Did You Break Up With Your Scale?

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Kathy Gillen

Mine is sort of shiny, with a big round dial. I’ve always had one. It’s how I start my day. Mornings after pizza I’m a bit hesitant to engage, and quietly try to sneak one toe at a time on the platform. But a day after a good workout and a healthful plate of veggies, I’m ready to fully commit. Like any relationship, attitudes change daily. But my scale and I have good communication and a degree of intimacy that is healthy.

A lot of people shun the scale. Break up with the daily ritual. And many people are afraid to connect. Some diet plans encourage their use and some say, “Forget it”. So do you use a scale? Should you step on every day?

My ultimate daily goal is to feel well. I’m a wellness coach, it’s what I do. And part of feeling well is maintaining my healthy weight. We shun the scale because we equate the number with self-image or lack of control or disappointment. Wow, the scale sounds like part of a destructive relationship. But, while self-image or disappointment can be driving forces in maintaining or losing weight, they shouldn’t be the ultimate reason we care about the number. Our health is represented by that red needle precariously bouncing higher. Our health is the goal, not a number on a dial.

But we need the numbers. Our health is defined by numbers. Your chart at the doctor’s office is really just a series of numbers: cholesterol, heart rate, blood pressure, and the dozens of numbers represented by blood work. The numbers go up or down depending on how well your body is working. Same goes for weight. Our bodies do not work well if we aren’t at a healthy weight.

Get on the scale. Okay, be discouraged. Then get motivated. This is not about the number. If you must, cover up the numbers and replace them with your own labels. “Not Too Healthy”, “Working Towards Healthy”, “Starting to Feel Good”, “Ultimate Health!” Do you want to feel well? Do you want to move easily and keep up with life? Weight is not just a vanity issue. It is time to get friendly with the scale.

Obesity and weight gain are unfortunately too prevalent in our society. I’ll be examining this fat trend in the next several weeks.

Sugar is Bad. So, I’ll Just Use a Sugar Substitute

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Kathy Gillen

She’s usually the woman in the back of the room taking notes. Or maybe he’s the one who has a daily ice-tea habit. It doesn’t matter who it is, but it is always someone. In every class I teach, I talk about the negative effects of sugar. And in every class, someone raises their hand and says, “But can’t I just use a sugar substitute?” Yep, I saw it coming from a mile away.

Hey, you CAN do whatever you want. But I would suggest you shouldn’t add any more additional artificial substances to the chemical soup you’re brewing up inside your cells. The yellow, pink and blue packets are chemicals. Their structures were designed in labs. Our bodies weren’t designed to function off a mix of chemicals.

Other people on the internet write passionately about the nastiness of artificial sweeteners, so I’m not going to give you the details of how their made, what government agency doesn’t regulate them, and how long-term effects are mysteriously absent from studies. But here’s a quote from Dr. Russell Blaylock, MD (neurosurgeon):

“This particularly nasty substance should have never even been approved for human use. In fact, had it not been for some fancy footwork by those in power in the FDA, it never would have. Early experiments using low, medium and high doses with aspartame all found dramatic tumor increases in test animals. These included brain, pancreas, and breast tumors…”

It gives you something to think about, right? And I feel your pain. Remember, I was once a Diet Pepsi addict, and hey, look at me now. No brain tumor. But you know I’m just no longer comfortable hedging my bets. As I age, I don’t want my body to fight the constant battle against chemicals. Eventually, the housecleaning service gets a little lazy and starts to miss some spots. This happens as we age. Our cells aren’t as thorough at their jobs.

Of course by this point in the class everyones’ faces are grim. But then, she asks about it. Someone always does. “What about Stevia?” Ahh…some of you have been doing your research.

Stevia is an herb that is 200 times sweeter than sugar. Although not the best substance to use in baked goods, stevia is excellent for sweetening drinks. I have the tiniest dash in my coffee each morning. It doesn’t act like sugar OR artificial sweeteners. It is basically benign to your system.

