HOLIDAY TIPS
December willl be a challenging month for all you "Eat Like Mark'ers". But, as Martin Luther King said...
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
So what can we do? Check out some of the previous sections such as "Surviving Thanksgiving" and "Setbacks" above, to help answer this. We will add some extra tips in this section as we progress through the holiday season.
Today's tip, 12/1/11.... Leave your hunger at home Don't head out to your holiday party hungry. Start with a full stomach. Eat something healthy and substantial before you head out. For example - Oatmeal, mixed nuts and seeds, vegetable juice with some fiber powder (psyllium husk is my choice), boiled egg whites with hummus, canned meat such as tuna, or salmon with some hummus mixed in, Mark's mush(or your own concoction), or a veggie smoothie for you "Platinum Member" Eat Like Mark'ers and anyone who is up for it.
Today's tip, 12/4...- Lemon water - Lemon is a natural appetite suppressant. Bring a glass of lemon water with you in the car on the way to the Christmas party. Get a glass of lemon water as soon as you arrive at the party. Keep drinking lemon water all evening. It will suppress your appetite making it easier to avoid the "table-of- yummies"! If you are drinking lemon water, you are drinking less alcohol. Less alcohol means less sugar calories and less of its' appetite enhancing effects (a.k.a. "The Munchies").
Lemon water is also touted to have other benefits such as improved digestion and absorption of important nutrients. Lemon water helps to alkalinize our bodies which offsets the unhealthy acidic environment created by all the crappy foods we eat. By alkalinizing our system, we are less susceptible to infections and can better fight off the ones we get(colds, flu, etc)
Today's tip, 12/7 - "The good with the bad" - Just another revision of an old Eat Like Mark theme..that is BALANCE. For every piece of a cookie, cracker, cake, candy, and other holiday crap you know is bad (but tastes ohh so go good), have 2 or 3 portions of something nutritious and healthy. Be honest, even though most holiday parties/gatherings are laden with unhealthy stuff, there is usually a lonely, underutilized veggie tray somewhere to be found.
Tip of the day , 12/9 - Use a Plate - Holiday parties typically have food scattered all over, and usually a central table full of irresistible treats. You tell yourself that you will just "cheat a little" tonight. However, it is impossible to have an accurate assessment of quantities when you are simply picking from the goodie table every time you pass by. Instead, put all your food on to a plate, look at it and take mental note. If you go for seconds/thirds/etc., do the same. To take it a step further, after you are done looking at your full plate, put some back!
SURVIVING THANKSGIVING
If there was ever an excuse to NOT "Eat Like Mark", Thanksgiving is it. Here are some simple, easy to follow ways to get through this long weekend with out totally jumping "off the wagon".
Remember, Eat Like Mark is all about BALANCE. With respect to Thanksgiving weekend, balance means;
1. Your health and the consequences of your food choices relate to what you do 90% of the time, or what your "average" diet looks like. So, if this weekend is a giant sized indulgence....so what...make sure that enjoy every single bite. Hop right back on track Monday morning and grab some veggies! See "Setbacks" above.
2. If Thursday is a complete blowout, try to make Friday a perfect Eat Like Mark Day.
3. If Sat or Sun are anticipated to be more days of full of indiscretions, make the other day a healthy one
4. Eat a large, healthy breakfast each day
5. Eat a bunch of veggies/oatmeal/etc. before heading out the door (or answering the door if you are the host) to the big feast.
6. Minimize the damage of each meal as follows.... for every portion of stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, yams, bread, pie, sweets, or any other evil foods, eat an identical weight portion of turkey. Also, have a handful of nuts with each serving. By doing this you will eat less total calories, stay satisfied longer, and keep the carb load (and thus glycemic load) in balance.
SETBACKS
You are at a party with friends. The chips and cheese dip is irresistible. You had a glass of wine so your defenses are down... "I'll just have a taste" you say to yourself. Next thing you know the bowl is gone, along with your next glass of wine. Then.." ahh what the h...., give me one of those brownies". You blew it. You "cheated"..... Really? Did you blow it? Did you cheat?.. I say absolutely not. That type of thinking is a setup for failure. Now you no longer believe that you can do this "diet thing", so it is over. You concede. "Eat Like Mark is for Mark, not for me. He must be a freak. I will try some other diet plan next week, next month, after the first of the year. And by the way, I am eating Pizza tomorrow."
Does Tiger Woods ever hit into the sand trap....Yes. Does Peyton Manning ever throw a game loosing interception.....Yes. Are you a better "eater" than they are athletes....I doubt it... So why hold yourself to a standard of perfection that is guaranteed to disappoint?
