His’ the season…for football bowl games! And whether you are a fan, an innocent (party) bystander, or a host, you’ll want to brush up on bowl game nutrition to avoid the blunders that can translate to weight gain, indigestion, and increased risk of heart disease. And you thought holiday parties were challenging!

Here’s a clip from AKA recently covering this topic on Good Morning America Health.

Remember too that half time and timeouts are great opportunities to throw the ball around, build a snowman, or walk the dog. Or watch a game at the gym – with over 30 bowl games (and that’s just college) there’s the need to balance being a fan with being active too!

Happy Holidays
AKA

In the spirit of Hanukkah and giving the gift of health to you and yours, I designed this 8 day plan to inspire and refresh.

For serving amounts, what counts as carb etc see the AKA menu worksheet at www.ashleykoffapproved.com

Day 1: Clean Up: get rid of any packaged foods containing high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, colors with #s by them (ex. blue lake #3), and msg (monosodium glutamate or autolyzed yeast.

Day 2: Aim to eat one serving of each of these colors (naturally, Skittles and Froot Loops don’t count); ideally organic! Red, blue, green, and orange – hint, frozen organic is a great option

Day 3: Eat 1-2 (1 for weight loss / low activity) servings of carbohydrate, protein, and 1 of healthy fat per eating occasion. Still hungry? Unlimited Vegetables (ex. Apple + 1 Tbsp almond butter OR palm size wild salmon + sauteed garlic spinach + fist size of rice or a bowl of organic berries with a drizzle of chocolate sauce)

Day 4: Beverage patrol / control: 1 cup of coffee or tea max for the day (hint green tea and oolong have metabolic / fat burning advantages). Go decaf the rest and no beverages with sugar – even if they say ‘just a Tad sweet’

Day 5: Treat Day! But a non-food treat that is remind yourself how great non-food gifts can be to give and receive. I LOVE my new Radius toothbrush made from recycled dollar bills and I always love a massage- what do you want to treat yourself too?

Day 6: Swop an animal for a vegetarian source of protein today – Nuttzo on an apple? A Sunshine burger? Nature’s Path Hemp granola or hempseeds on a bowl of berries? Hummus and veggies? Quinoa bowl with chopped walnuts, ground flaxseed, cinnamon, and ginger?

Day 7: Swop high-fat dairy and less healthy animal fats for vegetarian sources (hemp, flax, olive, avocado) and wild fish (sardines, cod, salmon) or fish oil supplementation like Ascenta’s NutraSea (with Pure check) and New Chapter’s Wholeomega.

Day 8: Digest better with tools like Align probiotic, healingmovement.net cultured vegetables, Natural Calm, Urban Moonshine’s bitters, and spices like cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, and fennel seeds

Sometimes I’m told that there’s just no way to make the holidays happy ones if they have to be healthy ones. I disagree and thought I’d offer a few support points for my argument.

1. A holiDAY, by definition, is just one day; it’s not holiWEEK or holiMONTH, so if we overindulge or consume treats for one DAY each month there’s a very low likelihood that it will cause us to veer off our health path. So if you have a few events or even one every night, pick THE one that you want to be your holiDAY and aim to keep the others less indulgent – afterall, a treat by definition isn’t something we have regularly.
2. Give the gift that keeps on giving. I’m often told that holiday parties or shared meals are a major derailment to health plans. Why not bring a favorite healthIER dish so that not only will you feel good about what your are eating but you will also show your guests that it’s possible to eat healthIER and have it taste great too. For example, insist on organic ingredients, use a variety of vegetables and fruits to make your dish colorful, replace animal fats with healthier vegetable fats such as those found in nuts and seeds, avocado, and olives.
3. Remember to keep pace. When we have balanced eating occasions (carb + pro + fat + unlimited vegetables – see the AKA menu worksheet and we stay on a schedule of eating occasions about every three hours, our energy will stabilize and our body will work efficiently – this helps keeps our insides happy, prevents fat storage, and also regulates our mood helping healthy mean happy inside and out. For example, a fist of organic high-fiber cereal (Like Nature’s Path Oatmeal or Optimum Slim) with a serving of nuts or hempseeds (a complete protein) will supply all the nutrients one needs for a balanced eating occasion – and it’s easy to travel with when you are on the road or flying.
4. Healthy today, healthy tomorrow. Ever wonder why the flu season hits hardest in January and February? Could it be our immune systems have taken a weakening blow from November / December, leaving us ripe for a cold, or even the flu. We know that alcohol and sugar are immune suppressants, as is lack of sleep. I’m a realist and I want you to have fun, but take care to limit the frequency and quantity of these immune suppressants and try to get your Z’s. I also recommend keeping up with your vitamin D intake, trying medicinal mushroom supplements (i.e. New Chapter’s Host Defense or Metagenics Mycotaki), taking a quality probiotic (i.e. Align), and using good quality homeopathic remedies (i.e. Boiron) at the first sign of a cold.
5. Treat yourself right. Who says that the only way to treat ourselves is with sweet or savory food or with too much drink?  A day off? A hot bath? A mani-pedi? A new TV? Make your list and check it twice, make sure there’s enough on there that isn’t food or alcohol, so that when you treat yourself it stays a treat and doesn’t turn into something you regret later.

