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Buyer Beware: Health Foods Aren't Always Healthy

8/8/2016

 
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This is a short list of some of the most common foods marketed as healthy, when more often than not they are no better than eating dessert. Always read the nutrition label and the ingredients list before purchasing a food. You have to watch out for sugar because it triggers insulin (fat storage hormone) to be released,  whose job is to get sugar out of your blood as quickly as possible and store it somewhere for later use (think your thighs). Unless you are training for something like a marathon or ironman where your muscles will be the first to receive the sugar, try to keep your daily sugar to a minimum - like under 25 grams per day.

 1. Skim Milk
Non-fat or “skim milk” has a surprisingly high amount of sugar. Most brands  have about 12 grams per cup – this is almost half the amount of total sugar that is recommended you ingest each day! To put this into perspective, this is the same amount of sugar as eating three Original Chips Ahoy! Cookies or three Milano Original Cookies. I am not a huge fan of cow’s milk (for many other reasons), and I recommend trying unsweetened almond, cashew, or coconut milk as an alternative.

 2. Protein/Nutrition Bars
In general,  I recommend staying away from all “high protein,” “high fiber,” “gluten free,” or however else the given bar has been marked as healthy. Strip back all of the fancy advertising and look at the nutrition label and you will find that most of these "health" bars are no better than a candy bar. For example, compare a Snickers Bar to a Clif Bar: a Snickers Bar has 27 grams of sugar and 4 grams of protein. A Clif bar can have up to 25 grams of sugar and 9 grams of protein…is there really that much of a difference between the two?? – Others popular bars to avoid include Balance bars, Luna Bars, Pure Bars, Lara Bars, and even Kind Bars which can be high in sugar. Rule of thumb, stay away from any bar with 10 grams of sugar or more. The only protein bars I recommend are Quest bars because they are high in protein and fiber, low in sugar and in overall ingredients, and Think Thin Bars which are also a healthier alternative.

3. Yogurt
Yogurt can be very healthy because it is generally high in protein and low in fat. However, you have to be careful with choosing yogurt because most have a ton of added sugar, be especially cognizant of the the non-fat versions because the fat is replaced with sugar to make it taste better. Always check the nutrition label, more than 7g of sugar per serving and you have a dessert not a healthy snack. My favorite is Plain Greek Yogurt Trader Joe's brand which has 22 grams of protein and 6 grams sugar per cup.

 4. Granola
Be very picky with granola, the vast majority are heavy in sugar and calories, and low in fiber. Granola is meant to be eaten in a small serving size, usually like a ¼ or ½ cup, meaning you could easily be eating 4 servings in one sitting. And just because the packaging says “made with honey” or “made with all natural ingredients” or some other deceiving marketing claim, this doesn’t make the food any healthier, sugar is sugar. I don’t really recommend granola in general, but if you are going to eat it I recommend eating it plain and would avoid eating it with anything else sugary such as yogurt and/or fruit.

5. Cereal
Cereal is generally not a great choice. Almost all cereals are loaded with sugar, low in fiber, and low in protein. And why is everyone eating Raisen Bran??!! It seems like just about every other patient I see is eating this. Raisen Bran has 18 grams of sugar per serving, 18 grams! This is almost the total amount of sugar that you should have in an entire day. Then add some skim milk on there and this puts you over the edge. Forget the raisens and just get plain bran cereal, you can always add your own raisens on top if necessary. The only cereals I recommend are Fiber One Original Cereal (14 grams of fiber per ½ cup!) or Trader Joe’s High Fiber cereal (9 grams of fiber per 2/3 cup) because both are low in sugar and high in fiber.

6. Sports Drinks
Everyone knows that soda is a diet-don't, but most sports drinks are just as bad. For example, a 12 fl oz bottle of Coca-Cola Coke has around 33 grams of sugar. A bottle of Gatorade has almost 50 grams of sugar (due to having 2.5 servings per bottle). And watch out for those bottled teas because they can have over 20 grams of sugar per serving and can have multiple servings within one bottle. Alternatives to these super sweet drinks are G2 which is a lower calorie version of Gatorade, Vitamin Water Zero, and PowerAid Zero.

