Nutrition

Protein and Amino Acids are the building blocks of our body. Quality proteins are essentially a long strand of Amino Acids that support the growth and development within the body. Our bodies need an assortment of protein from both animal and plant sources alike in order to receive the Aminos we need.

There are several types of quality proteins but not all are created equal. Some are better quality than others; For instance, cattle, buffalo, deer, elk, chicken, turkey as well as seafood like halibut and salmon. These quality proteins can also be obtained from beans, legumes, nuts, grains and even some vegetables. For vegetarians, these should be your main sources of protein.

Ideally you should be looking for meats that are Hormone and Antibiotic Free, Grass Fed, and Free Range. No hormones plus grass fed equal a higher nutrient counts, good fats and proteins, abundant omega 3’s and vitamins A & D

The more intake of quality protein, the more fat-burning your body does! This results in a leaner, meaner body and smaller waist size!. Essential fatty acids are necessary, however, our bodies do not manufacture them.

When people talk about fats, there is generally a huge misconception. It is important to remember that there are both good fats and bad fats! Good sources of healthy fats are found in olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, raw butter, organic grass fed meats, fish oil, seeds, avocados and nuts. Always use heat stable fats and oils to cook with. Try to choose organic foods for safe fats and consume Omega 3’s-especially with children.

Good Fats help lower cholesterol and are vital components of development and repair of the brain and nervous system. The lack of omega 3 and 6 can be associated with several disorders including: Heart Attack, Stroke, Cancer, Obesity, Insulin Resistance, Diabetes, Lupus, Depression, Alzheimer’s, Chronic inflammatory disorders, ADHD, Asthma, Arthritis and more.

Just like there are good fats there are also bad fats and these are why fat is such a bad word! Bad fats are trans-fatty acids that are found in items such as margarine, hydrogenated/ partially hydrogenated oils, vegetables oils and conventionally raised animals and fish. These animals are raised on low nutritional value and are often exposed to toxic pesticides.

It is important to avoid the following: Roasted nuts, Non-organic dairy sources, fried foods unless prepared with palm, coconut oil or lard-but keep at a minimum. Try to keep your trips to fast food restaurants to a minimum or avoid them all together. Fast Food restaurants use low quality foods and fats, most of which are highly processed. Follow these and you are heading in the right direction.

Thank you and have a healthy day,
-Jen Hughes

Most people, including athletes, suffer from muscle imbalances, which can distort your posture, causing problems with your balance, coordination, agility, movement, and athleticism. This can lead to injuries and chronic pain for many if left untreated.Several things in our everyday actions can create imbalance, such as lifting groceries, sitting at a computer or even lugging around a suitcase along with several sports and activities. Muscle tightness, poor posture and abnormal spinal curvature can also lead to imbalances in the body. The single most disproportionate imbalance is between the abs and back.

Motocross can also be huge a factor leading to imbalance due to the rounded backs and poor body positioning; all of which lead to poor posture on and off the bike. These imbalances can be created even faster if the rider does this activity with great frequency.

The goal is to enable the body to work together seamlessly on and off the bike. We will do this by training and stretching the body to work through some of these imbalances. You will notice Ryan performs several exercises on one side of the body at a time. In doing this, you will find that almost always, we are weaker on one side than the other. The intention is to strengthen that weaker side to “even our body out”. If a muscle on one side of the “teeter totter” is pulling harder than the other side, you are going to feel that imbalance, usually in the form of a backache and weakness in your athletic and day-to-day activities.

We will also help correct these imbalances through stretching the tight areas we generally see in MX. You will definitely feel the tight areas where that imbalance lies in your body when you stretch. Namely, these areas tend to be the hamstrings, quads, hips, and chest and lower back. When any of these are tight, you will often feel the imbalance all the way up the back, through the neck and shoulders. It can even result in tension headaches, muscle fatigue, weakness and low energy; which tells you just how important it is to become balanced. Your MX and athletic performance will become better by strengthening and stretching these areas.