So leave the colorful packets in their cute little table top holders. (Let your kids play with them, the way they all do!) And concentrate on curbing your need for sweeteners. But keep asking the questions…I love questions!

This is also posted at Fight Back Friday and the Upper St. Clair Patch

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A Harry Potter Lesson in Sugar Transfiguration

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Kathy Gillen

I’m an old school Harry Potter fan. I read the first three books to my kids, but then stopped when my children were old enough to read them on their own. So I only followed the story to about book four. The first Harry Potter movie is my favorite. The wonder and awe of wizardry is still new. Harry, Ron and Hermione stare in complete amazement when each professor demonstrates their particular specialty. The art of transfiguration is by far the coolest. When Professor McGonagall changes from a cat into her stately teaching presence on the first day of school at Hogwarts, I was hooked. Wouldn’t it be fun to change objects on a whim? But magically turning something from one thing to another doesn’t just happen every day…or does it?

The sugar you eat has a transfiguration habit. And it can be a scary event. Sugar is broken down into simple sugar called glucose. This glucose circulates in the blood steam, supplying cells with fuel. If the cells don’t need any more fuel (maybe you’ve just been sitting in your cubical not burning through much cellular energy) the extra glucose magically changes into glycogen. This substance is then stored in your muscles and liver. BUT this is not the scariest transformation of sugar. The creepy music needs to cue in about right here in our sugar story….

If your body is already storing enough glycogen (think of a suitcase that will NOT hold one more pair of shoes!) then the frightening magic begins. The extra glycogen is transfigured into…FAT.

The scene in your body turns very dark with this transformation. Once this fat is stored, it is hard to get rid of. No magic spell, pill, or fad diet removes it easily. Your body burns glucose and glycogen before it burns away this fat. Once the fat from excess sugar is stored, getting rid of it is tough work. No magic spells to make it disappear.

When you’re reaching for the sugary treat that you think will magically perk you up or make your afternoon better, picture that sugar transfiguring into FAT. That feels like a bit of the dark arts to me.

This is also posted at Fight Back Friday.

What Does Shakespeare Have to Do With Sugar?

Posted on July 25, 2011 by Kathy Gillen

“That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet”, says Juliet. She probably wasn’t finishing off a hot fudge sundae with Romeo as she said this, but rather a couple fresh figs would have been more her style. But I’m swiping a little poetic license from Shakespeare today and rephrasing it: “Sugar by any other name is always just as sweet.”

The brown packet feels like something you’d find in the “health food section”. Or so I thought when I would rip open a package of Sugar in the Raw. And surely brown sugar can’t be as bad as the evil white stuff, right? And honey, bees make that, it’s got to be good. Organic kids’ yogurt uses “organic evaporated cane juice”. That can’t be bad. And all sugar has to be better than high fructose corn syrup, right? Even Kool Aid has jumped on that, declaring its sugary drink better than sodas because it uses REAL sugar.

Guess what? It’s all sugar. Your cells don’t differentiate the subtle manufacturing nuances in these different forms of sugar. As consumers we’re starting to get savvy about our sugar. And baby, the manufacturing companies are listening. They still want to sell the stuff. Good old Dominoes Sugar has an organic sugar in the picture above. They’re listening and giving you a product to help you feel better about what you’re eating. But, when you ingest any sugar, (not fructose from fruit but manufactured sugar) your body reacts the same. Whether it is in the form of white crystals, brown, cane syrup or honey, your body sees sugar and kicks on the processes needed to deal with it.

And what a process it is. Multiple organs, enzymes and glands go into hyper drive when sugar hits your tongue. In my next sugar blog, we’re going to look at exactly HOW your body deals with it. And if you’re eating a lot, the scene inside isn’t pretty.

Until then…check out my 50 Names for Sugar. And remember Juliet next time you read a label.

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A Trip to the Hostess Outlet Gone Bad

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Kathy Gillen

I was seventeen and my friend had a car. In an easy twenty minute drive, we could be at a forbidden place that elicited excitement and yearning. The Hostess Outlet Store. This was an off-limits store in my family. My mother thought Ho-Hos were evil and Twinkies led to disease. (She also grew sprouts under the sink.) A pink coconut covered Snowball never graced our pantry shelves. So of course, forbidden fruit was sweeter, and now I had a way to get it.

