Healthy Life, Bob Style Has Moved!

The Healthy Life, Bob Style blog is now incorporated into the Bob Howell Transformations website! To read new and exciting posts from Bob on Healthy Life, Bob Style, be sure to click on this website: http://bobhowelltransformations.com/blog. I look forward to engaging in discussion over the Primal Lifestyle and how to lose weight and keep it off!

The Four Pillars to a Healthy Body

After reading all of my other blogs, a question may come to your mind - 

Are there any supplements that you should be taking? Yes! Four to be exact: Multivitamin, Fish Oils, Digestive Enzyme, and Vitamin D.

Why a multivitamin? How many of us are making sure that we are covered with the spectrum of vitamins and minerals with food? My guess is not many. I find that we are creatures of habit and generally eat the same things on a daily basis, so unless you are eating a variety of vegetables and fruits every day, as well as a variety of protein sources, it is hard to make sure that you are getting all your vitamins. This is where the multivitamin comes in! You want to cover you bases on every vitamin, so taking a good multi is essential. A good multi will have the vitamins from organic (found in nature) compounds, so make sure that you look for one that doesn't have any synthetic vitamins in it. Also, a lot of people have trouble with big multivitamin pills, so what to do then? I recommend Shakeology. Because it comes from all natural sources, it has a broad spectrum of vitamins and minerals, and it has a digestive enzyme in it, so that takes another supplement that I recommend out of pill form. Plus, it tastes good. Learn more about Shakeology here.

Fish Oils, my second favorite supplement. Why do you want to take fish oils? There are many, many reasons to take fish oils. My biggest reason is that our diets are way out of whack when it comes to the ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6. We should have a ratio of 1 to 1 but unfortunately with the Standard American Diet (SAD) we get a ratio of 1 to 30. Why is this a bad thing? Well, once Omega 6 gets beyond the ratio of 1 to 1 it starts causing inflammation in the body, and inflammation can be traced as the cause of many health issues: cancer,back pain, heart attack, IBS, arthritis, migraines, etc... The list could go on and on. Taking a good cold water fish oil is one of the best ways to try and get the ratio back down to 1 to 1. Of course, another way is to move to the forest and hunt and gather your food. How much to take depends on how your high diet is in Omega 6. Here is a nice list of foods that are high in Omega 6. Some of them might surprise you.

What does a digestive enzyme do for you? Unfortunately, we live in a time when stress is abundant, where we do tend to get sick and take antibiotics, and where many processed foods aid in the growth of unhealthy bacteria and yeast forms while killing off the healthy bacteria. All of these can cause digestive issues, and can affect your immune system. Many people whose diets include daily doses of yogurt or acidophilus are able to maintain healthy gut flora, but these sources aren’t always reliable (pasteurizing and added sugars can reduce their effectiveness), and not everyone can tolerate dairy that well. A digestive enzyme supports your immune system and aids in digestion and regularity.

And of course, Vitamin D: my favorite vitamin. Actually, I use vitamin loosely because research has shown that it closer to a hormone than a vitamin. We used to get our "D" from the sun but we have become so scared of the sun that we layer ourselves with clothing; we stay indoors and put layers of sun screen on. What makes Vitamin D my favorite? Vitamin D regulates the levels of calcium and phosphate in the bloodstream, and it promotes the mineralization and growth of bones, working together with calcium, Vitamin A, and Vitamin K2. It plays an immense role in the immune response, activating the destroyer T-cells for defense against infections and attacking bacteria. It helps the expression of genes that regulate cell production suggesting a potential role in cancer occurrence, and it reduces chronic systemic inflammation. Why it is one of the most chronically deficient vitamins in America? Unbelievable!

No matter how you do it, make sure you’re getting these four supplements in your daily routine. Your body will thank you!

Weight Loss Series Part 3 Continued: Carbohydrates: Low Carb vs. High Carb

      Alright, the battle for the ages, the clash of the titans, it is Low Carb versus High Carb. In one corner we have the king of high protein, Primal/ Paleo Lifestyle. In the other corner we have the people’s “champ,” the amber waves of grain, Standard American Diet. I wanted to explain both sides of this battle in the most unbiased way I possibly could, so here we go.

      First, low carbs can be split a few ways: Primal, Paleo, Atkins, Zone Diet, etc… I am going to focus on Primal for this blog because I view this as the healthiest and most likely to be a lifestyle change instead of a diet.  I know that when people think of low carbs they think of Atkins, but Atkins to me is a quick fix and not really sustainable for the long haul. There are a few differences between Primal and Atkins, but the most notable to me is that Atkins allows processed food and artificial sweeteners, while Paleo is about eating naturally (organic produce, and organic, grass-fed meats).  

      What is Primal exactly?  Primal Living is based upon ten laws. The ten laws are:

1. Eat Lots of Plants, Animals and Insects;

2. Avoid Poisonous Things;

3. Move Frequently At A Slow Pace;

4. Lift Heavy Things;

5. Run Really Fast Once In A While;

6. Get Adequate Sleep;

7. Play;

8. Get Plenty of Sunlight;

9. Avoid Stupid Mistakes; and

10. Use Your Brain.

      It encompasses more than just dietary guidelines, but rather a guideline to live your entire life by. For present purposes, we are going to focus on the carbohydrate views of Primal, but if you want more information on Primal Living, visit http://www.marksdailyapple.com/#axzz2AQjaKo9z.