Let's talk about sleep. Everyone does it, just not everyone does it optimally! Sleep is part of the foundation to achieving an optimally healthy lifestyle. Lack of sleep has devastating effects on the health that no one would want, ranging from impacting your immune system and increasing your risk of heart disease to raising your blood pressure, worsening constipation, contributing to a pre-diabetic state and premature aging, as well as halting new cell production in the brain and increasing your risk of dying from any cause. Furthermore, it can make diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, MS, kidney disease, behavioral problems and gastrointestinal disorders worse.Ideally, uninterrupted sleep should be between 10pm and 6am. This is when your body is using it's energy for cleaning and repairing. On the contrary, if you "miss out" on a good nights sleep, take a 20 minute nap, rather than sleep "in". You don't want to throw your circadian body rhythm off anymore than you already have. Your body naturally would like to nap between 1-3pm, so if you can, by all means do! I am sure you have felt that dip in your body's energy at that time...several cultures abide by the "siesta", but Americans are always on the go. If you have the luxury of being able to nap, than take advantage of it.

Ideally, you should get in the habit of sleeping and waking around the same time everyday, as this is most beneficial for your body and your mind. Just remember; when sleep is shortened, your body doesn't have enough time to complete muscle repair, memory enhancement, the release of hormones, regulation of metabolism and so forth. In short, it doesn't make you feel or look good inside or out, so try to relish your beauty sleep! It's called that for a reason!

For optimal results, here are a few tips for sleeping well so you will be thoroughly rested and repaired.

1. Avoid watching TV or using your computer at night. These devices can have a huge impact on your sleep. TV's and computers emit a blue light that is similar to the light you are exposed to outdoors, which tricks your brain into thinking it's still daytime, thus shutting off your melatonin production. Yes, this includes your Smart Phone, laptops and those cool iPads and similar items. They are NO BUENO at bedtime. Normally, your brain should start secreting melatonin between 9-10pm which would mean you should start feeling those sleepy eyes about that time. If your melatonin secretion is interrupted by light exposure, insomnia can be a side affect that no one wants.
2. Avoid Stimulants. This means coffee, chocolate, tobacco, sugar...and even exercise. Anything that makes you have energy during the day will keep you up at night.
3. For the ultimate in relaxation, take a hot bath 90-120 minutes before bedtime. This raises your core temperature and when it drops, your body knows it is ready for sleep.
4. Create a room that is comfortable and dark. Even the slightest bit of light in the room can disrupt your internal clock and your pineal gland's production of melatonin and serotonin. We are talking even the teensiest, tiniest glow from your clock radio. It could be interfering with your sleep. So close your bedroom door and get rid of night-lights. Refrain from turning on any light at all at night, even if you have to head to the bathroom. Cover up your clock radio or better yet, completely move it about 3 feet away from your bed area. Cell phones, charging stations, etc. should be in the other room-not at your bedside in order to avoid the harmful EMF's that they emit. If you can't hang without your cell being close to you-put it into airplane mode at least and set it 3 feet away, flipped over so you can't see the shining light. Cover your windows and turn down the temperature to be between 60-70 degrees. Keeping your room too hot or cold will interrupt and create restless sleep. Keep your room nice and tidy which=stress free, purchase a pair of good sheets (they will last forever and you will sleep like a baby) and add some plants to you room, as they are nature's air purifiers. Your room should be your sanctuary! You spend half your life sleeping, so this is super import-tant-tay!
5. Avoid using loud alarm clocks. It is very stressful on your body to be suddenly jolted awake. If you are regularly getting enough sleep, an alarm may even be unnecessary. If you must use something, look for an alarm clock that uses music or light to wake you slowly and softly. Many are available these days, even on your trusty iPhones, which of course will be 3 feet away 🙂

We provide a collection of juicing recipes for several different needs and ailments on our recipes page. Of course, you should always wash everything thoroughly with a mixture of vinegar and water (these veggie washes are also available at your local market) to remove any pesticide residue before you juice.  You can virtually juice just about anything, so just keep it healthy and start with a mix that is more taste-bud pleasing at first.My favorite choices of juicers are as follows: The Omega 4000, Champion Juicer and the Green Star Juice Extractor. They are each a different type of juicer, but are my favorites in each category.  You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg on one, but I do believe you get what you pay for when it comes to juicers!

