If I Could Be a Wet Nurse...

Twinkle in my eye. Warmth in my heart. Smile on my face. All things that don’t happen when I think about having children.

Giving birth is the least of my worries. Growing another human being in your body and being able to feel it kick and move around is probably the most amazing thing a person can do. People talk about running marathons and biking across the country like it’s really impressive. Please. Grow a human being in your abdomen, THAT’S impressive. However, after birth, things seem to go downhill. There’s crying, teething, pooping, screaming, temper tantrums, down syndrome, autism, Aspergers, car accidents, bullies, broken legs and or arms, cancer, arguing, drinking, drugs, their first break-up, their tenth break up, child molesters, drunk drivers, crazy people in general, etc. Having a child sounds an awful lot like having an 18 year long anxiety attack.

For those of you who have chosen to have children or wish to have children someday, I have one piece of advice for you: breastfeed your child.

I’ve heard it several times; breastfeeding is not easy or fun. It’s inconvenient and can be painful. Well maybe you should have thought about that before you decided to have a child.

Breast feeding your child is good for the baby and good for the mother. It helps prevent babies from developing type 1 and type 2 diabetes, asthma, diarrhea, UTIs, food allergies, dermatistis, leukemia, respiratory infections, gastrointestinal diseases, and obesity related illnesses to name a few. It also enhances an infant’s performance on cognitive development tests and mother-child bonding.

Breast feeding decreases the mother’s risk of developing certain cancers and osteoporosis and helps them get back to their normal weight. When mothers breastfeed, oxytocin is released. This helps prevent mothers from developing postpartum depression.

All of those benefits I just listed… do not come from formula. What’s wrong with formula? The biggest problem with formula is that it is missing the antibodies found in breast milk. The protein in formula is usually from cow’s milk and it takes time for babies’ stomachs to adjust to its’ different biochemical makeup. Formula is not natural and it is expensive!

I understand that some women have a difficult time producing milk, but I also know that when you formula feed your child instead of breastfeed, your body doesn’t produce as much milk because your baby isn’t drinking it. We have smart bodies.

Now don’t get anxiety if you weren’t breast fed as a child, I’m sure you’re just fine. I’m sure your IQ is mediocre and that you have the immune system of an AIDS patient. Kidding. Formula doesn’t kill babies, it’s just not optimal—breast feeding is.

I Am an Asian Female

Men’s Health. Words cannot describe how I feel about this magazine. I’ll admit, sometimes they get their facts straight when it comes to nutrition. I’m not an avid reader, but I have seen them quote seemingly reliable studies done by Harvard, Loma Linda University, and other respectable research facilities. However, I’ve also read several pieces that I consider to be less than accurate.

I enjoy reading Men’s Health from time to time. I like to read the relationship columns. It’s fun to read what kind of relationship advice men get. Men’s Health is obviously a really appealing magazine for men. It has interesting information on health, exercise, and how to woo the ladies. I suppose the reason Men’s Health bothers me so much is because its’ readers act as if it’s some kind of modern day Bible.

Several males have made statements to me about soy and its’ “feminizing” effects. Where do they get these ridiculous ideas? I think to myself. So I typed in Google, “Men’s Health and soy.” Surprise, surprise. The first hit to come up is an article titled, “Is This the Most Dangerous Food for Men.”

So this article in Men’s Health discussed, what seems to be, every possible study that implies how soy can be damaging to your health. The article mainly focused on a man who drank, on average, 3 quarts (12 cups) of soy milk every day. This man did experience an increase in breast size and elevated estrogen levels. Once he stopped drinking the soy milk, his estrogen levels went back to normal, but his breast size did not. Now, whenever he has even trace amount of soy, his body has a negative reaction.

OMG. This is what’s wrong with society. Men read this and think, if I eat tofu, I will grow moobs (man boobs), my testicles will shrink, I won’t have sex drive, and I will turn into a woman. This is essentially a man’s greatest fear, and it’s only logical, right? Not right. Let’s put our thinking caps on people.

This man was eating, on average, 12 servings of soy a day. ANYONE who eats 12 servings a day of ANYTHING EVERYDAY will have some adverse reaction.

Several studies have shown that soy does not affect sperm count and it is does not lower testosterone levels. Nine published studies have reported that up to 6 cups of soy products a day will not increase men's estrogen levels. Six cups of soy products is a bunch of soy – more than I would EVER recommend for anyone.

