily found in the skeletal muscles and is naturally occurring in our bodies (more so in meat-eaters). It’s also something that gets extracted quicker when we are not working out much, or at all. Some experts say it is healthy and safe as a supplement. The supplement may help build muscle quicker than without. It may even help with certain types of muscle recovery. Other experts insist that if it were meant to be, our bodies would have ways to produce extra when needed. Therefore, these experts say you should not take supplemental creatine. Honestly, I think glutamine is a better choice for muscle recovery than creatine. I have based this on my own research. However, I do not use either of these supplements myself. To be fair, I am also down with a Plyometric-based injury for the next 3–6 months. If you decide to use any of these supplements, please research them until you are satisfied. Make your own decisions based on your findings and do not let non-medical friends sway you easily. Most of the stuff out there has not had long-term effects testing at this point. Also, be aware that the FDA does not regulate supplements, so just about anything goes. Be smart. Try to see through the marketing hype. Always listen to your body. If your body reacts poorly to a new supplement, discontinue immediately. To help figure out which new supplement it is that you are reacting to, only introduce 1 new supplement at a time. Wait at least 2 weeks, preferably 4 weeks, before adding another new supplement to your diet.
Tags: fitness, health, p90x More Peanut Butter Product Recallson February 6th, 2009 by Chrissy
I received an email from Drugstore.com today notifying me that there was an update to the “Peanut Butter and other Peanut Containing
Tags: food Body + Soul Challenge Day 2on January 27th, 2009 by Chrissy
Today has been interesting. I woke up before 10am. I drove in the snow. And, the laundry is almost done and it isn’t even mid-week yet. Let me digress to update you on my progress yesterday. As for what I needed to accomplish yesterday, I did better than average on most things and not so hot on a couple. For starters, I only drank 4 cups of water rather than the 8 recommended, but I know I will improve. Bedtime was supposed to be 10pm. I pushed it to 11pm since there was a really good movie on – Something About Mary – and I intended to go to bed right after, but I checked my email before shutting down my computer and had an issue that I had to respond to – well, it probably could have waited until morning - pertaining to my Amazon Selling Account. I stayed off the computer pretty much the rest of the day minus my blog post. At least I was still in bed before 12am. I think the reason it snowed today is that I was in bed before midnight! Tonight I will shoot for 10pm again and we will see what happens. So, about today. Waking up before 10am may not be a big deal to most people but for someone who likes to stay up late and get up late it is a big deal. There are morning people and there are night people and I most definitely am a night person. By noon, I had breakfast, checked my email, started laundry, and drove to the post office to ship a package – in the snow mind you. I love snow but I do not like to drive in it. I have a 4-wheel drive vehicle but that still doesn’t help me in the snow and ice. My theory is that if I am sliding in a 4-wheel drive vehicle, I am no better off than most other vehicles. But, today, I thought I would boost my confidence and go out. Now, I only had to go about a mile and the whole way there I went less than the speed limit. I know the people behind me were so annoyed but I might have saved them from an accident, right? Now onto the goals of The Challenge Day 2… Scale Back No caffeine. Check. Eating fruit instead of sugary foods. Peaches instead of a brownie with lunch. Check. Cow’s milk is recommended to be replaced with rice milk, but I usually drink soy milk so I will have to see what to do there. At this point today (about 5pm) I have drank the 4 cups of water that I did all day yesterday, so that is an improvement. Tune Out The goal is to keep TV watching, emailing, web surfing, and newspaper reading all to a minimum or as little as absolutely possible. I am usually technology immersed, but today I have been on email for only a couple minutes and watched one episode of Color Splash – one of my favorite HGTV design shows – on TV. Today has been a big day for laundry and making lunches so that I can eat the way I am supposed to this week. Reflect The questions for today are: Do you eat in response to stress or emotions? What types of foods do you crave? What, if anything, would you like to change about why or how you eat? As for stress and emotional eating, my experience is that I don’t eat. Calming myself down is the only answer. Only then can I actually hold food down. As for my changes on how I eat, I want to create structure on when I eat. The time I eat is usually pretty random and sometimes not at all for some meals – not good, not good at all. I was just talking with a friend two nights ago about how long it takes me to eat. It is a while – my grandmother taught me that. It is healthy and I am proud of it. Yes, I am left at the dinner table quite a bit, but when you are a slow eater, you shouldn’t expect others to hang around and wait – I don’t expect it – but sometimes people will hang around which is really cool. Go Whole I have to admit that I used minute brown rice today. I used up the whole wild rice in dinner for the next few days, so I had to improvise. The rice was still good and it was better than not eating it. Our dinner however will have lots of whole grains: wild rice and quinoa. It is the first time I have cooked quinoa before so we will see how it goes. If the recipe turns out well tonight, I will post it – a bean, rice, quinoa, and veggie soup. Tune Into Yourself I think I feel the detox already working. I have more energy today that I usually do. I accomplished so many things – maybe part of that is that I was not on the Internet – but I don’t want to discount my increased energy. Conclusion Rice, veggies, beans, fruit, water… this detox is so much better than others out there and I haven’t felt hungry yet. With the publishing of this post, I have already achieved one of my goals for week 1: blog at least twice a week. Yea! This is actually fun. To be writing about something that is not technical nor science or design related is an interesting experience. Until next time… Body + Soul Challenge Day 1on January 26th, 2009 by Chrissy