Giggling, we filled our basket with as many boxes as our babysitting money would buy. We gorged ourselves on nearly expired, chemical- filled pastries (that is a dishonor to the word, I know). After three or four assorted cupcakes, Ho Hos and Twinkies I felt so sick. My friends even tried throwing up. Not a pretty picture. After that I never ate Hostess products again. Really. I never could do it.

This brings up an interesting point about sugar. If we make sugar forbidden, does it make it more desirable? My sister once had a neighbor child who found out where her candy stash was stored, ate sizable quantities every time she was over, and hid the wrappers behind my sister’s sofa. Of course my nieces and nephew were blamed. Eventually the real culprit was found and the girl’s mother was shocked because, “She knows I don’t let her eat candy except for special occasions.” And my own glory days, riding around searching for sugar-filled treats, certainly confirms that forbidden foods do create a lure. Even now, if I tell myself, “No chocolate today”, I feel a magnetic force pulling me to the chocolate.

So how do we live with the constant attraction to sugar?

First step: Understand It. Do you know what sugar does in your body? None of it is good. It decreases immune function, inhibits absorption of nutrients, can cause obesity, lower levels of good cholesterols, can lead to metabolic syndrome and diabetes etc, etc, etc…feeling bad yet about that third cookie you ate last night? Start talking about sugar with your family. It isn’t just a food that makes you gain weight; it is a food that robs you of your health.

Second Step: Set Realistic Limits. Sugar is not an all-day food, but we know we’re going to eat it. In our house sugar is a twice a day food. My children generally adhere to this, but as teens I know they’re making their own decisions too. (The closest Hostess Outlet is about a half hour away!) But it has been instilled that sugary items are not snack foods. Sugary foods are treats and we call then that.

Third Step: Eat Quality Sugar. Anyone can look at the Hostess Cupcake and know it isn’t quality food. It may satisfy that sugar craving, but it is loaded with chemicals and preservatives. If you’re going to eat sugar, don’t also eat it with a dose of artificial stuff. Make cookies, eat good quality chocolate or ice cream (Graeters ice cream from Cincinnati is now available in Pittsburgh Giant Eagle stores!), or visit a local bakery that uses real ingredients.

Make peace with the sugar that is calling your name. It’s going to keep calling. You have to set some boundaries. Or like any unhealthy relationship, you’re going to end up feeling bad.

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Measure Sugar with a Hershey Bar

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Kathy Gillen

If you go on Hershey’s website, the word iconic is used to describe the classic Hershey Bar. Probably one of the most recognizable confections in the world, everyone can grasp the size, flavor, and shape of a Hershey Bar. That’s why I like to use it as a measure. The Hershey bar is my sugar ruler.

I’m constantly asked about sugar. That’s a good thing. It means you are aware that sugar isn’t good. Questions about the white stuff loom: How much can I have? Is one sugar better than another? Is there really that much sugar in soda? This is where I employ the iconic Hershey Bar. Pick one up the next time you’re in line at the grocery store. Flip it over and check out the sugar grams. 20 grams of sugar.

Next task, how many Hershey bars do you think would be wise to eat in a day? One, two, three? Picture yourself opening up the third bar in your stress-filled day. My guess is most of you reading would not eat three Hershey bars. It doesn’t seem healthy, right? I mean 60 grams of sugar is what some experts say is a maximum that our body can safely process in a day. But would you consider popping a buck-fifty into a soda machine and drinking down a 20 oz bottle of Coke or Mt. Dew? If you would, then you just ate three Hershey bars! Really!

