podcast

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – Mothers know best & OUR BIGGEST ANNOUNCEMENT EVER!

Even though Mother’s Day has come and gone, Shannon and I wanted to give our moms the credit they deserve for their influence on our current approach to health and fitness. We describe the pertinent life lessons they bestowed upon us, then we share the BIGGEST ANNOUCEMENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE PODCAST! Before we get into all that, we recap our training for the week.

Both Shannon and I performed our normal training routine of HIIT workouts, strength training at Tampa Strength and rides on the Peloton cycle. We also got in workouts during our Mother’s Day weekend trip to the Ritz Carlton in Naples, Florida. Shannon did a nice long walk (almost 2 miles!) on the beach and I knocked out a total body workout at the hotel’s fitness center. As you can imagine, the Ritz Carlton fitness center is full of state of the art equipment and is staffed with several personal trainers. We don’t get spoiled with trips like this too often, which is why I do my best to take full advantage of it.

Screen Shot 2017-05-22 at 5.58.00 AM.png

Photo of Ritz’s Fitness Center courtesy of ritzcarlton.com

After our training recap, Shannon launches into a description of the lessons her mom taught her about health & fitness. If you’ve listened to Addicted to Fitness in the past, you probably already know that Shannon’s mom is an Eastern medicine practitioner. She began her training program when Shannon was in her tweens, and often practiced her new found skills on Shannon. This exposure to “alternative” medicine compelled Shannon to develop a more holistic approach to health. As avid listeners know, Shannon isn’t big on taking medications like pain killers or antibiotics. We both realize the importance of Western medicine, but we are more attracted to the idea of treating the cause of specific health problems, not just the symptoms. My mom didn’t have a health specific career, but her occupation did shape my current approach to health & fitness.

Since I’ve been alive, my mom has been in school. This is somewhat of paradox because while she was in school, she was also a teacher. My mom has been in a constant state of education for as long as I can remember. She recently earned her PhD and her continual dedication to learning definitely affected how I approach health & fitness. I’m always interested in learning the most up to date information in regards to this subject in order to pass it along to my clients and listeners of the podcast. My mom also taught me to swim when I was 6 months old, which came in handy during the several triathlons I participated in as an adult.

Screen Shot 2017-05-22 at 6.37.01 AM

After giving props to our moms, we get into our BIG announcement. I could go into detail about what it involves, but that would kill the tease! There is a definite theme in this week’s episode but you’ll have to listen to find out what our big news is. It shouldn’t be too hard to figure out, but once you hear the news, please feel free to reach out to us if you’re going through the same process.

We’re always looking for feedback on the subjects we discuss on the podcast. You can reach us via email (elementaltampa@gmail.com), social media (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter) or leave us a rating & review in iTunes. I say it at the end of each episode, and I’ll say it now, you’re feedback help us get better. Thanks for listening and stay healthy this week peeps!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mothers-know-best-our-biggest-announcement-ever/id1121420986?i=1000385674669&mt=2

Android: http://subscribeonandroid.com/addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/rss

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/moms-know-best

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – An Interview with the CEO & Founder of Growing Rootz, Carlen Garmon

We’re bringing you another interview episode of Addicted to Fitness this week. Before we get to our interview, Shannon and I discuss a pair of upcoming fitness related events we’re looking forward to. Shannon has another yoga immersion weekend for her Bella Prana teacher training program coming up and I will be starting a new morning boot camp at Tampa Strength. If you live in the Tampa area and want to start your morning off with fun & effective workout come check out the Rise & Grind Boot Camp (link).

After our fitness updates, we jump into my interview with the CEO & Founder of the organic grocery delivery service Growing Rootz (link), Carlen Garmon. Carlen began her pursuit of optimizing her health when she was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (link) and hyperinsulinemia (link) in her early twenties. She decided to go off her medications once she became pregnant and instead used a diet of whole & organic foods to help treat her conditions. This shift in nutrition was a driving force behind the creation of Growing Rootz.