      The view on carbohydrates from the Primal perspective is that we don’t need grains. We can get our carbohydrates from vegetables and fruit and better utilize them compared to grains. Those who follow the Primal Lifestyle believe that grains/legumes contain anti nutrients. These anti nutrients are lectins, gluten, and phytates. Consider this a eulogy for grains!

       Lectins  bind to insulin receptors, attack the stomach lining of insects, bind to human intestinal lining, and they seemingly cause leptin resistance. And leptin resistance predicts a “worsening of the features of the metabolic syndrome independently of obesity.”

      Gluten might be even worse. Gluten, found in wheat, rye, and barley, is a composite of the proteins gliadin and glutenin. Around 1% of the population is celiac - people who are completely and utterly intolerant of any gluten. In celiacs, any gluten can destroy their gut and all around being. We’re talking lowered calcium and vitamin D3 levels, hyperparathyroidism, bone defects. Oh, you are not celiac? Well you must be fine then. Oh wait! You’re not at all! Just because you’re not celiac doesn’t mean you aren’t susceptible to the ravages of gluten. A study showed that 29% of asymptomatic (not celiac) people nonetheless tested positive for anti-gliadin IgA in their stool. Anti-gliadin IgA is an antibody produced by the gut, and it remains there until it’s dispatched to ward off gliadin – a primary component of gluten. Basically, the only reason anti-gliadin IgA ends up in your stool is because your body sensed an impending threat – gluten. If gluten poses no threat, the anti-gliadin IgA stays in your gut, make sense?

( Lady in the third row wails loudly.)

      Phytates are a problem, too, because they make minerals bio-unavailable, thus rendering null and void any reason to eat grains. (Funeral dirge ensues)

      Now that we have gone over the Primal view, let’s look at how we might be able to make the Standard American Diet work for us. What is The Standard American Diet (SAD)? The typical American diet is about 50% carbohydrate, 15% protein, and 35% fat. These percentages are over the USDA dietary guidelines for the amount of fat (below 30%), below the guidelines for carbohydrate (above 55%), and at the upper end of the guidelines for the amount of protein (below 15%) recommended in the diet. This diet is rich in grains, and because our focus is low carb vs high carb, we will focus on that aspect and not the entire pyramid. 

How can we make the SAD diet work for weight loss? The most important thing to do is eat as close to whole foods as possible. What I mean is eating whole millet, amaranth, barley, whole oats, quinoa, and rice (NOT white or brown but wild, whole rice). I know what you are going to say, “Um, what are amaranth, millet, and quinoa?” They are the weird grains that are in the hippie dippie natural stores that you haven’t gone to but you have always been curious about. They are “old world” grains that are higher in protein and gluten free. Making whole, gluten free grains the carbohydrate you eat is a better choice than the overly processed white rice, rolled oats, corn/ bran flakes, and definitely bread and pastas. Don’t get too upset, though. Find yourself a nice millet, oat, barley, or buckwheat flour and make the bread or pasta yourself. It’s really not that hard, and there are many recipes out there you can use. Eating these and fruits and vegetables to round out your carbohydrates will definitely be the best decision for healthy weight loss and overall health.

There you go folks; the winner of Low Carb versus High Carb is… wait for it… YOU! You can most definitely lose weight with the Primal lifestyle, and with higher carbohydrates that are whole grain and as close to what you would find on the farm or naturally you can lose weight. So I guess it comes down to making good, healthy choices for you. I am sorry if that was too anti climatic of an ending for you, like the finale of the Sopranos.  Until next time!

Paleo Stuffed Pork Chops

Ingredients:

4 thick cut pork chops cut in the middle for a pocket

4 ounces of nitrate free sausage

2 Smashed garlic cloves

4 mushrooms (I used mini portabella) sliced

1 red bell pepper diced

1 onion diced

2 big handfuls of baby spinach

5 tbs cooking fat (I use 3 tbs coconut oil and 2 tbs bacon fat – awesome!)

 Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 F

With a heavy bottomed, oven safe pan melt 3 tbs of cooking fat on low medium heat. Once hot, add the sausage and brown. Once browned, remove to a plate for later.

Add 2 cloves of garlic to the pan, stirring constantly until they are brown, which will infuse the oil with the garlic. Once the garlic cloves have turned brown, throw them away.

Add the rest of the vegetables except the spinach to the pan and sauté until brown. Once browned, add them to the plate with the sausage.

Put spinach in pan and stir until wilted. Once wilted, add to veggie and sausage mix to the pan.

Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper and stuff them with the veg/ sausage mixture.

Add the 2 tbs of cooking fat to the pan, and once melted add the pork chops. Brown the pork chops on both sides and put in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.

Take out and serve with a salad and fried apples.