Keep in mind that this is a "process", you start at a certain point and move forward for a lifetime! Moving forward means doing so "on average". That means pitfalls, delays, and setbacks are all to be expected. When they happen, accept them as such. Don't use them as a reason to give up. They are normal. You are normal. They are to be expected. The process takes a lifetime. Your journey into optimal eating will mirror the ocean during a rising tide. It will not steadily rise but rather will comes in waves, with crests and troughs. You will experience troughs but with time, each trough will not be as low as the previous trough, and, on average, with time, you will rise.
Since setbacks are normal, let's just say they are mandatory. Build them in to your eating plan. Plan to indulge on regular intervals, say once or twice per week. Over time, decrease the frequency of indulgences but do not make yourself miserable. For example, if you know that you will be out with friends on Sat evening then just plan to indulge that night. Do it without guilt (I know that I do) and enjoy every bite of pizza, chips, cookies, etc. To help eliminate your guilt, eat extra healthy during that day and the next day. To help minimize the extremeness of your indulgence, consider eating a healthy meal right before you go out. I can promise you that WITH TIME, you will not want to indulge as often because it will no longer make you "feel good" to do so. In fact, just about everyone that I coach, including myself, tells me that now (unlike before) "they feel like crap" when they eat that way.
"Everything in moderation, including moderation"
PORTIONS
We all hear about the importance of portion control. Calorie restriction is not only paramount to weight control but has also been shown to be the most important factor in healthy aging. "Eat Like Mark" philosophy embraces the importance of calorie restriction but not through starvation to the point of being uncomfortable...why??.. As I preach in the "patience" section..anything that makes you "feel bad" will increase the likelihood of reverting back to your old "feel good" ways. So how do we decrease our portions, decrease caloric intake and still "feel good". Pay attention to the following principles:
1. Listen to your body. The only way to not "feel bad" is to listen to your body's needs. Does that mean eating a bag of M&M's..well, if you need to then maybe, on occasion, it does. Keep in mind that this is a "process", you start at a certain point and move forward for a lifetime! Moving forward means doing so "on average". That means pitfalls, delays, and setbacks are all to be expected. When they happen, accept them as such. Don't use them as a reason to give up. They are normal. You are normal. The process takes a lifetime. Your journey into optimal eating will mirror the ocean during a rising tide. It will not steadily rise but rather will comes in waves, with crests and troughs. You will experience troughs but with time, each trough will be be higher than the previous, and ,on average, you will rise.
1. Listen to your body. The only way to not "feel bad" is to listen to your body's needs. Does that mean eating a bag of M&M's..well, if you need to then maybe, on occasion, it does. Keep in mind that this is a "process", you start at a certain point and move forward for a lifetime! Moving forward means doing so "on average". That means pitfalls, delays, and setbacks are all to be expected. When they happen, accept them as such. Don't use them as a reason to give up. They are normal. You are normal. The process takes a lifetime. Your journey into optimal eating will mirror the ocean during a rising tide. It will not steadily rise but rather will comes in waves, with crests and troughs. You will experience troughs but with time, each trough will be be higher than the previous, and ,on average, you will rise.
2. Baby Steps. Fill up your plate as usual, then just put a couple items back. Over weeks to months(remember be patient), put back more and more. You will begin to impress yourself at how much you put back.
3. Seconds - If you typically go back for seconds, do the same as #1. Your goal over several months will be to stop having seconds
4. BALANCE- I am big on this theory. Every time you eat, try to have a balance of protein, carbs AND fat. You will discover that by doing this, and selecting healthy choices from each category, you will feel comfortable and full with less food and for a longer period of time.
5. Be Creative - Open your mind. Use your imagination to mix healthy ingredients for a particular recipe (e.g. Mark's Mush). Strive for using healthy ingredients in a way that tastes good to you. If/when you find a winner, send it in to Eat Like Mark so we can share it with everyone. "A mind that opens to a new idea never returns to its original size"..Albert Einstein
6. Snacks - Go ahead. Eat as often as you like following the above rules. Eat 5-6 times per day. In fact, more frequent, smaller meals is preferable to fewer, larger ones. If you cannot always be balanced with snacks, then try nuts. Their high healthy fat content will hold you over. If you do eat nuts, don't go crazy because they don't seem to be "hitting the spot". The "full" feeling that comes from eating nuts takes 30-60 minutes to set in but then lasts for hours.
The same theory of portions applies to ingredients in my recipes. Eat Like Mark believes you should enjoy your food and what works for one person may not work for another so being dogmatic about meals, recipes, portions is not my philosophy. Make it to your taste with the goal of, at some point, minimizing the less healthy ingredients and creating a balanced meal.