I thought I would get to look at the details of The Challege Day 1 this weekend, but it just flew by. Not looking like this is getting off to a good start, but it is, really. So, today I read through day 1 and I felt pretty good about myself. Some of the major points I already do – maybe not all of the time but more often than not. Scaling Back Good Points: I don’t drink alcohol and the only caffeine I get is in chocolate and decaffeinated green tea every so often so that is a good start. I am a non-coffee drinking girl. Tried it once in 11th grade and thought I was going to hurl and now I can’t even bear the smell of it sometimes. Not-so-good points: I don’t drink enough water. I really need to work on that. I get so dehydrated sometimes that I think I cause heart flutters and that isn’t good at all. If the water isn’t in front of me I don’t drink it, so my goal will be to fill a glass or two and have it next to me at all times. And as for sugar, while I don’t have too much, I want to decrease it even more in my day-to-day eating. Over the last couple of years, I went from sugar to artificial sweeteners (which are bad for you) to sugar and herbal/healthier sweeteners. Now, I just need to decrease it all together. I just have to finish the brownies that are in the house right now and I will be on my way to decreasing the sugar. Both of my parents are Type 2 diabetic, so I want to try my hardest to not be. Get Organized Yea! Organizing! Well, this is not exactly my type of organizing. Organizing the house – yes – but organizing me – that is another story altogether. Through blogging about my process I am hopefully informing friends and family of my plans like it recommends. As for the food supplies, I have all of that. I might need to go to the grocery store for more rice and beans, but it shouldn’t be too bad. And the funny part is about a month ago I learned about putting lemon in water, so I am already ahead in that respect. Reflect 20 minutes. No problem. It will take me that long to write my post everyday about The Challenge. I will just have to think a little more about what I write so reflection is built it. Healthiest aspect of my diet: careful dinner meal planning. Least healthy part of my diet: lunch since I sometimes eat it and sometimes don’t depending on how busy I am. Food weaknesses: chocolate, dessert. What I would change about my food choices: If I put as much planning into breakfast and lunch as I do dinner, I could be super healthy. Detox Tips This week is all about detox: Skip raw foods, Eat whole grains, Eat beans, Find sweet substitutes, Tune into yourself. Please read the section on Body + Soul for more info. My biggest interest in this week is to see which foods I miss – which ones I miss at first and then which ones I miss toward the end of the week. I hope that I feel less tired and get more energy as the week goes on. Conclusion Now, I have to figure out my challenge goals this week. Hmm… what will they be? I think I may have already come up with one or two writing this post today. I will share my goals at the end of the week. So the biggest thing I have already realized about blogging about my Body + Soul Challenge adventures is that you, my readers, are going to get to learn a lot about me and in the process; hopefully, I will learn a bit about myself too. A New Year, A New Meon January 21st, 2009 by Chrissy
Well, maybe not a new me, but we all have things we want to change and I have a LIST of things. I love change and since I have drastically decreased my rearranging of the furniture in my house – not that the house is completely organized yet – I thought I should focus on me for a little bit. While going through my email for the first time in about 2 weeks – and I mean really going through it like actually reading and deleting them not survival mode of scanning for people I know and replying to them before they think something happened to me – I came across the Body and Soul Challenge. I attempted it last year but made it about a week before I forgot all about it. This year, I really want to make it the 5 weeks and complete their plan for each day. I figure, the way to actually get me to do it is to complete another one of my “changes” at the same time – getting back to blogging at least twice a week. One of the tasks of The Challenge is to write daily, so if I work on a blog post of a couple days and post a couple times a week, I will satisfy that – I might actually post every day, but I am not promising anything. I need to do this is smaller steps. I have learned when I jump in full force that I lose interest, so a gradual warm up should work. Also in looking on the Whole Living website (the one that has The Challenge), the plan starts on a Monday, so this coming Monday, January 26th is when I will start. Good Luck to Me!
Tags: health The preceding is the opinion of the author(s) and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual. The views of the writer are his own, and do not in any way reflect the views of the site they are posted on, other sites affiliated with this site, the staff involved with the site, or any other members of this site. For more information, review the full Terms of Use for this site. |
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