Growing Rootz provides customers in the Tampa Bay Area with organic quality produce, pastured & grass fed meat, free range eggs, raw dairy, bone broth and other wholesome goodies. Carlen believes that these types of products allow our bodies to function at an optimum level which is one of the main ideals that she incorporates into her holistic health coaching. I’m always skeptical when I hear a person label themselves as a health coach, but as you’ll hear, Carlen has a lot of personal experience dealing with health conditions that a lot of people struggle with.

Podcast pic 5-15

Interviewing professionals in the field of health & fitness is one of the main reasons why I began the Addicted to Fitness podcast. Even though all their stories are different, they seem to have one similar quality:

A situation arose in their lives where they had to make a decision on whether or not to make their fitness & health a top priority, and they did so.

I hope that this podcast can help inspire some of you to make a similar choice. This podcast is called Addicted to Fitness because we know how beneficial being obessesed with your health can be. If you agree please let us know. Feel free to email us at elementaltampa@gmail.com or hit us up on social media (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter). We’d also really appreciate a honest rating and review in the iTunes. Thanks again for all the support & stay healthy this week peeps!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/interview-ceo-founder-growing-rootz-carlen-garmon/id1121420986?i=1000385437699&mt=2

Android: http://subscribeonandroid.com/addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/rss

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/an-interview-with-the-ceo-founder-of-growing-rootz-carlen-garmon

 

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – Core Strength & Green Spaces: Tips to Live a Longer, Healthier Life

You may notice that this week’s episode starts off a little differently. I hate to give a spoiler but I did the intro this week! Nick handed over the reigns and let me take a crack at kicking things off. How’d I do?

In a quick recap of our training, we both shared our recent use of the Peloton including my preference for switching up class types on certain days of the week. We also discuss our fondness for Peloton instructor Steve Little’s (peloton profile link) endurance classes which focus on zone 2 training. Nick loves to compliment long rides on the bike with intense strength training sessions at Tampa Strength, while I like to mix in yoga and HIIT workouts at home.

Something we’ve both been focusing on in our own ways is core work. Which brings us to one of our primary topics for this week – Core “complaints”.

Steve little pic

One of many story posts from Nick’s instagram (@ettampa)

Nick found an informative article in Health magazine discussing several common complaints from individuals trying to get rid of “ab flab” including the common “I can’t see my abs.” So why do all those crunches not result in a rock hard, visible middle?

An individual’s core is not just those 6-pack abs – it’s all the muscle groups that make up our midsection (abdominals, obliques, lumbar, etc.).  Whether you can see the cut muscles or not (which frequently comes down to diet – tip: increase soluble fiber, good fats and calcium) a stronger core helps you have better control of your extremities and allows you to be more mobile later in life.

Another common complaint discussed is people saying they hold fat in their midsection, but this largely comes down to your genetics and body type. You can avoid that troublesome belly fat by staying away from refined grains & processed foods. The article offers up some good suggestions on other diet tips if you’re interested.

Whether you sit a lot for work or are just looking to strengthen your core, be sure you get up and move during your day; even standing will help you build core strength. Try to see if your office will get you a standing desk or better yet a treadmill desk!

From here we segue over to several “unconventional” tips on extending your life from a recent blog post by Mark Sisson. The five tips that we break down are:

  • Live somewhere green/grown lots of plants
  • Follow your life’s purpose
  • Eat lots of collagen
  • Get really cold/really hot on a regular basis (check out our past episode on cryotherapy)
  • Keep your spouse as healthy as you are (we agree this is the most important)

We’re always looking to share methods on how to live healthier lives on this podcast. Which is why we’re excited to announce that next week’s episode features an interview with the owner & founder of an organic grocery delivery service, Carlen Garmon (Growing Rootz Facebook). You won’t wanna miss it.