Fried Apples

Ingredients

3 tbs ghee/clarified butter

4 apples, peeled and sliced thin

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp clove

(2 tsp Apple Pie Spice can be substituted for the cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove.)

½ cup water

Method:

In a large pan, over medium heat melt 2 tbs of ghee.

Add apples, spices, and water.

Stir until apples are soft and the water is almost gone.

Turn the heat up to medium high and add 1 TBS Ghee. Stir until apples are just a bit brown.

Enjoy!

Weight Loss Series Part 3: Carbohydrates: Yes, No, I Don’t Know?!

*As a Forewarning: I am not a doctor, nutritionist, dietician, health guru or what have you. I am just a dude with some experience and a little obsessive research under my belt. *

*Second Forewarning: I follow a Primal Lifestyle and have a bias against grains; I am going to try my darndest to be fair to those who eat grains.*

Carbohydrates: A huge topic on the lips of everyone who is trying to lose, maintain, or gain weight. Everyone has their own opinion and each is different. So some questions that can arise about carbohydrates: What kind of carbohydrates should I eat? How many grams of carbohydrates should I be getting in a day?  Low carb versus high carb; which one is best for weight loss and health? There are many more, and if there is any other question that is burning in your skull to be answered, post a comment and I will answer it to the best of my ability (which is vast and great). 

What kind of Carbohydrates should I eat?

Well, the short answer to that question is Low Glycemic Index carbohydrates. What is the Glycemic Index? The Glycemic Index (GI) is a system of numerical values given to food; it ranks them from low to high by how much of an effect the food has on the glucose levels in the body. Plainly put, the higher the number on the GI, the higher your blood sugar will be. For example, a carrot has a GI of 16, and white rice a GI of 80, therefore white rice effects blood sugar levels 4 times more than a carrot. (Wow, I fell asleep writing that.) Keep the Glycemic Index in mind when choosing foods to eat. Need a guide? Go to http://www.glycemicindex.com/index.php for a helpful guide as well as for more information on the Glycemic Index.   

What foods do you think of when you hear the word carbohydrates? I know what you are thinking.  Bread, Pasta, Rice, Grains. Yes, you are right, but you are forgetting two big categories: Fruits and Vegetables.  Deep breath - is your mind blown?  You are probably saying to yourself, “but I thought I could eat as many fruits and vegetables as I wanted. I don’t like this guy making me think more, dang it.” And for the most part, with vegetables yes you can eat them until the cows come home and then eat the cow for protein, mmmm protein. Sorry. Going back to the point, fruits and vegetables are carbohydrates and range on the GI just like your bread and pastas. Let’s go back to my previous example. Carrots have a GI of 16, and watermelon can range from 75-90. What? Watermelon has the same or higher GI than white rice? Lies! Burn him, he is a witch! And yes, I did turn you into a newt the other day but you got better (Monty Python and the Holy Grail was a great one, wasn’t it?).  It is true, the watermelon not the newt part, so while you are eating a whole watermelon and wondering why you aren’t losing weight you now know. If you make good choices with carbohydrates, meaning the majority of them being low GI and vegetables then you should be on your way to losing weight.

How many grams of carbohydrates should I be getting in a day?

Meh, I don’t know. (Oh, at least I find myself funny.) The real answer depends on a lot of factors like: Are you active? What are your stress levels? Age, weight, gender, body fat percentage, Political Stance (how did that get there, oh yeah it is election season!). You get my point; there are a lot of things to consider before eating that bowl of pasta (that’s right, I see it sitting in front of you). I would say do some trial and error experimenting with them. My suggestion is to keep a carb journal of when, what time, what kind, and how you felt after eating them (bloated, lethargic, energized etc…). Do this for a week or two and try to get a variety of carbs in, to really see what works with your body. You might find that veggies and fruit energize you and fuel you more than bread and pasta - dang, sorry for going Primal for a second. My point really is that everybody’s body responds differently to carbs, and each person has to find out for themselves what they should take in, but with a little effort (yes, you will have to make an effort to lose weight and be healthy) you will be able to determine a “sweet spot” with carbs for yourself. I know I didn’t answer the question with an arbitrary number, say 75, but if I did, would you have read through anything else in this blog?

Alright, I know that I didn’t answer the other question Low Carb versus High Carb? That is a big one and I want to give it an entire post all by itself. Come on people, it is called a tease! Until next time, be healthy and keep striving for the best you!

Broken Web Links

Blogger is working on correcting an issue that makes the links to external websites not work. Until this is fixed, feel free to click on or copy and paste my web links into your URL to get to them quickly! Here they are:

- For The Bob Howell Transformations Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BobHowellTransformations?ref=ts&fref=ts 
This is a page I created to get tips and tricks and information on what I am up to in my weight loss journey for anyone on Facebook. Be sure to like this page!

- For my personal Beachbody website: http://beachbodycoach.com/bobhowell
This is where you will find information on any Beachbody exercise products you may be interested in. Have a look around!

- For my personal Shakeology website: http://myshakeology.com/bobhowell
This website is full of information on the benefits of using Shakeology, as well as recipes to find your best shake. Check it out!