EATING WHILE TRAVELING
Traveling poses extra challenges to healthy eating. Extra challenges are just that..challenges, not obstacles. Forethought and preparation are essential.
1. Pack some food with you. You can eat them on the plane and avoid buying their overpriced crap
- Nuts
- Food bars - In general, I am not a fan of these but some types are OK and, again, it is about making the best choice available to you at the time
- Some fruits (apple,orange, grapefruit) will travel well and can be eaten on the plane/in the car
- Homemade left overs of any kind put in Tupperware., including salads with added meat.
- Granola
- Canned meat/fish...salmon, sardines.. they will get inspected at security but will be allowed.
2. Airport food - Search out the "healthier" choices at the airport. Depending on how much time you have, you can generally find salads, grilled chicken sandwiches/wraps, turkey or chicken subs. Can eat "open face" to reduce bread consumption. Remember, it is not about being perfect, just doing your best under the circumstances.
3. Leave home on a full stomach - Eat plenty immediately before you leave home so you will have less of an appetite during the travel time.
4. Hotel food - Most hotels have some sort of continental or buffet breakfast, some much better than others. Almost all offer oatmeal which, even though is the the instant type, is still better than a donut. Many have eggs, yogurt, whole wheat breads, and fruit. Many hotels also have a mini fridge allowing you to buy and store some fruit, or left overs from the prior nights (hopefully) healthy dinner.
OPTIMIZING YOUR GROWTH HORMONE.. NATURALLY
Growth hormone(GH) has numerous benefits including, but not limited to the following:
- Increased lean body mass
- Increased strength and aerobic capacity
- Improved cognition
- Increased bone density
- Improved quality of sleep and all it's associated benefits
- Improved cholesterol/lipid profiles
- Decreased risk of coronary artery disease
- Improved cardiac function
- Possibly improvement/reversal of atherosclerotic changes in carotid arteries
- Decreased visceral fat
- Improved wound healing
- Increased energy
- Increased sense of well being
Elevating one's GH has become so desirable that many people go as far as injecting supplemental GH. However, there are some simple things that can be done to optimize our body's own GH levels naturally if we understand just a few basic principles:
- GH is released in response to intense exercise (Anaerobic, high intensity interval training, not moderate, aerobic exercise)
- GH is released during stage IV(slow wave) sleep. The amount released decreases with each successive round of sleep (approx. 90 min each), with the majority being released in the first two rounds.
- Not eating. Even short term starvation stimulates GH
- GH is counteracted by insulin.
- GH secretion exponentially diminishes with age, dropping off rapidly at ages 30 with very little secretion after age 50
- Not eating within 1-2 hours of exercise. Even pure protein will stimulate insulin and couteract GH
- Not eating within 3-4 hours of sleeping.
- Getting a good nights sleep, especially the first 3 hours
- There is some, inconclusive data that certain forms of the amino acid arginine can enhance GH secretion during sleep. See below.
The amino acid arginine is a GH releaser when administered IV. Controversy exists over which oral form and dose are most effective, if any. Some options include high doses (eg 30 gram) of plain arginine taken in divided doses 3 times/day day. 1500mg or slightly more of arginine pyroglutamate plus lysine(purchased as a single powder) taken before bed. Beware that high doses of arginine products can have short term side effects of GI discomfort and diarrhea.
As an aside, arginine is also credited with having very beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system via its ability to elevate levels of Nitric Oxide(NO) which has extremely beneficial effects on blood vessels
BABY STEPS FOR LASTING CHANGES
The Eat Like Mark, Meal of the day should be viewed as an example, not a requirement.
It is imperative that you only change your diet in small, baby steps. Dramatic changes are almost always unpleasant and therefore A GUARANTEE FOR FAILURE. You should enjoy and look forward to everything you eat. I know I do!
For example, the VEGGIE SMOOTHIE (and to a lesser degree the breakfast drink and Mark's mush) is an extreme menu item that took years to work into. If you think that you can start eating these on a regular basis right from the get go, you are wrong. Vegetables are one of, if not the, healthiest things that we can eat and the Veggie smoothie is a great way to increase our daily intake so lets figure out how to ease into it.....
Start with plain vegetable juice such as V8. Add local raw honey or whatever you need to so that you really like it. That's it, just enjoy a glass each day. Work your way to the low sodium versions. Later, for the breakfast drink, start adding the other ingredients (see previous glossary). For the veggie smoothie, start adding real veggies, perhaps some other fruit juices (preferably 100% juices, no sugar, corn syrup or other additives). I would not even attempt the veggie smoothie until you are completely happy with a fully loaded breakfast drink and even then it may not be for you.