“I don’t drink soda,” you say. Okay, great! Do you ever treat yourself to a Starbucks Grande Frappuccino (2 ¼ Hershey Bars), Panera’s Cinnamon Crunch Bagel (1 ¼ Hershey Bars), 1 cup of Ben & Jerrys Chocolate Fudge Brownie (2 Hershey Bars), an average (not the jumbo) Margarita (2 Hershey Bars)? Have you ever thought those two margaritas last Friday night were four Hershey bars? Those Hershey bars add up throughout the day.

We look at labels to figure out if something is a good option. But with sugar, it’s hard to have a good reference point. How much is too much. So measure it out in Hershey bars. And instead of the whole bar, look for options that have sugar more like a Hershey Kiss! (2 ½ grams of sugar)

The 350 Slices-Per-Second Obsession

Posted on July 8, 2011 by Kathy Gillen

How did it happen? How did pizza become America’s comfort food? When I’m stressed and in no mood to cook, I want pizza. When any event involving kids happens, pizza is served. The combination of bread, sauce and cheese has Prozac-like properties. According to Domino’s Pizza, Americans eat 350 slices of pizza per second. My family decided to help that statistic grow…

A few years ago the kids and I went on a pizza tour. We set out to find our favorite. We visited six pizza shops in a two hour period. Now I know pizza is not a healthy food. I get it, I’m the wellness mom. But pizza is a weakness. I pay the next day with a bloated feeling and puffy eyes from the salt and carbs, but “mmm, I love a good pizza”.

Working on Six Pittsburgh Pizzas

The tour was successful and other than no one wanting pizza for several weeks, we all have fond memories of our mad pizza dash. And although it wasn’t the healthiest excursion, it did expose the kids to the concept of food quality. We ranked the pizzas on crust, sauce, flavor, and toppings. After tasting a crust baked over a wood fire, a frozen concoction in a box no longer held any special appeal. So now I have a house full of pizza snobs.

Fiori's A Pittsburgh Pizza Institution - 2nd Place

My own homemade pizza still remains one of my family’s favorites. It is hard to get a whole wheat crust to taste like it’s from a pizza parlor oven, but the quality of toppings, including fresh mozzarella, homemade pesto and nitrate free pepperoni, make mine stand out in the flavor department. I made one a couple weeks ago with grilled veggies and goat cheese. (Okay, my kids didn’t eat it but I thought it was delish!)

If you’re doing your part to contribute to the 350 slices per second, and really, who isn’t eating pizza, consider making a healthier version yourself.

Whole Wheat Crust Pizza

I like to roll the crust very thin so it gets crunchy like a true Italian-style pizza. This recipe makes two full cookies tray sized pizzas…cold pizza the next day isso good! Start your dough by 4:00 and pizza is ready by 6:00.

• 2 cups warm water

• 3 tsp. yeast

• 4 ½ cups whole wheat white or regular whole wheat flour (white whole wheat is from a lighter grain and is still 100% whole wheat, if using all regular whole wheat you may want to cut it with some all-purpose flour)

• 1 ½ tsp. salt

• 1 ½ tsp. dried Italian herbs

• 2 Tbs. corn meal (for dusting pans)

Put warm water in the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let stand until foamy. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the salt and herbs then slowly add the flour one cup at a time. Let the mixer knead dough for 6-8 minutes. Dough should pull away from the sides and be smooth to the touch. Add more flour if dough is sticky. Put dough in a large, greased bowl and cover with a dishcloth. Allow dough to rise in a warm, draft-free area for about 45 min. to an hour. Punch the dough down and divide into two pieces.

On a floured cutting board, using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a large rectangle. If the dough sticks, add more flour. The dough should be fairly thin. Transfer the pizza crust to an 18×13 cookie sheet that has been dusted with 1 TBS of the cornmeal. It may lose its shape a bit when you transfer…just reshape it once it is on the tray. Repeat with the second ball of dough and place on second cookie sheet. Top with homemade sauce and favorite toppings. Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes. You should rotate pizzas in the oven. Allow the pizza to cool for 5 minutes before you cut.

Homemade Pizza Sauce:

• 1 15 oz can organic tomato sauce

• 1 tsp. dried Italian herb mix

• ½ tsp. dried oregano

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp. garlic powder

• 1 tsp. sugar (if you like a bit sweeter sauce)

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl while dough is rising. Easy, easy.