Soy is a great source of protein. Like all food, it should be eaten in its least processed form, in correct serving sizes. Edemame, tofu, and soy milk are probably more beneficial soy products, while soy protein supplements, veggie meat, and other highly processed soy goods, are probably not as conducive. Soy has shown to have positive effects on bone health, breast cancer prevention, prostate cancer prevention, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and pregnancy (don’t worry, this one only pertains to women). Soy is good for you.

So don’t be afraid of soy. It won’t make you less manly, it won’t affect your testosterone levels, and it won’t give you breasts. The Asian population eats more soy than any other nation. I’m pretty sure they don’t have a problem reproducing and when is the last time you saw a large breasted Asian - male or female? I rest my case.

Carolyn: 1; Men's Health: 0 - until we meet again.

Level 5 Vegan

“Are you vegan?”

I hate being asked this question. It always has some inference attached to it; Well, you should be vegan, you’re a dietitian. Or, Pssh. Vegans have NO idea what they're missing out on.

I was once asked about my veganism, and I paused, as I always do when I’m asked this question. How do I explain that I’m not vegan, but that I avoid most animal products? My friend quickly jumped in and said, “Carolyn isn’t anything. She basically eats whatever she wants when she feels like it.” I started laughing. It was perfect. This describes me perfectly.

There are so many labels for people and their food choices.

Vegans: No animal products with animal rights beliefs

Total Vegetarians: No animal products, with no extreme ideals towards animal rights; may eat honey

Raw Vegans: No animal products, eat plants, plants can only be cooked to a certain temperature. Not recommended if you want to live.

Vegetarians: Usually means lacto-ovo-vegetarian

Lacto-ovo-vegetarians: Eats animal byproducts: dairy, eggs, honey

Lacto-vegetarians: Does not eat eggs

Ovo-vegetarians: Does not eat dairy

Pescatarian: Eats mostly plants, but eats fish and any seafood

Flexitarian: Almost vegetarian, but eats meat on occasion.

If you fall under one of these categories, that’s great. I don’t. I follow a plant based diet. I eat fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and beans every day. Some days I eat yogurt, some days I eat eggs, some days I eat fish, some days I eat ice cream, and on the rarest of occasions I’ll eat some chicken. I follow my own dietary guidelines because I know what’s best for me. Yes, I’ll almost always choose the healthier option, but the healthiest choice is not always vegetarian—or vegan.

I will mention that I think that a vegan diet can provide optimal health if planned properly. I will also mention that I think the majority—but not all—vegans are uptight and unreasonable. Following rules, created by mankind, with no leniency, isn’t the lifestyle for me. Today, I was a “total vegetarian.” I had no animal byproducts. Tomorrow, who knows.

This video pretty much sums it up...

It’s Time to Forget about the Children in Africa

I was about 7 years old. I was at my best friend’s house and we took a break from playing with our Barbies to have a snack. I ate about half my yogurt and didn’t want the rest. My friend exclaimed, “What about the children in Africa?!”

“What?” I asked, incredibly confused. I barely knew that Africa was a continent.

“The children in Africa, they’re starving,” my friend tried to explain to me.

“Yeah, okay. Why are you telling me this?” I stated, even more confused.

“You need to finish your food to help the kids in Africa,” she further explained.

I was so confused. How was I helping children in Africa by finishing my yogurt? I didn’t enquire any further and I didn’t finish my yogurt.

You’ve heard it said, “Stay in good company.” I am convinced that one of the purposes of this statement is because if you hang out with people who say idiotic things, their ideas will stick in your mind forever unless you make a conscious effort to validate those ideas as ridiculous. Sadly, this preposterous notion that I was hurting someone if I did not finish every ounce of food on my plate stuck in my head for a number of years.

My parents, and society as a whole, did not help this thought process. If I didn’t finish my food not only was I starving little African children, but I was wasting money.

“So you’re just going to waste your food?!”

Well not if this is the reaction I’m going to get, I’d think to myself.

I didn’t really even realize that I was thinking this. I just found it polite to always finish all my food, even if I didn’t want to. This seems to be how many Americans think.

“Oh, there’s only one more piece left, I’ll eat it.”

“Does someone want the rest of this, there’s only a little bit left.”

“Here, take the rest of this, I don’t want it to go to waste.”

Well today I’m telling you that you don’t have to eat the last piece and you don’t have to finish your food; it’s not going to waste money and it most certainly is not effecting some child across the globe in any way.

When you are full and you have that little bit of food left in front of you, you have two options. You can eat it or you can throw it away. Both options result in the food being gone or disappearing. If you throw it away, it effects no one. If you eat the food, it causes you to over eat, which leads to weight gain, which leads to heart disease, diabetes, etc. And guess what, those kids are still starving and now you’re fat; everyone loses.

