What is this diet confession?

I've finally moved into my new house in Honolulu. And it has been so incredibly hot and humid here that it has been hard to even think, forget starting a whole new slew of classes, moving, and getting adjusted to a new way of life.

These time are often when people fall off of the "diet" wagon. You've heard the reason -ahem excuses ahem- that oh "I'm too stressed" or "I'm too busy" or "It is too expensive" to eat healthy and exercise (more on that last one to come).

But NO! You are NEVER too busy or stressed or poor to invest in and take care of your health. Five, 10, 15 years down the road whether you are 20 or 50, there is never a price, whether in time or money, that is too much for your health. You could end up with heart disease, diabetes, or obesity- all because of what you are doing to your body in this moment.

So, as I am going through one of the hardest, most painful, most expensive, most stressful, incredibly aggravating, exhilerating, and challenging times in my life, I know that I must take the time out of my schedule to go to the grocery store, to make homemade meals, find fresh produce, and not get caught up in all of the processed and packaged foods that are out there for convenience sake alone.

One of the reasons it has been so hard for me to blog lately, is this: I moved to Hawaii almost 4 weeks ago, and I just moved into my room TODAY. Yes, today. Which means I have been living on a friend's couch and out of my suitcases for over 3 weeks now. I have little to no money and have been living off ramen, cereal, and good ol' pb&j. While there is nothing wrong with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when done right (as you will  come to know if you continue to read my blog), there is everything wrong with Ramen and a good deal wrong with eating cereal for multiple meals a day.

One of my favorite cereals is Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats. And while certainly not the healthiest cereal on the market, it is easy to stick to one serving and sugar is not the first ingredient listed. Any way, that is off topic for this blog post. Let me know if you would like a comparison of cereals that would meet with most dietitian's approval.

I have been eating ramen. That college staple of 35-50c a package higher than heaven sodium content noodle garbage with absolutely no nutritional value. It hurts my future dietitian's soul to admit that. Now I've confessed.

So, I pledge, as I encourage all of you to do that: I will no longer succumb to the temptation to buy the cheapest food on the market (even though I now live in Hawaii where even ramen is busting the budget) and to seek out the local fruit and veg (which should be easy as I now live in Hawaii).

We must look for the bright spot in our situations. Whether we are low on money or motivation, we have to find whats good and right for out bodies and minds. My bright spot: I live near enough to the beach to go walk off my cravings and make sure that I can be happy living off what I can afford and what is local.

Okay, I am off to find some furniture for this room so that I can blog regularly (at least once per week). I've got to get a routine going. All these classes are sucking away my brain power.
Anyway, next blog post: Fitbit rant or cereal comparison? You decide! because my brain cannot handle one more decision this week.

Thanks for hanging in there. and I promise to publish my social media soon.

What is with all this stress?

So, I fully intend to make additions to this blog at least weekly, if not multiple times in a week. That is easier said than done right now. As I believe I mentioned, I was moving from the PNW of the USA to Hawaii.

Well, the biggest hurdle was jumped this weekend. I am in the islands now and going through orientation for my dietetics program.

The future of this blog my not be big but I intend to put forth my best with regular entries on subjects I am learning about, new items concerning food or nutrition and even product reviews... stay tuned for my fitbit rant.

I am also going to link some of my other social media outlets for all of you. Please be patient as I finish this move and try to handle the stress without losing my tenuous grip on my sanity.

Thanks All.

What IS Diet Soda?

Ever asked yourself, how something that tastes so good, could be calorie free? I mean it doesn't taste like water, so where does all that sweet goodness come from?
Maybe you kind of know, but aren't really sure what that "magic" does to your body.
Well, the answer to all of that is: It isn't magic, its crazy chemistry and your body really doesn't appreciate it.

Potentially the biggest misconception in the public health consciousness is about diet drinks, in-particular, diet soda.  How can something with no fat and no calories not be good for you? And at the very least, how can it not be a better alternative to regular soda?

All diet drinks, whether they be soda, flavored water, energy drinks, you name it have hidden health pitfalls. I am here to tell you why you shouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole.

I am going to focus on Diet Coke. I am a Coca-cola girl myself, can't stand Pepsi, but I am going to pick on Coke anyway. It is the worst of the worst when it comes to diet soda (it is basically the Mt Dew of the diet world).

If you know anything about artificial sweeteners (AKA fake sugar, calorie free sweeteners, etc) then you know it is just that: FAKE.  And your body knows it.
They are:

• Up to 1000X sweeter than sugar making your body crave sweeter and sweeter things over time
• Indigestible, hence that zero calorie thing
• Raise insulin levels and keep them raised, even though you have taken in nothing for your body to process
• Contain no nutritional value, as they cannot be used by the body
• Are made from chemicals, some combinations of which have been linked to cancer (ie carcinogens- those same things that make cigarettes so bad for you)
• Give your body and brain and drug like effect

You combine all of these qualities and what they mean for your health by way of physiological effects and caffeine, and you have a recipe for disaster.