When it comes to beautiful skin, you will hear me talk about how it begins with what’s going on inside of you, what you choose to eat and what you choose NOT to eat. But recently, there’s been growing attention rightfully placed on what we actually put on to our skin in terms of beautiful skin as well as disease prevention. To get underneath it all, I sat with renowned celebrity make-up artist, Christy Coleman who uses toxin-free products exclusively in her work and whose celebrity clients include Amber Valletta, Sheryl Crow and Emmy Rossum.

AKA) You haven’t always used toxin-free products, what inspired your change?

CC) It all began in rural Texas and Oklahoma.  My dad was exposed to many chemicals and fertilizers throughout his life, and I believe that these harmful toxins were the trigger for his ALS (also known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.”). After watching my father pass away, I knew that I needed to turn my personal experience into something positive by transcending my knowledge about this disease and how much we all are exposed to toxins into my professional life.  Many consumers aren’t aware that traditional makeup can contain harmful ingredients, which the skin absorbs, potentially causing long-term health concerns. After years of research, I have hand selected only green products to be a part of my makeup kit that not only perform at a very high level, they’re good for you and the environment.

AKA) What do you believe the link between toxin-free makeup and skin health to be – can the products you recommend actually improve skin health as opposed to not harm?

CC) Toxin-free makeup often has better ingredients that do help to promote the health of your skin as opposed to irritating and damaging the skin over time. Many toxin-free / natural brands strive to include natural and organic ingredients that have an added benefit to the skin. Whether the ingredient is known to increase hydration, soothe or promote anti-aging, at the end of the day it is also about what “is not” included in the formula that is equally important.

AKA)  But, can you seriously get competitive “cover girl” looks with non-toxic makeup?

CC) YES, you can create any look or trend with non-toxic makeup, and feel better about supporting eco-friendly brands while knowing that you are doing your skin a favor by decreasing the amount of toxins to which you are exposed.

AKA)  What do your celebrity clients say is the best thing about your use of toxin-free only make-up? Why do you use toxin-free make-up for your celebrity clients when they are only using the products during a shoot?

CC) Most of the celebrities I work with are wearing makeup day in and day out under the hot lights of a high profile event, photo or TV shoot. Applying and taking makeup off multiple times in a day can wreak havoc on the skin. I find that the products within my makeup kit are a lot gentler on the skin, but still provide the dramatic looks and performance that is imperative for what I do for a living.

AKA) I’m sold, as you know. But where can someone start if they want to begin switching over but aren’t ready to invest in a whole new line of products?

CC) I’d recommend starting with your foundation or face powder as well as any lip products because those are ones that cover the most surface area (your foundation) or that you are most likely to ingest (lips). Also, don’t forget about your body lotions. I recommend using raw organic coconut oil immediately following your shower as it locks in moisture for soft skin.