So the next time you think you don’t want your food to go to waste, think about it, you already bought this food, the money is gone, I can either throw it away or overeat. Would you rather throw away the food, or have it reappear on your waist line?

--And yes. There is a third option. Save the food for another day J

The Great Indoors

I am chronically cold. I use to claim that I could live comfortably without air conditioning. I spent this past week in Phoenix and realized this was a complete lie. Snakes, lizards, and other reptiles can live without air conditioning; however I am a human being and therefore require air conditioning. Sweating while indoors goes against nature… (AKA why I hate gyms). Indoors are meant for comfort and relaxation, the outdoors are meant for uncomfortable things… like sweating, exercising, and camping.

With every rule, there is an exception. In this scenario (no sweating indoors), the exception is sweating indoors while eating.

I love spicy food. In most cases, I don’t think food is worth eating unless it causes you to sweat a little. I usually add cayenne pepper to my food or eat a Serrano pepper with my meals. I’ve heard that spicy food speeds your metabolism, makes you eat less, makes you eat more, protects against peptic ulcers, causes peptic ulcers, protects against cancer, causes cancer, and of course, causes severe GI disturbances. So basically I’m either going to die or be just fine.

What makes food spicy? It’s an antioxidant found in peppers called capsaicin. Capsaicin is most highly concentrated on the membranes of peppers. When consumed, capsaicin binds with pain receptors in the mouth and throat, which are normally responsible for sensing heat

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Fun fact: Capsaicin is the primary ingredient in pepper spray.

A classmate presented a report on capsaicin in my Phytochemicals class. She reviewed a number of studies and review articles on capsaicin and concluded the following:

• There are mixed findings on whether capsaicin is a cancer initiator, cancer promoter, or cancer inhibitor.
• Studies show mixed findings in whether or not they cause stomach ulcers
• — Studies show an increase in energy expenditure when consuming capsaicin in short-term studies.

So… nothing has changed. I’m either going to die or not.

I’ve decided that I’ll continue to risk my life with eating spicy food.

The fact is that capsaicin is an antioxidant, meaning it fights against free radicals, which will decrease your risk of inflammation and cancer cell promotion. Experimental studies on mice show the capsaicin has a protective effect against cancer. The majority of studies claiming that capsaicin causes cancer are epidemiological studies in certain countries that show a positive correlation between capsaicin consumption and cancer. However, correlation does not equal causation. It’s difficult to rule out all the possible confounding factors that could be contributing to the cause of cancer in these regions.

As far as stomach ulcers go, the day I get a stomach ulcer, I’ll rethink my spicy food intake. Spicy food has never caused me any type of GI disturbances, so I can thoroughly enjoy spicy food with no adverse effects.

If spicy food causes you to have unruly BMs… don’t eat it. If it's so hot it's not enjoyable, don't eat it. Rocket science? No, just common sense.

Do I recommend eating spicy food as a means of weight loss? NO. How do you lose weight? By eating healthy food, in the correct portion size, and exercising. There is no magic ingredient in any food that will cause you to lose weight (but there are drugs and pregnant female urine).

Also, the source of capsaicin must be taken into account. If you are getting your capsaicin from the source: serranos, jalepenos, bell peppers, or any other chili pepper, you’re better off than taking it in capsule form. I would never recommend taking any antioxidant in a supplement form. Taking any nutrient in the form of a supplement increases your risk for OD-ing and having negative outcomes. Eating your nutrients from a natural source, in its whole form, will lead to the greatest health benefits.

Chili peppers are high in antioxidants and vitamin C and are a pretty good source of fiber. I think all plant foods have something beneficial to offer us. If they didn’t, then why would they exist?

And seriously, if something’s going to kill me, I doubt it will be a vegetable.

I was wrong.

As you can tell by now, the ideas, thoughts, and opinions of others when it comes to nutrition are not well received by me. Just because you read something in a magazine, doesn’t make you a nutrition expert. I really can’t emphasize this enough.

When I’d hear or read anything regarding chocolate and its seemingly-equivocal health claims, I’d think, Psh. Yeah right. Eat chocolate to be healthy. YEAH RIGHT. THIS is why America is obese, because people think that things like chocolate are the solution.

Well, it turned out, for the first time ever, I misjudged the situation.

I was assigned to give a presentation about chocolate in relation to cardiovascular disease. It wasn’t my top choice, but I would have been happy with any of the topics. You can’t go wrong in a class called, Phytochemicals.

