Nutrition

Why do we crave certain foods?

Our willpower has little strength when our body seeks to balance its blood pH (acidity and alkalinity levels) and maintain nutritional homeostasis. Whenever we experience a craving, our body is trying to restore that balance or to satisfy a nutritional need.

 A centered diet includes foods that are in a balanced ratio of nutrients. Meals out of measure lead to snacking which can lead to further imbalances. And food processing destroys nutrients, resulting in empty-calories which will also throw off our nutritional equilibrium.

As a strength coach and personal trainer, I know there’s no magical elixir. I’m very careful that what I eat fuels performance and long term health and understand that what’s handy isn’t always healthy. That’s why I’ve become a huge fan of Chia\Vie, an all-natural fruit drink that pairs potent little chia seeds with the convenience of a can.

The sensational smoothie is thick and creamy—since the seeds have been ground—and packed with 2,000 mg of Omega-3 and two servings of fruit. Here are a few other reasons why Chia\Vie has made a believer out of me:

Everyone and everywhere, from my trendy roommate to chain restaurants like Outback Steakhouse, seem to be buzzing about being gluten-free. Before the advent of the “gluten-free” diet craze, going gluten-free was mainly a treatment for those with celiac disease. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s body does not tolerate gluten and a gluten-free diet is necessary. The consumption of gluten in a person with celiac disease results in the inflammation and damage of the small intestine. Patients with celiac disease often experience symptoms such as diarrhea, upset stomach, abdominal pain and bloating. However, in recent days, people are taking up a gluten-free diet for gluten sensitivity and for the touted health benefits. Gluten sensitivity is a distinct disorder from celiac disease. Folks who are gluten sensitive do not test positive for celiac disease and do not have damage to the lower intestine; however, they may have symptoms as severe as celiac disease and feel better once gluten is cut out of their diet. As with every other food fad, you may be wondering about the gluten-free craze and whether it is right for you. Therefore, it’s important to have the low-down on gluten-free and its recent popularity with everyone from health nuts to A–list stars.

While battling the summer heat, whether it’s at a weekend barbeque, a run through the mesa, or a shopping trip down State Street, we often find ourselves in need of a cold beverage to cool off. When it comes to staying hydrated, our choices are endless with the abundance of bottled waters and sports drinks. So why are so many of us not staying hydrated properly? Though hydration is of course a vital issue all year long, we tend to be reminded of its importance when the August sun beats down on our backs and our mouths are continuously parched. Hydration affects everyone, regardless of if you spend your days lounging at the beach or training for a triathlon. Surprisingly, however, the majority of the population is not drinking enough liquids throughout each day.

With the exception of Paris Hilton and a few other assorted beneficiaries, we will all have to live the crunch of a full time job at some point in our lives.  Typically, this job will involve waking up to an unwelcome alarm, speeding through grooming and preparations for work, rushing off to work, and punching in the timecard as soon as possible.  Unfortunately, on top of the unhealthy stress most jobs induce, our pre-retirement years typically foster poor eating habits supplemented by dieting scams from the media, and images of stars whose full-time 60 hour per week job is to be beautiful.  This article will provide guidance on how to boost healthy habits compatible with the workplace, anywhere from a high octane financial management firm, a mammoth defense contractor, or a casual dot-com environment.

It’s undeniable; America has a major sweet tooth. In fact, the average American consumes 20 teaspoons of sugar a day! This is a problem because the excessive sugar intake has helped feed the country’s obesity epidemic, linking sugar intake to heart and other lifestyle diseases. In order to lose weight and still get a sweet fix, many people have turned to artificial sweeteners, which have no calories. However, with such controversy a surrounding the safety of sugar substitutes, it is hard to tell which color packet you should reach for: white, pink, blue, or yellow. To clarify, here is the latest health info on four of the main sweeteners.

Sugar: (white packet)

Regular sugar is by far the most commonly used sweetener and is found in everything from processed foods to home baked goods. Almost 60% of sugar intake comes from corn sweeteners, which are main ingredients in sodas and other flavored drinks. The remaining 40% is sucrose or table sugar. With 15 calories per teaspoon, large quantities of sugary foods lead to a surplus of calories and thus, cause weight gain. Obesity is a major risk factor for heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and many more. It should also be noted that people with diabetes, should avoid sugar because of its effects on blood glucose levels.

As a fitness professional, I’m supposed to tell you not to drink caffeine. As a man who owns two companies and consults for two others, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t regularly contribute to Santa Barbara’s economic growth by supporting its local coffee shops. But this article isn’t about caffeine. It’s about the drinks that are regularly used to transport our country’s favorite stimulant to our bodies – the mochas, lattes, and ice blended drinks that some of us consume in mass quantities.