PATIENCE..Results will come from the inside-out
"Eat Like Mark" is not about "loosing 10lbs by Christmas", or "fitting into that bathing suit by summer". It is about changing the way you look at food and the way you eat food FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE..Hence the motto.."It's not just a diet, It's a lifestyle". Consider how long it took to develop your bad eating habits and how long it took those bad habits to become noticeable. Obesity, diabetes, and heart disease which have become alarmingly prevalent in our society are the result of decades (not weeks or months) of poor eating habits. Now why would you think that reversing those habits and their effects would take any less time?
The Eat Like Mark motive is not about "looking good", it is about feeling good. It is about feeling energetic and youthful both mentally and physically. The Eat Like Mark motive is about performance however you define it, from casual gardener to professional athlete. Having said that, "good looks" will be a pleasant side effect of the enhanced function, but not visa versa. Eat Like Mark is for those who are looking for long term, lasting changes.
If a short term weight loss goal is what you seek, there are plenty of diet programs available that will offer quick results. About 90% of people who enter into those programs and have short term success end up reverting back to unhealthy ways, and regaining the weight. Why is that? Well, there are probably many reasons but one main reason is changing too much, too fast. This makes people miserable. As I have preached, it is baby steps that lead to lasting changes. Changing too much, too fast takes away the comfort and familiarity of our eating. The simple fact is that, at some level, we all derive emotional and psychological pleasure from our food. Drastic changes means taking away those familiar pleasures of the foods we eat. That makes us "feel bad". When we feel bad,we will dread the "program rules" rather than embrace and enjoy them. Since we can all only tolerate so much "feeling bad" we will revert back to what makes us "feel good", thus failure of the diet.
I would encourage you to change just one thing every two weeks. It can be as simple as reducing the number Diet Coke's in half and replacing them with lemon water. While I cannot respond to everyone, please send me your comments and ideas and we will change your life one meal at a time! You may not loose 10lbs by this Christmas but.. by next Christmas, you will be a new person, from inside, out!
BASIC FOOD GROUPS AND EXAMPLE HEALTHY CHOICES
CARBOHYDRATES
Carbohydrate selection cannot occur without a fundamental understanding of the GLYCEMIC INDEX/GLYCEMIC LOAD (http://www.dietandfitnesstoday.com/glycemic-index-food-list.php). Optimal carb choices are low glycemic(AKA "slow" carbs). The goal is to minimize our bodies secretion of insulin in response to rising blood sugar (and yes, protein also causes insulin release)
Raw vegetables. By far the best source. Find a way to get as many as possible into your diet. You cannot eat too many (organic) vegetables. The Veggie Smoothie is a fabulous choice but, as mentioned, takes some time to get used to.
Beans - Lentils are best followed by black beans. All are great sources of "slow carbs", fiber, protein. This includes hummus
Nuts - Primarily a fat choice. Walnuts and almonds are the best. Walnuts have the highest Omega-3 content
Dairy - A credible argument can be made against all milk products, especially pasteurized ones since we are the only mammals that drink milk past the baby stage. That nothwithstanding, Greek strained plain yogurt, cottage cheese, raw/unpasteurized, full fat milk are very convenient, OK choices in limited amounts
Fruits - Limit quantity. Pay attention to glycemic index and fructose content. Grapefruit, berries, cherries are best choices
Sprouted grain products - Ezekial bread
Quinoa
Barley
Millet
100% whole wheat products
Whole oats (not instant)
PROTEIN
Egg whites/whole eggs
Dairy - A credible argument can be made against all milk products, especially pasteurized ones since we are the only mammals that drink milk past the baby stage. That nothwithstanding, Greek strained plain yogurt, cottage cheese, raw/unpasteurized, full fat milk are very convenient, OK horrible choices in limited amounts
Beans - Primarily a carb but also a good source of protein. Lentils are best followed by black beans. All are great sources of "slow carbs", fiber, protein
Nuts - Primarily a fat source, secondarily a protein source.
Fish - Cold water fish have highest omega-3 content (wild salmon, sardine, herring)
Poultry
Bison
Venison
Lean, grass fed beef
Whey protein concentrate - If needed
FATS - I am a firm believer in eating some healthy fat with every meal... more to follow.....fat DOES NOT make you fat
Nuts - Walnuts and almonds are best choices. Walnuts have highest omega-3
Nut butters- almond butter probably the best. If using peanut butter, try to convert to 100% natural (ingredients should say "peanuts", maybe salt). Conventional peanut butter is made with unhealthy oils.
Oils - Some controversy as which are best so use sparingly. Olive, Canola s seem to be good choices.
