The Benefits of Resistant Starch

Yes, potatoes can be healthy!

You just need to cool them first.

I don't know about you, but I've avoided eating white potatoes for years because I believed they were a source of "empty" carbohydrates that negatively affect healthy blood sugar and insulin levels.

Boy was I wrong!

After listening to a series of podcasts and doing a bit of my own research, I discovered something called "Resistant Starch." Guess where it's found...

You guessed it-- POTATOES!

I've got a new YouTube video up, touting the benefits of introducing white potatoes back into your diet, along with tips on how to prepare the healthiest potatoes.

Click HERE to watch the video.

Just to whet your appetite (I indulged in some delicious, healthy potato salad after I learned all of this), here are some of the major points I cover in the video:

*Potatoes are loaded with potassium, vitamin C, dietary fiber, and many other minerals and phytonutrients.

*Resistant starch, found in potatoes, rice, bananas, legumes, etc., feeds 90% of our healthy gut bacteria. Thus, it's considered a"prebiotic." 

*Potatoes must be cooked, then cooled before eating for maximum benefit. This takes a bit of planning, but it's worth it. Bake, boil, roast, or mash your potatoes ahead of time, then allow to cool. Eat them cold or reheat if needed to enhance the resistant starches. It is vital that the cooling takes place before eating.

*Benefits of resistant starch include decreased insulin sensitivity, increased fullness/weight loss, decreased blood sugar levels, and improved digestion. (All things I thought I was gaining by avoiding potatoes.)

It just goes to show, it's important to keep up on the latest research on nutrition, as it is constantly changing and updating!

Check out my video

Thanks for learning along with me!

Walking is Underrated

At work we've started the collective effort to walk more, with many of us participating in a program called "Walktober." It got me thinking about walking, and how it's such a wonderful way to move our bodies, but tends to get a bad rap, especially with the "fitter" crowd.

Walking tends to get overlooked as a way to get healthy and as a way to get or stay in shape for a variety of reasons. We think a higher intensity activity is the only way to go. We think it's boring, or time-consuming, or too simple. It's not social enough, or it's too social (if we walk with friends). It's something "old people" do. 

Health and fitness experts agree that walking is one of the BEST ways to move your body. 

It's free, it's easy, it's safe, and it's convenient.

So, how much of it do we have to do to gain benefits?

Most experts agree on 10,000 steps a day. More is better, when it comes to walking, so if you can beat that number you'll get even more benefits, which can include

*Better sleep

*Decreased anxiety

*Increased memory recall

*Decreased waist circumference

*Increased bone mass

*Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke

*Decreased stress

*Increased energy

*The list goes on...

A fitness tracker is a great tool to track your steps each day. Some models offer heart rate stats, sleep stats, calories burned, etc. Click HERE for a review of 2017's top models.

Find excuses to move your body more, whether it's taking the stairs, parking farther away from your destination, moving around the classroom more, or taking a walk during lunch. (See my prior blog post--Sitting is the New Smoking--for ideas to keep moving throughout the day).

Always yours in health,

Sources: 

http://time.com/4745061/how-many-steps-walking/

https://chriskresser.com/how-many-steps-should-you-get-in-a-day/

https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/why-walking-most-underrated-form-exercise-ncna797271

https://www.prevention.com/fitness/benefits-walking-every-day

Ladies, I Need Your Help!

Do you identify with any of these statements?

*I consider myself healthy and fit.

*I try to eat healthy meals and snacks.

*I love to learn more about health and fitness.

*I exercise regularly.

**I'm experiencing the beginnings of perimenopause-- bloating, weight gain, digestive issues, brain fog, fatigue, mood swings, etc.

**I'm well into my journey through menopause.

**I've made it through to the other side of menopause and celebrate my transformation.

If you answered YES to any of the above statements, I need you!!

I am writing an ebook about the transformation of fit women through menopause, and I'd love to include your thoughts, experiences, & advice within the pages.

Most women begin "the change" in their late 40's into their mid-50's, but many women experience peri-menopausal symptoms in their 30's all the way to their 60's. And yet it's something we don't talk about much...

Wherever you fall in this spectrum, you have tips, tricks, hacks, suggestions, advice that we all could benefit from. Please consider sharing your knowledge with other fit, healthy women in the Fittbodies community.

Click on this LINK & FILL OUT THE FORM-- (If you're uncomfortable using your real name then please sign off as "anonymous.")

If you've got more than one tidbit to share, by all means fill out the form several times, and don't forget to share this email with any of your fit, wise, midlife friends so they can contribute too!

I can't wait to learn from you!!

Thank you in advance for your contribution!

xoxo,

Stephenie

Sleep and Weight Loss

NEED A NAP RIGHT NOW?

You're not alone! 

Studies show that nearly 1/3 of Americans suffer from sleep deprivation. This affects just about every aspect of life, from relationships, productivity, sexuality, mood, driving, health, and life span. 

Click HERE to see the National Sleep Foundation's "25 Random Facts About Sleep." It's fascinating and frightening at the same time.

Some of you know how much I LOVE podcasts. I just listened to a 2-part interview on The Chalene Show with Dr. Michael Breus, a sleep expert, and I'm so excited to share what I learned with you!

*We all fit into one of four sleep chronotypes.
*It's a myth that we all need 8 hours of sleep a night.
*Our weekends can undo great sleep during the week.
*Sleep-deprived people tend to eat more and have higher body fat than their well-rested counterparts.
*Our hormones go haywire when we don't get enough quality sleep.

Please take the time to listen:

How Sleep Loss Affects Weight Gain, Part 1

How To Radically Improve Your Life By Knowing Your Natural Sleep Type, Part 2

Happy Listening (and Sweet Dreams)!

xoxo,

Stephenie

PS-- I'm a BEAR. Just in case you were wondering what my sleep chronotype was...