There are several different types of chocolate and I’ve broken them down for you in the following table:

Type:	About
Cacao	A seed (high in fat) from the cocoa tree fruit
Cocoa Liquor	A paste made from ground, roasted, shelled and fermented cocoa beans (% cacao on food packaging)
Cocoa Powder	The cocoa liquor with cocoa butter removed, making a powder
Dark Chocolate	A solid food made by combining cocoa liquor with cocoa butter and sugar; amount of liquor determines darkness of chocolate
Milk Chocolate	The addition of condensed or powdered milk to the chocolate mixture
Semi-sweet Chocolate	Referred to as ‘dark’ chocolate, but is only dark if it contains 35% chocolate liquor by weight
White Chocolate	Contains only cocoa butter (at least 20% by weight) combined with sweeteners and dairy ingredients

The polyphenols found in chocolate are what makes it healthy. Polyphenols are found in the cocoa liquor. The more cocoa liquor, or the ‘darker’ the chocolate, the better it is for you. Dark chocolate also has less sugar than the other chocolate varieties. Milk chocolate contains a fraction of the polyphenols, so it is not nearly as good for you. White chocolate has always been my favorite type of chocolate; it has NO health benefits.

Dark chocolate has been shown to lower blood pressure, lower your LDL-cholesterol, raise your HDL-cholesterol, decrease biomarkers for inflammation, decrease your risk for plaque build-up, and fight against free radicals.

That is a very simplified summary of what chocolate does to your body. My conclusion after completing my research is that chocolate really is a health food.

Before you go out and start binging on chocolate, there are a few disclaimers:

· Chocolate is high in saturated fat

· Chocolate is high in calories

· The more benefits are seen in the darkest chocolates

As far as the saturated fat goes, the saturated fat in chocolate is structurally similar to the fat found in olive oil, so it is not as damaging as other saturated fats.

If you eat ANYTHING in the wrong amount, it’s going to lead to weight gain. Chocolate should still be eaten in the portion of a dessert, not a vegetable.

If you’re going to eat chocolate, I recommend eating the darkest chocolate you can tolerate. I would choose a dark chocolate that is sweetened with dried fruit pieces. The dried fruit will have different polyphenols than the chocolate and will likely have a synergistic effect on protecting your body from free radicals and developing heart disease.

And remember, nothing gives you optimal health like a healthy diet AND exercise J

Where would I be without Crystal?

My best friend in the whole world always keeps it real. She has taught me many valuable life lessons, one of them being accepting people and situations for the way they are.

I was planning on blogging about exercise today, but as I was working on a research paper I came across the statistics on heart disease. The numbers gave me anxiety.

I don't understand why people choose to be so unhealthy.

As you’ve probably heard me say many times, heart disease is the leading cause of death in men and women in the United States. In 2006, 631,636 people died from heart disease, accounting for 26% of deaths in 2006. An estimated 785,000 Americans have their first heart attack each year. Another 470,000 who have already had one or more heart attacks will have another attack.

Risk factors for heart disease include inactivity, obesity, high blood pressure, cigarette smoke, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Stress also plays into it.

And now you’re thinking, well maybe I’m a little stressed and overweight… not as active as I should be, but I don’t have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and I don’t smoke, so I’m fine!

Well that may be so, but when’s the last time you went to the doctor? Do you know you don’t have high cholesterol?

But who has time to go to the doctor?

Avoiding the problem doesn’t fix the problem. Avoiding the problem leads to you being another statistic; having a heart attack and/or being dead.

Lifestyle changes are always hard at first. It just takes a little motivation, discipline, and perseverance. Anyone can do it if they really set their mind to it. Don't stress about what you've done in the past and just know that you can make good choices everyday to make sure your future is everything you want it to be.

However, I’m just keeping it real with myself and I’ve accepted the fact that most people, for whatever reason, are not going to put forth the effort to take care of themselves, but you don't have to be one of these people :)

I would like nothing more than for everyone to live a happy and healthy life.

That’s all. Have a good weekend.

P.S. I feel like it’s very important for everyone to realize that being a vegetarian will not save you if you are obese and don’t exercise.

If you want to impress me

I have been jaw-dropping impressed by a man’s body once in my life. I remember it well. I was living in Tennessee and a bunch of girls went to see The Prestige…and in this one scene, Hugh Jackman literally took my breath away. I’m not saying I’m hard to impress, it’s just incredibly unusual for muscles to impress me. I have a friend who really appreciates muscular men. From time to time she’ll point out guys she finds really attractive. I just smile and think to myself… that guy is obviously a self-absorbed a-hole. I know it’s a hasty generalization, but seriously, men who have HUGE muscles are usually too busy looking at themselves in the mirror to even realize that there are other things going on in the world.