Podcast pic 5-8

You can stay up to date with everything we’re doing by following us on social media. Nick has been working hard on keeping his Instagram, including stories, up-to-date so be sure to check it out. Get in touch with us in between episodes on Facebook or by emailing us at elementaltampa@gmail.com. Your feedback and support continues to help us grow and we are extremely grateful. Keep rating, reviewing and sharing the podcast!

Links for this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/core-strength-green-spaces-tips-to-live-longer-healthier/id1121420986?i=1000385205121&mt=2

Android: http://subscribeonandroid.com/addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/rss

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/core-strength-green-spaces-ways-to-live-a-healthier-life

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – Unicorn Food: Starbucks didn’t start the trend

Shannon here. I’m finally back this week bringing you the show notes for our newest, and certainly one of our more trendy episodes. This week we jumped on the trend of unicorn foods. But before we get into the multi-colored fun, we tackle a quick recap of the week’s training.

I proudly hit my modified training goals – 4 training days a week including 3 days on the Peloton cycle and a HIIT workout that focuses on legs, butt and back. Sometimes it’s the little victories that make your week.

I’ve also started sharing some of my yoga learnings and leading Nick through yoga training, starting with basic vinyasa flows focusing on proper alignment. We even quickly chatted about areas of yoga that I’m most interested in.

Nick had his first appointment with his new functional medicine doctor. No worries, there were no particular issues that inspired it, but rather a general search for knowledge about what was going on in his body.

Functional medicine is focused treating underlying causes of symptoms, not just the symptoms themselves. Nick’s doctor was very thorough in their initial appointment, even commenting on his low heart rate and making some… interesting samples requests. Chances are we’ll be talking about the results on an upcoming episode!

Now, onto the trendy talk – unicorn foods. The mystical food trend around rainbow colored foods that started on Instagram and has spread to brands across the world. Most recently, Starbucks jumped on the swirly color food item and they debuted a rather controversial product – the Unicorn Frappuccino.

Pictures of the concoction – pink and blue swirls of sugary blended ice complete with sprinkle topped whipped cream – appeared all over with a note that it would only be available for a limited time, so of course I had to pick one up for coworkers and I to sample.

Nick was not so inclined to try it and took a very adverse position to the whole thing, somewhat outraged that a ridiculous cup of sugary iced syrup could get so much attention. Nick even quoted a line from his man crush, Anthony Bourdain about his hate for Starbucks’ Unicorn Frappuccino.

Granted he was fairly unaware of the whole unicorn food trend anyways. It wasn’t until I reminded him of the viral sensation that was the Squatty Potty video in which an animated unicorn pooped out rainbow soft serve.

So where’s the health/fitness hook, right? Well, we dive into the nutrition facts of this particular item and it rocks some particularly lengthy amounts of flavorings and sugar. And amidst the laundry list of ingredients, Nick was most scandalized that there was NO COFFEE IN IT at all. There was a scary combination of fat (16g) and sugar (58g) in a grande (medium) though.

The most shocking part? The Unicorn Frappuccino is not the worst offender on their menu. Most of the frappuccinos are just as bad on the nutrition side. This led us to talking about how Starbucks, which has quickly jumped in to compete with fast-food restaurants, doesn’t always boast the best food options. It’s really just the straight coffee that isn’t too terrible.

In the end, the responsibility of keeping a healthy balance comes down to us (the customers) making the right decisions. So be sure you take a peak at what’s in your food and try to keep a good balance if you partake in even the trendy foods.

Finally, we recapped some of the listener responses from our previous episode – when do you listen to the podcast – and the most common response seems to be while commuting. So thank you to EVERYONE who is listening, whenever and wherever.

Podcast pic 5-1

This week, let us know if you’re a trendy food or just unicorn food lover!

As always please send any and all feedback to elementaltampa@gmail.com or drop us a line on social media. Have a healthy and balanced week!