Most importantly, you want a juicer that will not heat the juice, or at least that will do it very minimally during the actual juicing process. Be prepared to do some cleaning each time you juice. It seriously is more than half of the process and takes patience, but remember juicing is doing something wonderfully healthy for your body so it is totally worth the effort.  You will get better at it and become quicker as you go, I promise!

Here are just a few little tips for those of you new to the juicing world:  It is best to drink your juice on an empty stomach and to wait about half an hour before consuming food because adding juice with solids slows the digestive process down.  The cleaner your body gets from juicing, the more you will notice your taste buds coming back to life! Juicing balances your pH and gives you a direct shot of vitamins, enzymes, mineral, protein and oxygen.

Sweet tasting fruits and veggies that are good for you start juicing with are: cucumber (very tasty and sweet!), celery, romaine lettuce, pea sprouts, broccoli, carrots, beets, apples, pears and lemon (use half…this also cuts anything with a “tart” or “bitter” taste). Once you’ve established your juicing taste buds, you can step it up to the stronger tasting veggies such as: kale, chard, fennel, cabbage, beet greens, spinach, garlic, parsley and ginger (in little bits of course! A little goes along way with ginger).  In making your own concoctions, a good rule of thumb is juicing 3:1, veggies to fruit.

Click here to see all our juicing recipes!  Enjoy!

Sugar has only become available in the last 400 years. I guarantee most of us would not have any idea what to do with a piece of sugar cane, other than whack someone with it! You would never know there was sweet stuff in there!  Due to the processing necessary to make what we know as sugar today, it is a very expensive and was once only afforded by the rich.  In the “olden days”, if someone was overweight, you knew they were wealthy!Today, Americans consume an average of 150-170 pounds of sugar each year! This in part explains the obesity problem in the United States, with over 60% of the population being overweight at epidemic proportions.  We are actually seeing 6-month-old babies at the level of obesity in the U.S. and evidence has shown that sugar is a major factor in this as well as in most disease.

First off, it’s true that your body converts all foods to glucose.  However, there is an important difference between sugar and those other foods…meat, fruits, and vegetables all have vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and amino acids.  Sugar does not have any of these to assist in its digestion and absorption.  As a result, metabolizing refined sugar puts the body at a severe nutritional disadvantage.

Sugar depletes minerals in the body, lowers your pH, causes cavities, stresses your adrenals and your nervous system, increases inflammation, has been linked to cancer, osteoporosis and diabetes, as well as many other diseases, interferes with normal hormonal function, taxes the immune system, leads to insulin resistance (that mean’s your ability to actually loose pounds becomes HARDER!) and is highly addictive.

It has been argued whether sugar can be classified as an actual drug, like tobacco or prescription drugs like Vicodin, in part due to the fact that it is so highly addictive. Sugar “is a depressant and, consumed in large amounts, it affects the opiate receptor sites in the central nervous system” (Mumey and Hatcher, 1987, p. 104).  There is also physiological and psychological evidence that sugar acts on the brain much like licit and illicit drugs do. Alcoholics might spend most of their day thinking about alcohol, planning elaborate schemes to get their hands on a drink. They may also not be capable of having only a few drinks, but rather need to ingest massive quantities of the drug in order to feel good.  Sugar junkies, similarly, will often have plans as to how to get their next fix and once they start eating cookies or doughnuts, they are often compelled to eat more of these foods than the average person in order to satisfy their appetites (Mumey and Hatcher, 1987, p. 106). “Addiction is characterized by a pattern of compulsive, uncontrollable behaviors that occur at the expense of most other activities and intensify with repeated cycles” (Avena and Lone, 2005, p. 359).

Consuming sugar daily leads to the beginning of degenerative disease.  The body is in a constant state of acidity and minerals are depleted from the body’s tissues (the bones and teeth) in order to lessen the acidic environment.  Eventually so much calcium is depleted that tooth and bone decay is certain. The excess sugar is stored in the liver as glucose, but eventually it fills to capacity and the excess glycogen returns to the blood as fatty acids, where they are taken and stored throughout the body as fat in the belly, buttocks, breasts and thighs. Once these areas are full, these fatty acids are then stored around the organs, causing them to slow down and leading to dangerously high blood pressure.