Sarah-Kate Rems, NP
Co-founder, The Mindful Tech Lab - Check out all of our amazing apps to help improve your life here

11 Must-Read Books To Help You Become More Mindful

8/8/2016

 
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To help you in your mindfulness journey, we've rounded up 11 of our favorite and most accessible books on mindfulness. Each will help you apply various techniques to your daily life and bring peace within.

If you're like us and find it hard to find time to read, give audiobooks a try with Audible - tap on the banner below for a free trial.
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1. Declutter Your Mind: How to Stop Worrying, Relieve Anxiety, and Eliminate Negative Thinking

Feel overwhelmed by your thoughts? Struggling with anxiety about your daily tasks? Or do you want to stop worrying about life?

The truth is...We all experience the occasional negative thought. But if you always feel overwhelmed, then you need to closely examine how these thoughts are negatively impacting your lifestyle.

The solution is to practice specific mindfulness techniques that create more "space" in your mind to enjoy inner peace and happiness. With these habits, you'll have the clarity to prioritize what's most important in your life, what no longer serves your goals, and how you want to live on a daily basis. And that's what you'll learn in Declutter Your Mind.  Get it here
2. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values 

One of the most important and influential books written in the past half-century, Robert M. Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a powerful, moving, and penetrating examination of how we live . . . and a breathtaking meditation on how to live better. Here is the book that transformed a generation: an unforgettable narration of a summer motorcycle trip across America's Northwest, undertaken by a father and his young son.

A story of love and fear -- of growth, discovery, and acceptance -- that becomes a profound personal and philosophical odyssey into life's fundamental questions, this uniquely exhilarating modern classic is both touching and transcendent, resonant with the myriad confusions of existence . . . and the small, essential triumphs that propel us forward. Get it here
3. When Breath Becomes Air 

At the age of thirty-six, on the verge of completing a decade’s worth of training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. One day he was a doctor treating the dying, and the next he was a patient struggling to live. And just like that, the future he and his wife had imagined evaporated.

When Breath Becomes Air chronicles Kalanithi’s transformation from a naïve medical student “possessed,” as he wrote, “by the question of what, given that all organisms die, makes a virtuous and meaningful life” into a neurosurgeon at Stanford working in the brain, the most critical place for human identity, and finally into a patient and new father confronting his own mortality. Get it here


4. Balance: Angie's Extreme Stress Menders Volume 1

Coloring time is calming time! Best selling coloring book artist Angie Grace invites you to relax and explore the intricate and exquisite world of stress mending circular whimsical art. Stroke by stroke, shade by shade, tension and worries fade away as you transform Angie's beautiful black and white lines into your own unique, personal and beautiful keepsake art piece.

This book has been drawn for connoisseur colorists and is suitable for adults and older children coloring with fine tipped markers, colored pencils or brush tipped markers. 50 delightfully detailed original designs printed on one side of the page. Get it here
5. How to Stop Worrying and Start Living

Through Dale Carnegie’s six-million-copy bestseller recently revised, millions of people have been helped to overcome the worry habit. Dale Carnegie offers a set of practical formulas you can put to work today. In our fast-paced world—formulas that will last a lifetime!
Discover how to:
  • Eliminate fifty percent of business worries immediately
  • Reduce financial worries
  • Avoid fatigue—and keep looking you
  • Add one hour a day to your waking life
  • Find yourself and be yourself—remember there is no one else on earth like you!