Links to this week’s episodes:

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/unicorn-food-starbucks-didnt-start-the-trend/id1121420986?i=1000384951994&mt=2

Android: http://subscribeonandroid.com/addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/rss

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/unicorn-food-starbucks-arent-the-only-offenders

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – Two Big Struggles: Allergies & Pesticide Contamination

Shannon and I recorded this week’s Addicted to Fitness a little earlier in the week than normal, which means we didn’t have a tremendous amount of training to recap. I was fortunate enough receive a Stick Mobility training session from Shawn at Tampa Strength. If you are unfamiliar with Stick Mobility, it’s an innovative exercise modality that uses pliable “sticks” of varying length to simultaneously build strength, improve mobility and increase muscle activation. Click here to learn more about this all-inclusive form of exercise

Mobility sticks

Follow Stick Mobility on Instagram to see more exercises

Shannon didn’t have a lot to report during our training recap, but she did participate in a very important health related event this past week. If you’ve listen to the podcast in the past 3 months, you may have noticed Shannon frequently battling congestion. She finally came to the realization that her frequent “colds” may be the result of environmental allergies. Fortunately, her mother is a practitioner of a non-invasive form of allergy testing known as Namburdripad’s Allergy Elimination Testing (NAET). NAET uses muscle testing to determine the body’s response to a specific allergen (click here to learn more). Shannon’s test determined that she has sensitivities to trees, weeds and grass which are all in full BLOOM right now in Florida.

I recount my own experiences with allergy testing and I can tell you that they were the exact OPPOSITE of non-invasive. Shot, after shot, after shot. My arm would look like a dart board after an allergy test. When I got my final allergy test as a pre-teen, they ditched the single needle approach for a board with at least 16 needle-like attachments that they laid on my BACK, which allowed them to measure my body’s reaction to multiple allergens all at once. If I had to do it again, I think I’d rather live with the allergy than go through those tests again. However, I didn’t have severe allergies like the one nowadays that can ground a plane.

Screenshot 2017-04-16 at 7.20.08 PM

Shannon and certain plants now have a love-hate relationship

Both Shannon and I feel as if peanuts are public enemy number one when it comes to allergies. We don’t have children, but we’ve already heard stories about schools being “no nut” zones and/or airlines having to offer “nut free” flights. Shannon and I give a quick synopsis of the 2017 recommendations to prevent peanut allergies from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH guidelines state that early exposure may help prevent severe peanut allergies from developing (click here for the NIH press release).  After our peanut discussion, Shannon and I move onto another issue that I’m sure parents are concerned with in regards to its effect on their children’s health.

Numerous studies have linked the consumption of foods high in pesticide concentrations to adverse health problems. Shannon and I discuss one tool that can help consumers avoid these health risks. Every year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) puts out lists of the “dirtiest” and “cleanest” produce in regards to pesticide contamination. According to their website (link), the EWG is a non-partisan environmental group that acquires their pesticide data from tests performed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). We go over both lists in their entirety in the episode but if you want a quick sample from both: Dirty: 1) Strawberries 2) Spinach 3) Nectarines; Clean: 1) Sweet Corn 2) Avocados 3) Pineapple. Hopefully this information helps you make the healthiest decisions possible when it comes to picking out produce.

Podcast pic 4-17

We love providing you all with helpful health & fitness information on a weekly basis and judging by our download numbers, you all love hearing it. We actually have a little homework for you all this week. We’d like to know when your favorite time to listen to the Addicted to Fitness podcast is. Do you listen while commuting to work? Sitting on the spin bike? Walking the dog? Whatever time, place or activity you’ve reserved for the podcast, we want to know about it. Feel free to send your responses to elementaltampa@gmail.com or send us a message on any of our social channels. We’d love to hear from you all.

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/two-big-struggles-allergies-pesticide-contamination/id1121420986?i=1000384465001&mt=2

Android: http://subscribeonandroid.com/addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/rss

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/two-big-struggles-allergies-pesticide-contamination

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – Fat + Coffee Taste Test

We kick off this week’s Addicted to Fitness discussing our training accomplishments for the week. Shannon is working towards logging 3 Peloton rides per week and is starting to perform more exercises to improve strength & endurance in her legs, butt and lower back. I on the other hand am focusing on building strength & mobility in my upper back with daily workouts at Tampa Strength, and increasing my run training. I love long distance running which is like nails on a chalkboard to Shannon who prefers long rides on her bike. This fact promted her to remind me that she kicked my butt in the bike portion of the sprint triathlon we did together back in 2011.