The worst culprit in the sugar category is High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). This is used today to sweeten soda, juice and almost any processed food you can find on the shelf today, including most baby formulas.

High fructose corn syrup is a liver toxin.  It is metabolized in the body the same way alcohol is metabolized.  The brain metabolizes alcohol, so you get effects that you can recognize almost immediately and we call it intoxication. Effects like impaired judgment, slowed response time impaired motor function, etc.  But fructose is not metabolized by the brain, so you don't notice that is affecting your body the same way alcohol is.  Drinking a can of soda does the same thing to your liver that drinking a can of beer does, only the affects take longer to see and are highly detrimental.  You may be a person who doesn't believe in drinking alcohol because it destroys your body, but fructose will destroy your body in the very same way, with no obvious affects at first.  And to think most people have no problem giving their children juice or soda!  That’s food for thought, especially since most of us would never let our 5 year old have a beer!

When your body breaks down fructose, it can cause fatty liver disease, which raises your cholesterol, and fructose actually deactivates a substance in your body that prevents high blood pressure, leading to hypertension and high blood pressure.  Insulin resistant isn’t far off after that, which in turn develops into diabetes.  As long as you are ingesting HFCS or sucrose (table sugar) you will be unable to cure yourself of high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes.

So, I certainly hope you will take all this information into account.  However, this doesn’t mean you should turn to drinking diet sodas either…ASPARTAME is a NEUROLOGICAL TOXIN.  So you have the choice of using a liver toxin (sugar) or a neurotoxin (aspartame)...or you could just give up soda and juices altogether and opt for herbal teas, sparking water with a squeeze of lemon or orange or just get used to drinking good ol’ H20!  You are made up of about 90% water, so it seems to be the best choice anyway.

So to clarify about fruits…Eating whole fruits do not cause the same problem as HFCS or table sugar because fruits contain vitamins, minerals, enzymes and antioxidants that help metabolize the fructose.

Some effects of sugar on the body are:

• Increases overgrowth of Candida yeast organism.
• Increases chronic fatigue.
• Can trigger binge eating in those with bulimia.
• Increases PMS symptoms.
• Increases hyperactivity in about 50% of children.
• Increases tooth decay.
• Increases anxiety and irritability.
• Can increase or intensify symptoms of anxiety and panic in susceptible women.
• Can make it difficult to lose weight because of constantly high insulin levels, which causes the body to store excess carbs as fat.

The chances of acquiring one of these side effects or diseases increase ten-fold with regular sugar consumption:

• Colon cancer
• ADD/ADHD
• Food intolerance
• Bone loss
• Violent tendencies
• Behavioral problems
• Cancer (tumors grow from sugar)
• Heart disease
• Liver disease
• Kidney disease
• Atherosclerosis
• Neurologic disorders
• Diseases of malnutrition

So, if you can’t eat sugar, what can you eat?  Trust me, you won’t crave it as badly once you wean yourself off it.  It’s not easy, but once you do it, you will feel SOOOOOO much better! Here are a few alternatives to sugar:

• Honey

Unprocessed, unfiltered honey-has chunks of beeswax and you can not see through it…do not buy pasteurized honey, it is depleted of all the good stuff!

• Stevia

An herb 1000 times sweeter than sugar.

• Turbinado Sugar/Succinat

Minimally processed and raw.

• Fruit

You can use in season or dried fruits to sweeten foods…don’t use sulfured fruits though.  No bueno!

• Raw Organics Agave

If you are really needing or craving a little chocolate (trust me, I get it!) a great alternative is 70% or more cocoa, dark chocolate.  It is full of antioxidants and a little now and then won’t kill you.

What to look for in foods:  Food companies are sneaky with getting this stuff in…take a look at this list and memorize it before your next grocery store trip!