Avocado
PATIENCE..Results will come from the inside-out
"Eat Like Mark" is not about "loosing 10lbs by Christmas", or "fitting into that bathing suit by summer". It is about changing the way you look at food and the way you eat food FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE..Hence the motto.."It's not just a diet, It's a lifestyle". Consider how long it took to develop your bad eating habits and how long it took those bad habits to become noticeable. Obesity, diabetes, and heart disease which have become alarmingly prevalent in our society are the result of decades (not weeks or months) of poor eating habits. Now why would you think that reversing those habits and their effects would take any less time?
The Eat Like Mark motive is not about "looking good", it is about feeling good. It is about feeling energetic and youthful both mentally and physically. The Eat Like Mark motive is about performance however you define it, from casual gardener to professional athlete. Having said that, "good looks" will be a pleasant side effect of the enhanced function, but not visa versa. Eat Like Mark is for those who are looking for long term, lasting changes.
If a short term weight loss goal is what you seek, there are plenty of diet programs available that will offer quick results. About 90% of people who enter into those programs and have short term success end up reverting back to unhealthy ways, and regaining the weight. Why is that? Well, there are probably many reasons but one main reason is changing too much, too fast. This makes people miserable. As I have preached, it is baby steps that lead to lasting changes. Changing too much, too fast takes away the comfort and familiarity of our eating. The simple fact is that, at some level, we all derive emotional and psychological pleasure from our food. Drastic changes means taking away those familiar pleasures of the foods we eat. That makes us "feel bad". When we feel bad,we will dread the "program rules" rather than embrace and enjoy them. Since we can all only tolerate so much "feeling bad" we will revert back to what makes us "feel good", thus failure of the diet.
I would encourage you to change just one thing every two weeks. It can be as simple as reducing the number Diet Coke's in half and replacing them with lemon water. While I cannot respond to everyone, please send me your comments and ideas and we will change your life one meal at a time! You may not loose 10lbs by this Christmas but.. by next Christmas, you will be a new person, from inside, out!
BASIC FOOD GROUPS AND EXAMPLE HEALTHY CHOICES
CARBOHYDRATES
Carbohydrate selection cannot occur without a fundamental understanding of the GLYCEMIC INDEX/GLYCEMIC LOAD (http://www.dietandfitnesstoday.com/glycemic-index-food-list.php). Optimal carb choices are low glycemic(AKA "slow" carbs). The goal is to minimize our bodies secretion of insulin in response to rising blood sugar (and yes, protein also causes insulin release)
Raw vegetables. By far the best source. Find a way to get as many as possible into your diet. You cannot eat too many (organic) vegetables. The Veggie Smoothie is a fabulous choice but, as mentioned, takes some time to get used to.
Beans - Lentils are best followed by black beans. All are great sources of "slow carbs", fiber, protein. This includes hummus
Nuts - Primarily a fat choice. Walnuts and almonds are the best. Walnuts have the highest Omega-3 content
Dairy - A credible argument can be made against all milk products, especially pasteurized ones since we are the only mammals that drink milk past the baby stage. That nothwithstanding, Greek strained plain yogurt, cottage cheese, raw/unpasteurized, full fat milk are very convenient, OK choices in limited amounts
Fruits - Limit quantity. Pay attention to glycemic index and fructose content. Grapefruit, berries, cherries are best choices
Sprouted grain products - Ezekial bread
Quinoa
Barley
Millet
100% whole wheat products
Whole oats (not instant)
PROTEIN
Egg whites/whole eggs
Dairy - A credible argument can be made against all milk products, especially pasteurized ones since we are the only mammals that drink milk past the baby stage. That nothwithstanding, Greek strained plain yogurt, cottage cheese, raw/unpasteurized, full fat milk are very convenient, OK horrible choices in limited amounts
Beans - Primarily a carb but also a good source of protein. Lentils are best followed by black beans. All are great sources of "slow carbs", fiber, protein
Nuts - Primarily a fat source, secondarily a protein source.
Fish - Cold water fish have highest omega-3 content (wild salmon, sardine, herring)
Poultry
Bison
Venison
Lean, grass fed beef
Whey protein concentrate - If needed
FATS - I am a firm believer in eating some healthy fat with every meal... more to follow.....fat DOES NOT make you fat
Nuts - Walnuts and almonds are best choices. Walnuts have highest omega-3
Nut butters- almond butter probably the best. If using peanut butter, try to convert to 100% natural (ingredients should say "peanuts", maybe salt). Conventional peanut butter is made with unhealthy oils.
Oils - Some controversy as which are best so use sparingly. Olive, Canola s seem to be good choices.
Avocado