Screenshot 2017-04-09 at 8.09.21 PM

Post triathlon selfie of Shannon and I

After our training recap, Shannon and I launch into the main portion of this week’s podcast, which was inspired by a listener’s request. One of our favorite listeners, Lindsey, asked if we had any knowledge of the health benefits of the fat + coffee mixture known as “bulletproof coffee”. We’ve actually discussed the idea of fat + coffee in several episodes of the podcast (episodes #3, #8, #39) but we figured why not do a taste test of multiple types of these beverages. You don’t have to twist my arm to get me to drink coffee, especially ones that have my preferred macronutrient.

Bulletproof coffee was made popular by Dave Asprey, who claimed that a combination of high quality coffee blended with healthy fats, grassfed butter and MCT (medium chain triglycerides) oil, can act as a meal replacement and provide several other health benefits. Believers of fatten coffee claim that it provides immediate sustained energy, improves metal acuity, kickstarts your metabolism and puts you into fat burning mode (source). I’ve been drinking fatten coffee for sometime now and I can attest that I’ve experienced some of these supposed benefits, but I often vary my recipe. Shannon and I decided to taste test 4 different fattened coffee recipes:

  • Coffee + 2 tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream = 100 calories & 12g fat
  • Coffee + 1 tbsp Coconut Cream + 1 tbsp Coconut Oil = 165 calories, 18g fat, <1g sugar
  • Coffee + 1 tbsp Butter = 100 calories & 12g fat
  • Coffee + 1 tbsp Omega Power Creamer (Ghee, Coconut Oil, MCT oil) = 120 calories, 14g fat

I’ve been drinking the coconut cream & oil version for sometime and it is my go-to not only because of the taste (like a coffee & a pina colada had a baby according to Shannon) but because it helps me minimize the amount of dairy I ingest on a daily basis. Shannon actually enjoyed the butter version the most because of the non-oily mouth feel and it’s latte-like characteristics.

Coffee taste test pic

Fatten coffee works well for me because I feel that I function better running on fats opposed to carbs. If you’d like to become “fat fueled” this morning coffee concoction may be for you, but I do want to warn potential fatten coffee drinkers that regularly combining it with a high carb breakfast could lead to potential health problems (click here for article on other potential health problems associated with bulletproof coffee). I want to convey that you should always consult a physician or certified dietician before making any major additions to your diet, but please feel free to continue to send us podcast topics for future episodes.

Podcast pic 4-10

You listeners helped us set our download record in March and we’re on pace to set another record in April. Please keep listening, sharing and sending us feedback on how we can make Addicted to Fitness the best health & fitness podcast available. If you promise to keep helping us spread the good word of fitness, we promise to keep churning out interviews, product reviews, taste tests, and everything else you’ve come to enjoy about the podcast. Keep sharing and stay healthy this week peeps!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fat-coffee-taste-test/id1121420986?i=1000384200765&mt=2

Android: http://subscribeonandroid.com/addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/rss

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/fat-coffee-taste-test

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – An Interview with Juice Plus+ Senior Sales Coordinator, Elise Rosato-Devin

This week’s episode starts off with a bit of celebration as the podcast hits a monthly download record of about 1500 downloads in the month of March. We couldn’t have done it without you! So first off we have to give credit where credit is due and thank you all for listening and sharing the podcast each week.

We’ll keep things rolling so you can keep on listening!

Before we dive on into the main interview of the podcast, we chat about an interesting new experience for Nick. This week, he left the kickboxing bags and mitts and donned some sticky ankle socks for some work at the barre. No, that is not a spelling mistake. We’re not talking about some booze filled tavern, but rather the isometric workout that focuses on small movements for a total body workout that will give you a new respect for all those ladies who are hitting the barre hard multiple times a week.