• Brown sugar
• Corn sweetener
• Corn syrup
• Corn syrup solids
• Dextrose
• Fructose
• Fruit juice concentrate
• Glucose
• High Fructose Corn Syrup
• Honey
• Invert sugar
• Lactose
• Maltose
• Malt
• Malt syrup
• Maple sugar
• Maple syrup
• Molasses
• Raw sugar
• Sucrose (table sugar)
• Sweetened carob powder
• Turbinado

The key is “MODERATION” to everything…day to day, limit your intake of sweets to fruit and healthy sweeteners if needed.  You are going to have a day here and there that you will want to eat something sweet, that’s normal.  Just moderate it!

Supplements are important because they provide nutrients not readily available in normal eating. The Ryno Power Sports Supplement line offers six different supplements designed to address the six needs of your body when competing or training. To begin a workout your body will need to be mentally focused, properly hydrated, cardiovascularly prepared and properly fueled. For this you would take Motivation for mental focus, Electrolytes to help hydrate properly, Endurance to raise the oxygen level in your blood stream and Carbo Fuel to burn while you work out.After your workout or competition you will need to rebuild your muscles and your body. You can do this by combining the Protein Powder with the Recovery capsules. Amino Acids (Recovery Capsules) are required to blend the Proteins together and rebuild the muscles that have broken down as well as build new muscle to prepare for your next event.

Supplements are the best way to make sure your body receives all it will need to perform at its greatest possible ability. We recommend that you enhance your healthy eating habits with these supplements designed to target your physical needs. Most of our supplements are derived naturally from foods but they are concentrated down to the most important components of the food. Taking Ryno Power Supplements will allow you to train harder and recover faster, making you a better athlete.

It is best to eat small meals thorough out the day. Start your day with a glass of lukewarm water and a squeeze of lemon to get your digestive tract moving along. You can have our breakfast first (remember breakfast means to “break fast” in which fasting is what you’ve just done over the last 8 hours. It is an important meal, so even if you can only get a protein shake or an apple down, it is better than nothing. You should ideally be eating small meals through out the day, including breakfast, lunch and dinner and healthy snacks in between. Keeping portion sizes within guidelines for your weight and activity level helps keep the waistline trim and muscles growing!

How much food you will need to consume daily will solely depend upon your body weight and activity level. Everyone is different and there are caloric guidelines you can go off of if you choose. If you are eating healthy, certified organic fruits, vegetables and grass-fed, free range meats you are going to be able to consume more nutrient rich foods than someone eating frozen dinners and drive thru meals all the time. Healthy foods prepared in a healthy way take a lot more quantity of food to stack up to the actual calories of a fast food meal or processed foods.

We don’t like the word “diet”. “Diet” sounds so strict and like something you would just temporarily do. Instead, what we like to instill is a “lifestyle change”. You are merely shooting for eating a healthy diet, rather than going on a diet, you dig? Rather than tell you to cut your food intake to 1200 calories a day, we recommend learning to eat the correct food for your body type, as well as learn what foods are best for you and most beneficial. Our bodies need to consume food to survive, long live the motto: “ You are what you eat”. In fact, you are just that! Our bodies’ repair millions of cells daily and over the course of 7 years, our bodies completely regenerate. If you are only putting in foods that aren’t rich in nutrients which are the building blocks to rebuilding your body, this is where you will begin to eventually see problems down the road, for example onset diabetes, cancer, etc. You should be eating nutrient rich, healthy, organic foods and drinking plenty of water since our bodies are made up of about 90% good ol’ H20. Cut out processed food and sugars, cut back on alcohol consumption and try cutting gluten (Google it!) from your diet (you may just be amazed!) Add a digestive enzyme to your protocol at meals and add vitamin B12 to your diet…you may just be amazed how good you feel and decide that you never want to go back to the old way of eating!Sure you can have cheat days, but try to stick to the 80%-20% rule: 80% of the time, try to eat healthy and pay attention to what goes in your mouth and body. The other 20% of the time live and if you must, enjoy having a glass of wine or a piece of your favorite cheesecake. No one wants to eat lettuce and carrots forever; we all have our foods that make us feel good. Just remember to do it in moderation and get back on the healthy bandwagon the next day. Diets don’t work because they aren’t realistic. You have to learn how to properly eat to truly make a difference.