Buzz Girls 2nd Anniversary Party

The products that were featured were as follows:

Align Digestive Care – probiotic supplement  - Not all probiotics are created equal – for optimal results, strain specificity and quantity are critical as well as viability at the time of consumption (bacteria must be alive to be effective).

Ascenta NutraSea fish oils – Not all fish oils are created equal – what matters is purity (look for “pure √” symbol), concentration, and how it is processed to prevent oxidation.

Ayala’s Herbal Water – Many are bored with plain water, this provides flavor with health benefits (i.e. digestion, stress reduction) without adding sugar, calories or artificial ingredients.

Coconut Bliss soy, dairy & gluten free ice cream - A true treat is one that is indulgent, tastes great and contains ingredients about which you can feel good.

Crofter’s Superfruit Spread – Unlike competitors’ products, this sweet taste comes from mostly organic berries and a little organic sugar.

Dr. Khalsa’s Vitamin D3 – Low Vitamin D is implicated in everything from ADD/ADHD, cancer risk and survival, and hormonal health. This site offers a test kit to test your levels, a book and supplements for further information and treatment.

Healing Movement – Raw Cultured Vegetables and Young Coconut Kefir – Optimal health begins with a healthy digestive system.  These organic products help reduce bloating, alleviate sugar cravings and assist transition to a healthy digestive tract.

Late July Organic Snacks – mini sandwich cookies - Mom knows best (in this case, Grandma, Dad and Mom)! Providing all of our favorite snack treats made healthy without sacrificing taste.

Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods & Oils – hemp protein and hemp seeds - In hemp, nature provides us the only food source of certain fatty acids as well as a complete protein.

Natural Calm – The Anti-Stress Drink – nutritional magnesium powder – When it comes to magnesium, whose benefits include – aiding digestion, reducing the effects of stress, and heart and bone health, this product stands out as organic and highly absorbable.

Nature’s Path Pumpkin Flax Plus Granola - because organic can and does taste great, these products make any meal satisfying and healthier.

Nuttzo – organic, omega 3 multi-nut butter - this crazy combo of nuts and seeds provide fiber, omega 3’s, complete protein and minerals with a delicious crunch.

Olade organic, electrolytes, zero sugar added beverages - diabetics and non-diabetics alike should choose organic beverages that are naturally very low in sugar (sweetened with stevia)…and taste great!

R.W. Knudsen Sparkling Essence – light and refreshing beverages for anytime of the day.

Yummy Earth Organic Candy – lollipops, gummy bears and gummy worms - a candy you can feel better about because they are organic with no artificial coloring and per portion are lower in sugar than other candy – a treat for kids and adults alike!

This week the Center for Science in the Public Interest updated the findings of its’ historic study about the caloric and fat overload found in many a movie-goer’s favorite treat – popcorn.

Among the findings are that:

1. The ’bag ‘o corn’ is really a thrice super-sized nightmare:  ”You MAY be eating three McDonald’s Quarter Pounders with 12 pats of butter while watching a movie…that food is nutritionally comparable to what you’d find in a medium popcorn and soda combo at Regal, the country’s biggest movie theater chain: 1,610 calories and three days’ worth—60 grams—of saturated fat. (Nutrition aside, that combo costs $12—for raw ingredients that must cost Regal pennies.)”
2. The advertised nutrition information is incorrect “Regal says that its medium popcorn has 720 calories and that its large has 960. But CSPI’s lab tests found that those numbers were understated. Regal’s medium and large sizes each had 1,200 calories and, thanks to being popped in coconut oil, 60 grams of saturated fat. (The large size looks bigger, thanks to its titanic tub, but it costs a dollar more and comes with a free refill.) A “small” at Regal has 670 calories and 34 grams of saturated fat. That’s about as many calories as a Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pepperoni Pizza—except the popcorn has three times the saturated fat.

