Alternatives to Grain Starches, One Year Later!

This month makes a year since I started replacing grains with alternative starches - grains being rice, wheat, and corn. This change also automatically helped to reduce the amount of sugar in my eating plan.

There were various reasons why I made this change - to reduce calories so I could increase my quantity of food; based on some information I had studied regarding how grains are produced now vs. decades ago; and, additional information on how the most common ingredients in grains affect our joints. 

I still have one (maybe two) treats a week that involve a grain,  usually wheat (cake, pie or pastry); but, five to six days a week, I only eat the alternatives.

The essential macro nutrients we need everyday are proteins, fats and carbohydrates (carbs). The main reason we eat grains is for the carbs, but sugar is a main contributor to the amount of grams in carbs. We need carbs, but we don't have to get it from grains!

Alternatives to grain starches that also help us meet our daily recommended grams of carbs are starchy vegetables, high-carb fruits, and beans...

ex. sweet potatoes, carrots, rutabagas, turnips, cauliflower rice, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, white potatoes, lima beans, edamame, high-carb fruit (bananas, grapes, etc...)

AMPS baked root vegetables 

I can't prove it with scientifical facts, but eversince I started making this change, I have not been having lower back pains or ankle and knee soreness; I haven't HAD to stretch before running and working out (although, it's a good thing to do); and I haven't had my lifelong semi-annual allergy symptoms. 

I would suggest to you to try replacing your grain starches with starchy vegetables, high-carb fruits and beans for 30-days and see if maybe certain health and physical issues that have plagued you for years don't begin to subside.

If you need help getting started on your lifestyle change, get in touch today! Remember, "Exercise changes your shape,  but eating 'right' changes your size!"

Health & Wellnes is good for your eyes!

I had my two year eye exam last month and the optometrist said, "The back of your eyes are glowing, they look as healthy as a 30 year old!" LOL I have NEVER heard that before...

My vision started deteriorating in my mid-30's, and every time I went for my eye exam, the optometrist would send me to an ophthalmologist for a second opinion. This has happened every year since I started wearing glasses.  This was the FIRST time that didn't happen.

The optometrist proceeded to ask me what's my "lifestyle regimen" - yes, he worded it just like that!  I told him my background and my eating Plan and workout regimen, and he said he could tell. He told me whatever I'm doing, keep doing it and he'll see me in two years.

I decided to find out what's the connection to health & wellness and our eyes, and I discovered the two have a lot to do with each other. There is more than enough information out there, but here are a few highlights and their sources:

Cleveland Clinic
Cataracts. Whether it’s a brisk walk around your block or a run through the park or on a track, a 2013 study found that both activities “may be associated with decreased risk of age-related cataract.” A 2016 study had similar findings, and added that a lack of physical activity may be associated with an increased risk of getting cataracts.

Wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). A study of about 4,000 older adults over 15 years found that those who were active and exercised three or more times a week were less likely to develop exudative (wet) AMD. Wet AMD develops when unwanted blood vessels grow under the center of the retina and leak blood and fluid into the eye.

Glaucoma. Doctors treat glaucoma by lowering high intraocular (eye) pressure. Research focused on young adults found that moderate intensity, low-impact exercise led to significant reductions in eye pressure. The Glaucoma Research Foundation calls for regular, ongoing exercise, such as walking or jogging, to help reduce eye pressure.

Silverstein Eye Centers
You may be surprised to learn that, in as little as 30 minutes per day, you can take effective action against common eye diseases and preserve your vision.

The link between your vision and your physical activity is oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is a term that has been heavily used in the healthcare industry in recent years, but few people really have an understanding of how it affects health and well-being. Oxidative stress describes an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species, or free radicals, and the body’s capacity to defend their harmful effects with antioxidants. ... Studies reveal that exercise counteracts the effects of oxidative damage that leads to eye disease.

Few people are aware that your eye health can be threatened by your overall physical health as well. Diabetes, for instance, is a condition in which the body has trouble producing or using insulin to regulate blood glucose levels. When blood sugar is too high for too long, damage can occur in various body parts, including your eyes. The small blood vessels in the eyes may swell or leak, or abnormal blood vessels may develop in a condition known as diabetic retinopathy. Even if you do not develop diabetic retinopathy, diabetes can affect your eyes. ... Exercise is one of the most effective ways to prevent diabetes and any resulting ocular disease or damage.

There are many other sources you can research on your own, but the moral is the same, eating "right" and exercise is good for your overall health and wellbeing! However, I still had to get new glasses...LOL

 

 

But anyway... get in touch if you're ready to get started on your lifestyle change today! Remember, "Exercise changes your shape, but eating 'right' changes your size!" AMPSLifestyleChange