Everyone, and we mean EVERYONE should be getting to sleep by 10-10:30 PM. Your body does it’s giant job of cellular repairs between the hours of 11-2AM. Most of you have probably felt this before…here’s the scenario: You go out with a group of friends and stay up having fun until 3AM. When you get home you hit the sack and wake up at 11:30AM. Funny thing is here you have slept for the right amount of hours, however you still feel sleepy and need a good cup of “joe” to get moving and feel like your are dragging all day. Sound familiar? It’s true! You need your beauty sleep. This is when your body repairs all the pipes, tubes, layers and limbs. Necessary? YES! Most people function nicely on about 7 to 7 and half hours of shuteye. Others need a full 8 hours, while some function great on 6.You should try to get all you eating done about 3 hours prior to bedtime. This way, your body is not using energy up trying to digest what you decided to fill it up with right before bed, and it can instead focus on repairs, repairs! You will also be thankful when you don’t have those crazy dreams associated with the giant bowl of ice cream you like to eat at bedtime. You may actually get a restful night sleep and feel rejuvenated the next day! Who wouldn’t want that?

Remember you are “breaking your fast” when you wake, so have a glass of that lemon water we talked about, then about 30 minutes later (ideally), have a smoothie or make some fresh green juice. You may even opt for a cup of oatmeal and some fresh blueberries or eggs. Some nice herbal tea would be good too…

When you are traveling or out to dinner with the family, friends or whomever, you need to know what to eat. There are so many tempting items on the menu, it all sounds good but the real question is, are you going to feel good after you eat this and is your body going to love or hate it? Pay attention to this. Every time you eat, be it in the home or out, how do you feel afterwards? Are you bloated and tired? When we go out for a night on the town, or are traveling, most of us consume WAY too many carbohydrates when we eat out. Same as Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners…it’s carb overload. We have appetizers, dig in to the bread basket, a eat a huge salad drowning in dressing and drink a big tall glass of soda or wine or sometimes even those foofy-drinks and that’s all before we are going to actually eat our big dinner! How on earth are you going to eat half a roasted chicken, veggies and a potato to boot? Do you see the pattern? Every single item I just mentioned, with the exception of the chicken, is a carbohydrate! Talk about carb overload! You will be lucky to make it through that movie you are going to afterwards, unless you order a super-sized soda and some chocolate (a sugar and caffeine rush to get you through). It’s not impossible…but I can almost guarantee you that you will be bloated and sleepy and most likely have a grumbly tummy to boot. You will be so excited to get home, put on your sweats, and take some Tums and head to bed.Instead of forcing your body into digestive chaos and overtime, try having a nibble of someone else’s appetizer, drink water with lemon or plain ice tea instead of soda, order a salad with vinegar and oil and order a grilled chicken breast with some steamed veggies. As I always say, to eat clean, eat like a caveman. Vegetables, meat and fruit. Order the simplest items on the menu and you should be a little better off. Skip the hydrogenated sauces and dressings, avoid the fried fatty foods and sugars and try your best to stick to foods recognizable to Mother Nature.

If it comes out of a box or is a concoction of five different pig parts, it is processed beyond all recognition and most likely won’t even be recognized by your body and cells as something it is supposed to be flourishing on and rebuilding YOU with. Thus the creation of free radicals floating around your body, but that is another whole subject!

When traveling, you will of course find that you can’t always get good healthy food. If you are accustomed to eating organically or gluten free, you know what I am talking about! It is tough to find restaurants that are aware enough to offer these items, in many places.If you are intolerant of any foods, be sure to research all the foods that may have traces of the particular food you are sensitive to and be aware. Most people that have sensitivities or allergies are usually pretty aware of what will make them miserable or worse. Many food items and dishes have ingredients that you may be allergic to lurking in the marinade, sauces, etc.