A few thoughts here:

1. In these tough economic times, I hear how it’s hard to eat healthy because it costs more. While there are truths to this, movie meals can cost a pretty penny both at the time ($12) as well as in the long run (heart disease etc.) so bring your own healthier treat (it’s not hard to be healthier than this popcorn) and save some bucks or even better, come to the movie for the entertainment and skip the food as entertainment – after all, sitting on our backsides gazing up is hardly strenuous activity requiring refueling
2. I underlined a piece above about coconut oil and I want to provide some information here lest coconut oil become the easy target of this nutrition(less) story. Coconut oil is a saturated fat, but it is one that has good health properties (medium chain triglycerides for easy absorption, lauric fatty acid etc) and can tolerate high heat making it a better choice than a trans fat or an oil that shouldn’t be heated to higher temperatures. I prefer and recommend organic because then the health benefits aren’t reduced by the potential for pesticides. That said, coconut oil, like any saturated fat and like fats and food in general must be consumed with portion control in mind – 60 grams is the issue here, not coconut oil. Think of suing coconut oil to stir-fry veggies where the fat enhances the absorption of fat-soluble antioxidants a as a healthier choice than a 12 ounce serving of steak – you get the idea.

Buzz Tips to Help You Deflate

1. Mind Your Manners
   Talking while you’re eating, chewing gum, smoking and drinking through a straw can all cause you to swallow excess air, leaving you bloated and uncomfortable.
2. Great Things DO Come in Small Packages
   Allow yourself to enjoy occasional treats, but limit yourself to just a taste or bite. The smaller portion will be better for your digestive system and prevent excess bloating.
3. Find Your Inner Balance
   Of bacteria, that is. It’s important to have a good balance of beneficial bacteria (“probiotics”) in our digestive systems. When used daily as directed, a daily probiotic supplement like Align with Bifantis, can help restore a natural balance with ongoing probiotic protection.
4. How Sweet It Is
   Keep this in mind the next time you go for a treat. Sugars, dried fruit, sweeteners, and juice are treats that may not be friendly to all digestive systems. Carbonated drinks like sugary sodas will make your stomach puffy and distended. Keep it simple – stick to water with lemon or herbal tea.
5. Spice Things Up
   Spices don’t just make your food taste good, they’re important for your overall health too. Ginger and tumeric have anti-inflammatory properties, while caraway, cumin and cinnamon play a role in digestion and can help with weight management. Adding different spices to your meals and snacks can help spice things up … the right way.
6. Don’t Feel Weighed Down by Bloating
   Hop on the treadmill, hit the dance floor or just run around with your nieces and nephews – anything. Working up a sweat releases fluids your body might be holding, and just 20 to 30 minutes of exercise each day can help to move food along your digestive tract so bloating won’t weigh you down.

Download a fun tip card for yourself.

Here’s what AKA had to say about the topic on Good Morning America Health earlier this week.

And in case you aren’t convinced that ORGANIC MATTERS there’s some great information about pesticides and organics at the Environmental Working Group’s website - their Dirty Dozen list as well as this great research review from www.organic-center.org

According to Kellogg’s, their kid’s cereals contain vitamins that “help support immunity” …AKA says NO WAY!

Whether it’s gummy candies fortified with vitamins or cereals done the same way – the KEY ISSUE is the SUGAR.

We know that while vitamins MAY help – and this depends on quality and dosage – support the immune system, we know for CERTAIN that SUGAR suppresses the immune system and feeds the bad bacteria often responsible for colds (not a virus).

Parents who want sure fire immune supportive solutions should look to Nature’s Candy bowl – fruits in a variety of colors, nuts and seeds – as well as limiting the amount of sugar their child consumes…think Apples vs Apple Jacks!

The question of to Agave or Not continues to come up -and while the official
verdict may not be out there yet, I wanted to weigh-in beyond my original
blog. The most important things to take from this article and the issue:

1. know where your ingredient comes from – Organic (USDA logo)…with AKA I investigate not just “what” the ingredients are but where’s their source so my list should be a useful tool when choosing agave containing products.
2. blends do not confer the same nutritional benefits as the single ingredient – for example, if something contains organic agave but also maple syrup or additional fructose or a sugar alcohol (ie sorbitol) the product does NOT have the same glycemic load as organic agave alone
3. quantity is still the key concept. If we over consume agave at an eating occasion or during the week, we have over consumed bringing up issues such as imbalanced blood sugar, extra weight, higher fat mass, insulin resistance.