There's a great article about "Your Body on Coke" that details all the effects of regular soda on your body.  Most of these points still hold up when discussing Diet Coke (and ALL other soda, both regular and diet). You are just doubling down when you indulge in a diet soda.

For a moment, lets discuss the main culprit in diet soda, Aspartame.  Because the public is now becoming more knowledgable about their foods and the ingredients in them, certain companies have had to remove the chemical from their foods in order to maintain some of their customer base.  One such company is Yoplait, who have removed aspartame from their Yoplait Light Yogurt, only to replace it with another chemical that has similar effects and a similar link to cancer, sucralose.

All artificial zero-calorie sweeteners: aspartame, sucralose, mannitol, xylitol, dextralose, the list goes on, should be seen in the same light as trans fat.  They are fake. Similarly maltodextrin, high fructose corn syrup, etc are fake and we all need to question whether these foods meet the standard of what should go in our bodies.

We all know that white, processed sugar is not the best thing to put into our bodies, so what should we replace it with?

Well, the best answer to that is to use everything in moderation.  Well, great, thanks for that tidbit of the same old info we've heard all the time. Right?

If you want to use a sweetener that is natural and has actual health benefits, use molasses, specifically black strap. Pure maple syrup is also a great sweetener to use and adds great flavor.  Raw honey also contains more health benefits than raw cane sugar (which is just less processed white table sugar). Coconut syrup and brown rice syrup are also lower glycemic sweeteners for my diabetics out there.

One sweetener I haven't mentioned is Agave syrup. Mostly, I don't recommend it or caution against it as it is being heavily studied right now.  The only thing I can say for certain is that it is sweeter than regular sugar and you can, therefore, use less of it.

What I want people to remember is that artificial, when it comes to food, is never better than what natures gives us. If you want something healthier to drink, have good old water. It is never a good idea to drink your calories anyway; there are much tastier and more satisfying ways to get your energy for the day without going overboard.  

Next time you want to reach for a calorie-free drink that isn't water, just watch this video from one of my favorite YouTube channels and think of all those protective fat cells your body deploys to protect you from that drink and go for the water or even juice.

Diet Coke Does THIS To Your Body In 1 Hour?

Most importantly, remember that zero calories doesn't mean zero consequences.

What is up with this blue?

As I mentioned previously, I'm not overly tech-savvy. So, with this "simple template" I had to choose a color.  Now, being the future dietitian that I am, I thought the color could have a great significance.

Studies have shown that certain colors have an affect on mood, appetite and various other things. Well, warm colors (think that great M in the sky: McDonald's) promote appetite. Its no wonder a lot of restaurants, particularly fast food chains have implemented warm colors into their design schemes.

Think about all the restaurants you drive past on a regular basis, especially the ones that are typically though of as unhealthy and you'll find these colors of red and yellow in abundance.  In-N-Out Burger, Red Robin, Carl's Jr, Wendy's, Jack-in-the-Box, Five-Guy's. All have this same scheme.

Now think of any other restaurants with a prominent color scheme. Its hard. There are restaurants with very little color themeing, like Olive Garden and most steakhouses, but you are hard-pressed to find a purple or green restaurant.  The only green (mostly in terms of color, but also eco-consciousness) restaurants are like hipster smoothie or vegan places, where appetite is not the name of the game.

On the other hand, colors on the other end of the spectrum, cool colors, do not promote appetites.  Blue, and also green, promote relaxation, de-stress, all of those wonderful thoughts of decompression that every college student needs. Or someone who is moving. Or someone who is going in a whole new direction in their life. Or someone who is trying not to stress-eat. Or someone who is trying to accomplish all three.

Well, that's me. So I chose this wonderful blue, slightly green, background so that I am calm while writing these posts and responding to comments. And, hopefully, for anyone who reaches this page and needs an inspiration to relax.
This blue is for you!

What is this thing?

So, its safe to say I have NO idea what I m doing with this whole blogging thing. To be completely honest, my sister got all the tech genes in this family.

Please be patient with me if you visit this site as I'm still figuring out what the heck is going on. Like: how do I edit my "About Me" and how do I add a description. It will all come in time, I'm sure.  But for now, I am just going to tell you all a little about what I plan to use this blog for.

As I am writing this, I am planning my move to Oahu. Honolulu will be my home for the next two years or so as I once again head off to a new school in pursuit of the beginning of the rest of my life. That sounds dramatic but its the truth in this situation. I've had plenty of setbacks in my academic life due to many factors, that will be discussed at length in the upcoming posts as I take you along on this journey.

But for now, suffice it to say, I am moving to Hawaii to study Dietetics. I am enrolling in a DPD program in order to pursue a career as a Registered Dietitian. A lot of you are probably saying Diet- what? Hence the name of the blog.

Well the short of it is, an RD is someone who is specially trained and certified to work with people who want to lose weight, manage a chronic condition or acute disease. They work in clinics, corporations, assisted living homes, hospitals and the like.

So, this blog is the log of transition from mainland Pacific Northwest to Oahu, Hawaii, my background and decision making process, and the road to becoming an RD through moving, schools, and internship.

Along the way, I'll be sharing personal stories, anecdotes, and relevant diet tips. Join me!