How to Stop Worrying and Start Living deals with fundamental emotions and ideas. It is fascinating to read and easy to apply. Let it change and improve you. There’s no need to live with worry and anxiety that keep you from enjoying a full, active and happy life! Get it here


6. The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself 

Copublished with the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) The Untethered Soul begins by walking you through your relationship with your thoughts and emotions, helping you uncover the source and fluctuations of your inner energy. It then delves into what you can do to free yourself from the habitual thoughts, emotions, and energy patterns that limit your consciousness. Finally, with perfect clarity, this book opens the door to a life lived in the freedom of your innermost being.

The Untethered Soul has already touched the lives of countless readers, and is now available in a special hardcover gift edition with ribbon bookmark—the perfect gift for yourself, a loved one, or anyone who wants a keepsake edition of this remarkable book. Get it here
7. Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation

There is no better person to show a beginner how to harness the power of meditation than Sharon Salzberg, one of the world’s foremost meditation teachers and spiritual authors. Cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society, author of Lovingkindness, Faith, and other books, Ms. Salzberg distills 30 years of teaching meditation into a 28-day program that will change lives. It is not about Buddhism, it’s not esoteric―it is closer to an exercise, like running or riding a bike.

From the basics of posture, breathing, and the daily schedule to the finer points of calming the mind, distraction, dealing with specific problem areas (pain in the legs? falling asleep?) to the larger issues of compassion and awareness, Real Happiness is a complete guide. It explains how meditation works; why a daily meditation practice results in more resiliency, creativity, peace, clarity, and balance; and gives twelve meditation practices, including mindfulness meditation and walking meditation. An extensive selection of her students’ FAQs cover the most frequent concerns of beginners who meditate―“Is meditation selfish?” “How do I know if I’m doing it right?” “Can I use meditation to manage weight?” Get it here


8. The Miracle of Mindfulness 

In this beautiful and lucid guide, Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh offers gentle anecdotes and practical exercise as a means of learning the skills of mindfulness--being awake and fully aware. From washing the dishes to answering the phone to peeling an orange, he reminds us that each moment holds within it an opportunity to work toward greater self-understanding and peacefulness. Get it here
9. Wherever You Go There You Are

When Wherever You Go, There You Are was first published in 1994, no one could have predicted that the book would launch itself onto bestseller lists nationwide and sell over 750,000 copies to date. Ten years later, the book continues to change lives. In honor of the book's 10th anniversary, Hyperion is proud to be releasing the book with a new afterword by the author, and to share this wonderful book with an even larger audience. Get it here


10. From Stressed to Centered

As your stress increases, the first thing to go is often what would help the most - your self-care. If you are feeling more tired, overwhelmed, distracted, or overextended lately, there is a simple first step on the journey to feeling better: read From Stressed to Centered: A Practical Guide to a Healthier and Happier You.

From Stressed to Centered offers a uniquely comprehensive approach to stress management and self-care by helping you understand and tackle your stress at all levels. It covers the trifecta of stress - assessment, management and future prevention!

Written by Dana Gionta, Ph.D. and Dan Guerra, Psy.D., two experts with over 30 years of combined experience, this groundbreaking book is solidly based on science and utilizes anecdotes, exercises, and practical strategies to help you:
  • Assess your current level of stress
  • Build up your resilience to future stress
  • Develop a lifestyle program of guilt-free self-care
  • Live a healthier and more fulfilling life

Get it here
11. Taming the Drunken Monkey

In today's busy world, the mind can often behave like a drunken monkey―stressed, scattered, and out of control. Instead of falling victim to frustration and anxiety, learn to be calm, focused, and free of unwanted thoughts with this easy-to-use guide to mindfulness.

Drawing from Western and Eastern psychology, health systems, and wisdom traditions, Taming the Drunken Monkey provides comprehensive instruction for developing and improving three basic behaviors of the mind: concentration, awareness, and flexibility. Discover the power of breathwork exercises based on yogic pranayama, Chinese medicine, and Western respiratory science.
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Apply meditation and other mindfulness practices to your life for newfound focus, creativity, body awareness, and spiritual awakening. As you progress from novice to master, you'll effectively enhance the health of your mind, body, and spirit. Get it here


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