We always travel with our RP Protein, trail mixes and I tend to throw gluten free food items that will make my life more pleasurable into my travel bag. GF crackers, rice tortillas, rice chips, and GF oatmeal seem to make things feel better when I go places that have no clue about gluten anything. You can always mix up a protein shake in a shaker cup for a quick little on-the-go meal and trail mix is good anytime, anywhere! We usually throw some apples in the bag and sometimes even a mix of fresh berries, almonds and walnuts (pre-soaked overnight and dried, of course) in a small glass Pyrex container with a lid for quick snacking. Plan for having healthy foods to snack on with you at all times, so you aren’t tempted to stop in for a Snickers or nasty, processed chicken nuggets or worse. If you get in the habit of carrying a little lunch bag with you whenever you leave the house, this will soon become second nature! You will rarely forget to make your snack bag for the road, once you start your good habit.

Depending on your body type and whether or not you tend to lean more towards carbs or protein, this is where things get a little tricky.Carb types are those that do best on lighter fare. They may be just fine eating 2 meals a day and tend to feel best with small meals. For example, carbs types do well with low fat yogurts, low fat milk, lean chicken and fish and leaner cuts of meat. Carb types will find that they actually feel better and have more energy when consuming these lighter types of foods. You most likely will crave these types of food, as well as your general carbs such as bread, fruits, and vegetables and in that mix as well is sugar and caffeine. Not that it is good, it’s just that carb types tend to over do the carbs, then they crave sugar because they did not eat enough protein with their meals. Carb types should have a plate with 60% carbs, 30% protein and 10% good fats.

Protein types are generally people that live to eat. They burn through carbs very quickly and tend to be hungry more often. Protein types do better with full fat products, such as whole milk, yogurt, red meat, heavy cream, etc. See the pattern? A protein type will stay full and feel satisfied longer if they eat the right amount of full fat protein. It just serves their make up better! Protein types often struggle with carb overloads which lead to feeling lethargic and bloated. Protein types seem to struggle with hypoglycemic conditions more often because they burn through carbs so quickly, which leads to low blood sugar. Proteins types plate should have 60% protein, 20% carbs and 20% good fats.

Carbohydrates include foods composed of starches, sugar and/or fiber. They are the most common source of energy found in food. Most carbohydrates break down into glucose (a specific type of sugar).Protein is a nutrient made up of essential and nonessential amino acids. Your body manufactures 13 nonessential amino acids, which aren't available from food. For the body to process protein properly, the foods that you eat must contain the nine essential amino acids that are available only from dietary sources. Protein helps to maintain and replace the tissues in your body, and it’s found in almost every living cell and fluid. Your muscles, organs and many of your hormones are made up of protein, and it is also used in the manufacture of hemoglobin, the red blood cells that carry oxygen to your body. Protein is also used to manufacture antibodies that fight infection and disease and is integral to your body's blood clotting ability.

Now let’s talk fats. Dietary fat is one of the nutrients that fuels the body. Unlike carbs and protein which give the body 4 calories per gram, fat is more than twice as energy dense, providing the body with 9 calories per gram. Though fat is associated with greasy foods such as hamburgers and pizzas, it is a necessary nutrient that has important functions within the body. Dietary fat has some key functions, which include aiding in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and producing hormones. One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding this nutrient is that eating fat will make you fat. Fat does not make you fat, excess calories is responsible for that.

There are two main types of fat, saturated and unsaturated fats. Saturated fats are usually referred to as the bad or unhealthy fats while unsaturated fats are referred to as the good or healthy ones. The difference between the two fats is their chemical makeup resulting in a different behavior inside the body.

Trans fat is a 'special' kind of fat. Its main purpose is to help improve flavor and extend shelf life. These benefits come at a cost. Trans fat tends to increase levels of bad cholesterols (LDL) while decreasing levels of good cholesterols (HDL). Sources of trans fat include pastries, peanut butter (the non-natural kind), vegetable shortening, margarine and any food that contains fully or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil.