This is also published at Fight Back Friday.

I Was an Addict

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Kathy Gillen

I was 27 and I was an addict. Before 7:00 am, I took my first hit. It was ice-cold and the second it hit my lips, I felt alive. I repeated this several times a day. I was a Diet Pepsi addict.

My addiction started in my teens. I’d hit the soda machine at school about 11:00 for a morning pick me up. Diet Pepsi got me through my finals in college and by my mid-twenties I knew this was a bad habit. It was the morning hit that made me realize I was in trouble. By this point in my life I also experimenting more with a “crunchy” lifestyle. This is the term I use for those of us who typically shun artificial foods and embrace a more granola-infused regime. I was putting great food in my body, and then washing it down with a can of chemicals.

I understand why people smoke, do drugs, drink, and eat pints of ice cream in one sitting. Habits that lead to addictions are tough to break. I began acknowledging my habit. Just like any good addict, I took the first step one morning when I grabbed a cold can at 6:30 am and said, “I’ve got to stop this”. I made the feeble attempts that most addicts do: stopped buying it, cut back, tricked myself with soda water…but I still craved it.

My savior was the stomach flu. During a fever-induced, nasty three days running back and forth to the bathroom, it struck me that I hadn’t touched a Diet Pepsi. I was three days into a cold turkey cessation. I was on my way. For good this time.

That’s how I broke my addiction. Truly, I wasn’t strong enough to do it on my own. The outside forces of the flu propelled me to make the decision. Not a pretty way to quit, but addiction is rarely pretty.

Poor food choices, that lead to bad habits and eventually food addictions are not to be taken lightly. As a country we’re predominately addicted to sugar and simple carbs. Mine was caffeine in a carbonated chemical solution. Some people are just addicted to food. Eating is one of our favorite drugs of choice. When I coach people on making changes I ask, “Why did you eat it?” Often I hear, “I just love to eat.” This is eating for comfort. Even if you think, “I like the taste” or “food is so good” the response you’re getting is pleasure. These feelings about food can lead to habits which can turn to addiction.

If you’re not feeling as well as you think you should or the number on the scale isn’t making you happy, start asking yourself “why”. Admit the problem. It’s the first step. And if you can’t do it alone then call me. (412-427-1137) I coach individuals one-on-one and we work through your issues together. Accountability is a huge factor when trying to change habits. I’ve been there and I get it. And working with a coach is a whole lot more satisfying than the stomach flu. Be well.

Curried Lentil Salad Packs a Powerful Nutrient Punch

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Kathy Gillen

A few years ago I made a sauce using the spice turmeric. The bright, golden-yellow spice, splashed on my shirt and stained it. I was annoyed. But since that messy day, I’ve learned to respect the potent properties in vibrant turmeric powder.

The phytonutrient (plant chemical) in turmeric that stained my shirt is called curcumin. And mark my words, this will not be the last time you hear about this phyto-powerhouse! According to the journal Life Extension, March 2011 issue, there were “240 published studies appearing in the global scientific literature in the past year alone.” Why?

Curcumin “intervenes at each stage in the complex sequence of events that enable cancer cells to develop, proliferate and metastasize.” Cancer protection in a spice! These findings have scientists scrambling to find ways to utilize these properties to both prevent and battle cancer.

You can start protecting your cells now, by simply adding turmeric to your meals. This spice is most often found in curry powders. So adding curry powder to chicken or tuna salad is an easy way to start. One of my favorite ways to incorporate curry is with lentils. This traditional Indian combination is loaded with nutrients and protein. My summer lentil salad is a refreshing alternative to mayonnaise-filled potato and pasta salads. Enjoy and keep your eyes open for more research on this powerful spice!