These super macho muscular men are usually obsessed with protein supplements. I don’t like protein supplements for two reasons. First, I like keeping things natural. Secondly, I cannot imagine that taking protein supplements long term can be good for your health, not to mention it’s likely to be indicative of certain personality traits. Let me elaborate.

First of all, let’s begin with how much protein you need in a day. The average healthy person needs 0.8g of protein/kg. SO… if a man weighs 150 lbs and is not a body builder, he needs about 55 grams of protein a day. This is easily obtainable through diet (even a vegetarian diet!). Anyway, when you begin weight lifting, your protein needs go up to anywhere from 1.0-1.7 g PRO/kg; that 150 lbs man would need 68g-116g of protein if he started weight lifting.

So now you’re thinking, see! You need more protein! Well hold on to your britches, I’m not done yet. If you were to eat this in a day:

· Breakfast: 1 med sized apple, 1.5 cups cheerios, 1.5 cup non-fat milk

· Lunch: Turkey Sandwich (2 slices of turkey, 2 slices of whole wheat bread) 15 baby carrots

· Dinner: 1 med baked potato, 1.5 cups chili beans

That gives you only 1615 calories and a whopping 71g of protein! And seriously, if you’re a male, you know you eat more than 1600 calories, meaning you’re probably getting more than 71g of protein a day, meaning you probably don’t need to be taking protein supplements to build those great big manly muscles.

So what’s wrong with taking protein supplements? Well, as far as the studies show, nothing is wrong with taking the recommended doses. However, I think supplements of any kind should be taken sparingly. Virtually the only supplements I promote are vitamin D and omega-3s. Calcium supplements are important for those prone to osteoporosis. As far as multivitamins go, go ahead and take one, but is it necessary? Not if you have a balanced diet.

Protein is so easily obtained in your diet that there is absolutely no reason to go out of your way to supplement it. I also think the source of protein should be taken into consideration. Getting your protein from plant based sources will provide you with lots of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and fiber! Getting your protein from supplements is going to give you a whole bunch of rubbish that you can’t even pronounce (read the ingredients).

As I said, there are no long term scientific studies stating that protein supplements are in any way detrimental to your health when taken in the correct dosage. But when we eat excess amounts of protein, our body produces more urea, which must be filtered through the kidneys. Now this is purely my speculation, but when you overuse ANYTHING for an extended period of time, it’s more than likely going to get worn out faster. Overloading your body with excess protein, vitamins, and minerals may stress your kidneys or overwork them, especially if practiced over a number of years. If you insist on supplementing, you should at least try to drink plenty of water to help filter everything out.

People supplement protein so that they can have “better athletic performance.” Why can’t you get that protein from regular food? The average protein supplement gives you about 25g of protein, which hopefully by now you realize isn’t necessary when you’re eating three meals a day. However, having a high protein snack after lifting has shown to enhance training results. If you want a high protein snack after weight lifting try one of the following

• Low fat cottage cheese and fruit
• Low fat yogurt
• Hummus and carrots
• Peanut butter and celery (be careful with peanut butter, it’s really high in calories
• Peanut butter on a slice of whole wheat toast
• A simple glass of milk (soy is preferable)
• 1 oz of mixed nuts

Other high protein foods include

• Lentils and rice
• Beans and a whole wheat tortilla
• Oatmeal
• Tofu and vegetables
• Chili and cornbread

Earlier I said that protein supplements are indicative of certain personality traits. When someone tells me they’re taking protein supplements, I often too quickly write them off as “one of those.” One of those who feels their body is inadequate so they have to take protein supplements to have a “nice” body. I know I’m stereotyping, but jocks get stereotyped for a reason. In fact, I find muscles to be a huge red flag. Muscular guys are often stereotyped as being mean or dumb, and if I have to choose between intelligence and muscles, intelligence is going to win every time. It’s like; oh you can bench press 200 lbs?! Awesome, what

an accomplishment, but do you know the rate limiting steps in glycolysis or who you’re going to vote for in the next presidential elections? Because that is something actually worth talking about. It’s cool that you can do a one-handed push-up, but can you do anything else?

So what’s the take home message? Protein supplements really aren’t necessary, and they might hurt you if used consistently over a number of years. Get your protein from good sources likes beans, nuts, whole grains, and vegetables. You can easily get enough protein from your diet. If you’re still convinced that you need supplements, at least drink a lot of water. And please understand that I’m not hating on exercise. Exercising is really important for your health. Strength training will help improve your muscle mass which will help you when you’re old and brittle. I’m just saying exercising your brain is equally important.