The reason for all the pelvic tucking and toe pointing exercise at Pure Barre South Tampa was the instructor, Elise Rosato-Devin, who is not only a pure barre instructor but also a spin instructor, a fitness competitor and a national sales coordinator for Juice Plus.

Screen Shot 2017-04-03 at 7.08.34 AM

Follow Elise on Instagram at @barrebellafit

Nick and Elise met up at a local coffee shop and dug into some background and details.

First up, as it was top of mind since Nick just completed his first class, was the Barre workout. The contracting of muscles, the intense control, is all about tearing down the muscle fiber and rebuilding them with isometrics. This training usually appeals to women (95% of clients are female) because it builds long lean muscle, while men come in, try the workout and usually struggle with the poses. In his 55-minute workout, Nick burned almost 400 calories!

In addition to teaching barre, Elise is also a spin instructor at Soho Cycling, where her focus is more on building cardio. She is even a fan of Peloton and she recently visited their home studio in New York to train!  Elise focuses on the shake and burn while in the barre studio, she uses interval training in her spin classes to burn fat and build heart health.

Elise also goes into her experience as a fitness competitor. When she was training to compete in 2016, she was lifting weights six days a week, but overtraining most likely led to a back injury that forced her to put her hopes of competing on hold. This temporary setback helped her realize she needs to have a different mindset when she restarts her training later this year, especially as a vegetarian, which can make consuming enough protein without consuming too many carbs difficult.

The topic of nutrition helped draw their conversation to her use of Juice Plus for its whole food nutrition. The supplements are based on a “juicing” concept to provide individuals with a multivitamin that people can actually absorb, unlike synthetic vitamins you get at the drug store. Since our current food system is drastically lower in nutrient dense whole fruit and vegetables, Juice Plus juices fruit and vegetables fresh from the farm in order to provide the maximum amount of nutrients possible.

The supplements provide the nutrients we need to fight inflammation and oxidative stress, which can causes illness and disease. Elise tested the product on herself for four months before she started sharing it with her network of friends and family as a sales coordinator. She was impressed by the large amount of clinical research Juice Plus did to confirm the legitimacy of their products’ nutritional benefits. Plus, if you use Juice Plus, you can sponsor a vitamin program for a child for free up to four years – a great program giving back to kids in need.

Learn more about the Jucie Plus products Elise provides HERE.

Podcast pic 4-3

Nick and I were both really impressed with Elise’s diverse fitness journey. I was a wee bit jealous of her trip to the Peloton studio in NYC for sure!

Since the topic of Juice Plus had been requested by one of our friends and listeners, Katie C., we were happy to finally get into this, especially with a great interview subject. I have used some of the Juice Plus products previously and had positive experiences. No doubt, we’ll be looking into Juice Plus ourselves in the future, Nick is really eager to try it out before officially endorsing it to clients and family.

If you’ve used Juice Plus before, we’d love it hear about it, along with any other feedback you’d like to provide about the podcast. Don’t be a stranger and get in touch with us. Connect with us on our social channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) or send us an email at elementaltampa@gmail.com.

Thanks again for making March our best month yet!

Links to this week’s episode

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/interview-juice-plus-senior-sales-coordinator-elise/id1121420986?i=1000383626057&mt=2

Android: http://subscribeonandroid.com/addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/rss

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/an-interview-with-juice-plus-senior-sales-coordinator-elise-rosato-devin

Addicted to Fitness Show Notes – Crutch Foods & How To Avoid Them

We were working late again on this week’s podcast, which is pretty evident straight off the bat as poor annunciation (listen for the excellent “recrap” instead of “recap” moment) led to some pretty funny moments amidst our discussions.

Our first point was serious praise for all you listeners who have truly stepped up in the recent weeks and are leading the podcast to some exciting milestones. Keep up the sharing and listening as we work to make the podcast better than ever!