A Healthy & Delicious Pancake Recipe

Happy Saturday!

I don’t know about you, but weekends call for pancakes. Hot stacks with butter and maple syrup—my mouth just waters thinking about them.

But what if you’re trying to clean up your diet, eat fewer grains, less sugar?

I’ve got just the recipe for you!
 
Here's my healthy & delicious version of this breakfast tradition:

Almond Flour Pancakes
4 eggs
2 cups almond flour/meal
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
4 drops Stevia sweetener
¼ cup melted coconut oil
½ cup water
(Optional: add blueberries, bananas, nuts, chocolate chips, etc. I also have added a scoop of protein shake powder with delicious results.)

Mix up ingredients and cook up like you do your regular pancakes.
 
It takes a bit longer to cook these beauties, but your patience will be rewarded.

I top mine with grass-fed butter and organic maple syrup. YUM! They’re fantastic as a grab & go snack (without the butter and syrup) so double the batch and make some for later!

You can see me make these on a VIDEO I posted on my Facebook page “Fittbodies.” Click HERE to watch.
 
Hope your weekend is amazing!

xoxo,
Stephenie

Embrace Your New Normal

There is so much change happening, and 2017 has just begun!

I used to think I was open to change, free-flowing, chill, relaxed, and flexible, until REAL CHANGE happened to me in the form of a breast cancer diagnosis. 

That's when the embracing my new normal started. It's when the work really began.

Whatever your challenges are, wherever your journey takes you, embracing the new normal is key to keeping your head on straight, keeping your attitude positive, and keeping your focus on what's most important.

Please check out this interview I did with Sofia Holub from Sofia Holub Wellness. She speaks with cancer survivors from all walks of life asking them how they embraced their new normal- how they dealt with BIG CHANGE. 

Cancer might not be your challenge, but perhaps you'll find some tidbits that resonate with you.
 

Yours in health,
Stephenie

Make a Plan for the Holidays

The dust has settled from Thanksgiving and we’ve turned our sights on holiday preparations. Lots of football to watch, we’ve got a winner on The Voice, and parts of the country are in a deep freeze.

My question is this:  What’s your plan?

Do you have a plan for navigating the holidays this year? Is your calendar already booked? Gifts purchased? Cards sent? Tree decorated? Lights up?

SO MUCH PRESSURE!

What if I told you there is a way to make your holiday experience stress-free?  You realize you have control, don’t you?

Here are my 7 Tips for a Stress-Free Holiday Season:

*Block out time for yourself.  Get out your calendar and book time for exercise, rest, and downtime. Your calendar will fill whether you do this or not—might as well make sure you’re taking care of YOU during the holidays, too.

*Say NO to more things. This one’s tough. There’s FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and the people-pleasing side of you conspiring to take away all of your freedom and free time.  What’s left? A frazzled, over-booked, cortisol-filled, stressed-out YOU. Certainly not what the holiday season is about. Say no to even some of the good stuff. It’s painful, I know, but a very simple way to take back control of your sanity. Your neighborhood will be just fine without you hosting the cookie exchange this year. There will be plenty of treats at the class holiday party, even if you don’t contribute. Make an appearance at the office party and then get to bed at a decent hour.  You deserve it.
  
*Own your weaknesses. What is your biggest temptation during the holidays?  Is it grandma’s homemade caramels? That extra glass (or two of wine) after dinner? All the ways to spend money everywhere you look? Whatever your Achilles heel is, it’s always better to acknowledge it and deal with it before the moment strikes. Allow yourself a bit of what you love (in the spirit of giving to yourself), but start the season with boundaries.  For example, only eat caramels after you eat a “clean” dinner, and only eat two max. Or pick out 2-3 upcoming special events and plan ahead that you’ll be drinking more than one glass of wine at those; then keep the wine-drinking to a minimum on all other days. Setting a strict spending budget helps curtail the overspending, or simply avoid the stores that trigger you to buy.  Taking  a moment to write down your weakness and your strategy to deal with it. And then stick to it!
  
*Get more sleep!  Now I’m asking the impossible, right? Actually, by getting more sleep you’ll be able to accomplish more without compromising your health or sanity. Make it a goal to head to bed 30 minutes earlier each night and the benefits will be felt almost immediately!

*Hydrate. I know, I know. This is on every list I’ve ever made. For a reason! Make it a priority to drink half your weight in ounces of water every day. You will have more energy, stay fuller longer, and your cravings for sweets will be dampened (pun intended). This one is easy to do and will make a big impact. 

*Pick one tradition and focus on just that one. It could be as simple as wearing your ugly Christmas sweater to casual Fridays at work. Maybe it’s making the homemade clam chowder for Christmas Eve dinner (that’s what we do in our home). Whatever your family traditions are, pick just one and make it extra special this year. Rather than spreading yourself thin with multiple traditions and task lists, focus on the one thing and really make it shine. If you don’t have any traditions (or don’t like the ones you have), this is your chance to make one of your own!

*Give in secret. The one thing experts agree on regarding stress, depression, and guilt, is that the act of serving others helps alleviate all that negative emotion. The holidays are all about service, and there are endless ways you can brighten the day of others. I’m suggesting doing small acts every day, anonymously. Little things. In secret. Just because. See how quickly your attitude lifts when you appreciate others.

I could go on and on and on. I’m sure there’s something I forgot. The point is this: having a plan and simplifying your life at this busy time of year will go a long way towards a simple, stress-free, and meaningful holiday experience.

Healthy Holidays,

Stephenie