The Hype about Food Dyes

Food dyes are in the news right now and are causing quite a stir. About two weeks ago, the FDA brought together an expert panel of doctors, scientists, and consumer specialists in Washington to discuss the potential dangers of food dyes. This panel was to determine if there was enough evidence to require food makers to put warning labels on their products, advising consumers that food dyes cause hyperactivity in children. Interestingly, the research was inconclusive in determining whether or not food dyes were causing or perpetuating hyperactivity in children, therefore, they warning label did not pass.  But they did say that eliminating food dyes have shown positive results in children with hyperactivity. The FDA concluded that there needs to be more research done to find this causal association.  

Tapping into your Exercise Nutrition

In honor of being asked to give a Sports Nutrition presentation to the Oak Park High School Track team in Southern Cali, I felt it was incredibly important to discuss a part of Nutrition that many times goes unnoticed.  EXERCISE NUTRITION!  Properly fueling your body before, during, and after exercise can make a HUGE difference in your energy levels, performance, endurance, and strength.  But one of the most important aspects to all of us that exercise our bodies often, is SEEING the results we are looking for.  If you don’t take care of your body – fueling and replenishing it properly, you may as well consider that work-out useless.  I know that sounds harsh but it’s true.  Sometimes we take our bodies for granted.  We expect them to give us what we want in kickboxing, let us go deeper in the yoga stretch, or run that mile faster than the last one.  We find we can push our bodies most of the time but what are we doing to give back?  Are we giving our body the fuel it needs to sustain the energy needed and then recover?  This is when nutrient timing becomes incredibly vital.

Stress & The Battle of the Bulge

Let’s face it – we are an overstressed society.  Too many commitments, too many things to do, too many obligations, and too much work.  While many of us have mastered the art of multi-tasking (and take pride in doing so), we have spread ourselves much too thin and because of this, our health is starting to plummet and our weight is skyrocketing.

Stress is not easy to control, let alone get rid of.  It’s in our blueprint and our hectic lifestyles perpetuate the problem.  But what is it really doing to our bodies???  You may be the type of person that exercises frequently (at high intensities for that matter), eats healthy, and does all the right things to maintain a healthy status quo.  The only problem is that your weight is not budging.  You can’t seem to drop the excess lbs, especially in your abdomen.  This is the moment to re-evaluate your lifestyle and figure out if stress the confounding factor.  

5-Hour Energy – What’s in it Anyway?

I‘m sure you have either tried a 5-hour energy or have seen those ridiculously silly commercials on TV.  Regardless, I get asked often about what is in these little bottles of energy and what it is doing to my body.  So let’s discuss….

Eating Healthy on a Budget

One question that I get asked quite often is how do I eat healthy without breaking the bank!? First of all, health is not cheap. Un-health is cheap. Case in point – fast food restaurants and the junk food aisles in the grocery store. Right now, Jack in the Box is offering 3 tacos for 99 cents! McDonald’s has an entire meal for $3! And don’t get me started on all the deals offered for cookies, chips, candies, sodas, fruit juices, sugary cereals, and crackers. On the other hand, shopping exclusively at Whole Foods www.wholefoodsmarket.com can really put a hole in your bank account, regardless of the healthy variety they offer. Now don’t get me wrong…..I love shopping the aisles of Whole Foods – it’s such a wonderful experience! But I have learned after many receipts totally over a couple hundred dollars that I only need to buy CERTAIN foods there. Not everything. Remember – they still are a humongous corporation making a pretty penny off their grocery items.