In our look back on our past week of training, Nick called out his most recent accomplishment – taking his first barre class at Pure Barre in South Tampa. You’ll be hearing more about this experience in the future, but for now here’s a little taste…

Me at barre

I’ve never felt so uncomfortable at a bar

Meanwhile, I got back on the Peloton cycle and had to make some decisions of my own, reevaluating my fitness goals and identifying the changes I needed to make. We’ll go into it more in the future, especially the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely) parameters that you can use to set successful goals.

One of the biggest areas of health and fitness goal setting is diet, which brings us to this week’s main podcast topic – Crutch Foods.

food-salad-restaurant-person

Any of these items your crutch food?

The first question we seek to answer is what is a crutch food?

Nick’s definition of crutch food included more of an emotional aspect = food that elicits a pleasurable feeling, or rather comfort foods.

My definition focused more on it being the habitual use of comfort foods so that it becomes an unconscious addition to almost every one of your meals. You don’t eat the food item for its nutritional value, but rather it takes over as a reliant go-to.

For me, my recent crutch food was an old friend/foe – breads and carbs – but I have also used cheese and dairy as a crutch food in the past, thus the reason I was a vegan at one point in time.

Nick’s crutch food is coffee. Though he’s not currently drinking an unhealthy amount he drinks it regardless of whether he needs the benefits it provides or not. It has become something he leans on, like a crutch.

food-kitchen-cutting-board-cooking

A diet of whole & seasonal ingredients can lead to better health

This brings us to how do you shake or avoid crutch foods.

Though it may come as a surprise, a great resource recently came out in the April 2017 issue of  Martha Stewart Living. Since Nick is as big of a Marth Stewart fan as I am (which we have a good laugh about – though he denies just how much he loves her), we talk through the article “The New Way to Eat” and the 12 principles it outlines to put the focus back on whole, seasonal foods.

The 12 Principles:

  1. Expand Your Food Horizons – be adventurous and explore different types of whole foods; incorporate more in your diet
  2. Get Satisfaction – Remove distractions while eating to fully ensure your focus is where it should be
  3. Let Things Simmer – Embrace some crockpot-style cooking to capitalize on the benefits
  4. Be Smart About Starch – Carbs aren’t the devil and some like starches can be a smart part of your diet
  5. See Seafood Differently – Get some of the original smart food: seafood (avoid large predatory fish – high in mercury)
  6. Wine is Fine – Studies show that some wine, especially the antioxidant-rich dark reds, can have some added benefits in moderation
  7. Go for Full-Fat – Though some can’t handle dairy, those who can, will see benefits from full-fat dairy which is actually easier for our bodies to digest than processed, low-fat versions
  8. Fill Up On Fiber – Fresh produce has more than vitamins; it’s loaded with fiber which is vital to our digestion
  9. Finish Strong – Use herbs as a way to pack a tasty and satisfying punch to your meals
  10. Eat Sweets with Intention – A zero-tolerance policy doesn’t work when it comes to desserts so indulge wisely with the utmost intention on enjoying quality in your sweet treats.
  11. Take the Spice Route – Spices pack more than a punch of flavor, some have incredible anti-inflammatory and brain-benefiting powers, so use them when you can
  12. Lock It In For Life – Focus on real food, not just for a day, but every day to create lasting impact

Nick and I break down each of the principles and talk about how they can be used to formulate a good diet and strong lifestyle. Many of the principles are ones we already subscribe to, but it’s easy to forget just how important healthy eating is. The article provides an important reminder.

Podcast Pic 3-27

Thanks again for making March our best month yet. Keep listening and sharing the podcast and if you have time please give us a rating and review in iTunes. Be sure to keep connected with us and feel free to send any feedback via our social channels or email elementaltampa@gmail.com.

Links for this week’s episode:

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/crutch-foods-how-to-avoid-them/id1121420986?i=1000383159057&mt=2

Android: http://subscribeonandroid.com/addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/rss

Website: http://addictedtofitness.libsyn.com/crutch-foods-how-to-avoid-them