Curried Lentil Salad

1 ½ cups French green lentils ½ cup olive oil

3 cups water ¼ cup wine vinegar

1 cup chopped celery 2 tsp. sugar or agave nectar

1 cup chopped cucumber ½ tsp. salt

1 cup raisins ½ tsp. pepper

¼ cup chopped purple onion 2 tsp. curry powder

½ cup chopped cashews or almonds

Simmer the lentils in the water until tender, about 20-30 minutes. After lentils cool, add celery, cucumber, raisins, and onion. Whisk together oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and curry. Stir together and chill before serving.

This is also posted at Works for Me Wednesday and Fight Back Friday

You WILL learn to cook!

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Kathy Gillen

“You will learn to cook, you will learn to cook, YOU will learn to cook!” This thought runs through my mind with growing intensity each time one of my children turns another year older. With a 17, 15 and 12 year old, I realize my time to instill kitchen basics is dwindling. Add to that, schedules filled with sports, homework and the overpowering lure of the X-Box, and my time to instruct them on meal preparation is limited.

But it is blessed summer. I started a tradition a few years ago declaring, “You will all learn to cook this summer!” My oldest son said, “But mom, you’re so good at it.” He knows just how to get out of almost any work related activity. But I wasn’t buying his flattery, because I know, the chances of him finding someone to cook for him, are becoming less and less likely. Not because he isn’t a handsome catch (because he’s so cute!), but more and more kids never get any in-home kitchen instruction. And although most children do get some basic “Consumer Home Sciences” in middle school, a lot of this instruction is based on heat-and-eat concepts. Braising, roasting, dicing and oh heck, a decent basil chiffonade technique are not in the syllabus. But I was out to change that.

“All kids to the deck,” I yelled as I brought out past issues of The Food Network Magazine and the laptop. At the sight of the computer their tension seemed to ease just a bit, realizing this activity did not include pulling weeds. “Today I want three recipes that you will prepare for dinner this summer.” Three quizzical looks stared at me. I explained how this summer they would learn to cook. The recipes would have to be approved by me and I wanted them to actually read the recipe to see if it was something they wanted to cook. Risotto with roasted chicken and preserved lemons sounds good until you realize you have to start preserving the lemons two days before and then stand over a pot stirring risotto for 45 minutes on a 90 degree day.

The kids took to their assignment with delight. Only my youngest son’s recipe for crabmeat stuffed tenderloin was vetoed. But this also was a good reason to have a conversation about the cost of food! Over all the cooking was very successful. Each child learned to chop, sauté, steam and yes even chiffonade basil. My daughter took to her new kitchen expertise often and used her skills to get a bit creative even when it wasn’t her night. (This may be because she found a top 25 cupcake recipe pull-out in The Food Network Magazine.) And they all learned the concept of improvising. Although they had a recipe, I taught them not to follow it exactly. As a life-long cook, I rarely use a recipe, but instead am inspired by it. I think this takes the pressure off kids as they learn they can be flexible in the kitchen.

If you’re wondering if your children will be doomed to a life of drive-thrus and frozen dinners, then it may be time to start your cooking school.

The recipe below was my daughter’s choice last summer. It was inspired by a Giada DeLaurentiis recipe for ravioli. I approved the recipe because I had a romantic vision of my daughter and me making homemade ravioli. But reality hit and I realized we had less than an hour to get dinner on. I told her we would make inside/out ravioli. We made the filling (by improvising of course) and then tossed it with the pasta! Delish and super easy.

Inside-out “Ravioli” Caprese

1/2 – 3/4 pounds whole wheat pasta like fusilli or penne

2 cups whole milk ricotta

½ cup grated parmesan

½ cup basil chiffonade

3 TBS. olive oil

3 tsp. grated lemon zest

1 cup diced canned tomatoes or fresh in the summer

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. garlic powder

Cook ½- 3/4 pound whole wheat pasta according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before dumping the pasta in a strainer. Strain pasta. Put pasta back in the pot. Add all the other ingredients to the warm pasta. Stir well to combine. If sauce is too thick, add a bit of the pasta cooking liquid to get desired consistency. Serve immediately. Makes 4- 6 servings.

This is also posted at Fight Back Friday