So most of us have heard the term “gluten free” or may know someone that is gluten free, has a gluten allergy or that may even be celiac.  It is becoming more and more commonly diagnosed as people have become more aware of what gluten really is.   I am personally completely gluten free.  I was diagnosed years ago as being on the cusp of celiac disease and was warned if I did not stop eating gluten, that I would soon be joining the club.  Clearly, my body despised gluten and I had all the signs; a distended “pooch” in my lower abdomen, I was sluggish all the time, often felt like my brain was “foggy” (yes, I am blond, no that had nothing to do with it), I was always sick with some illness and caught everything going around and I always had stomach issues and pain associated with them.  I do recall having eczema and rashes that would just appear also.  Gross, I know.  So, I was diagnosed and being really young at the time, I stuck with it for a bit, but then I rebelled against my diagnosis and went back to eating gluten.  It was a terrible choice on my behalf and when I realized I was spending more and more time at the doctors office somewhere along the way, it finally clicked.  I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.  I have been extremely active my whole life and the way I was feeling was from the things I wanted to do.  So, one day I just made a conscious decision that I was going to give up gluten completely and since that day, I have not looked back!So I write this through the eyes of experience and over the past 17 years, I have read and learned as much as I possibly could about gluten and it’s effectson the body.  I have always felt that knowledge is power but experience is wisdom, so you must experience something to truly know it. When I was diagnosed and decided to become completely gluten free for good, I wanted to know everything there was to know about my condition.  So I am going to share some of my knowledge with you and bear with me, as I will try to take it easy on your brain and not overwhelm you!  They say too much information and a confused mind makes people just say “no”…that is not what I want to achieve here.  I hope you can gain something from reading this excerpt on gluten and becoming gluten free.   Here we go!

What is gluten?  Gluten is a special type of protein that is commonly found in rye, wheat and barley. Therefore, it is found in most types of cereals and in many types of bread. Not all foods from the grain family, however, contain gluten. Examples of grains that do not have gluten include wild rice, corn, buckwheat, millet, amaranth, teff, quinoa, sunflower seeds and oats. Gluten enables bread to be able to rise before it is baked. In addition, gluten firms up when it is cooked and, with the help of starch, helps ensure the bread maintains its proper shape. Gluten also has an absorbent quality, which is why bread is capable of soaking up broth. On the downside, gluten is believed to be partly responsible for causing bread to become stale.

Incidence of gluten intolerance is widespread. 70% of Americans with a European descent have a gluten sensitivity or worse and many don’t even know it.   Upwards of 15 percent of the entire American population suffer from this condition, but only about five percent of these people have been diagnosed and treated.

These are symptoms for gluten intolerance and celiac disease.  The two conditions somewhat fall into the same category, however they are very different at the same time.

• Weight loss or weight gain
• Nutritional deficiencies due to malabsorbtion e.g. low iron levels
• Gastro-intestinal problems (bloating, pain, gas, constipation, diarrhea)
• Fat in the stools (due to poor digestion)
• Aching joints
• Depression
• Eczema
• Head aches
• Exhaustion, low energy
• Irritability and behavioral changes, mood swings
• Infertility, irregular menstrual cycle and miscarriage
• Cramps, tingling and numbness
• Slow infant and child growth
• Decline in dental health

Celiac disease is an immune reaction, a severe onset allergic reaction, to gluten. While celiac disease is initially an autoimmune disorder, it is also a disease of malabsorbtion, because essential nutrients are not absorbed. Therefore one of the most devastating symptoms of long-term undiagnosed celiac disease is malnutrition. Gluten intolerance often has a slower onset than celiac disease, and may be hard to diagnose due to the broad range of symptoms and causes. Many people experience different symptoms or have symptoms that are similar to another condition and are often misdiagnosed.

The simplest way to discover whether or not you are sensitive or intolerant is to take 2 weeks off of gluten completely.  Do this when you don’t have any big parties or fun things going on so you can stay on track.  Now when I say completely, I mean do not even have one bite of something containing gluten. No soy sauce, no soup with a sprinkle of wheat, not one bit of pizza…it’s only for two weeks and if you feel better it will be the best thing you could have done for yourself! Now, once your two weeks of no gluten is done, start introducing gluten back in slowly with different foods, one by one.  If you get a reaction, you will know what food causes it.  You will know if you feel better without the gluten almost right away and if you do, cut the gluten for good!  If you don’t really notice a difference, go back to the gluten life you were leading.  Plain and simple, no doctor bills involved!