Hello Again...

A lot has happened since my last post:
- moved into my own apartment (EVER... alone)
- started 2 (not 1) volleyball leagues- that keeps me sane
- and oh yeh, I've decided to do a figure competition

::tire screeching::
Yup... a form of female body building. I researched/ stalked all websites pertaining to figure competitions and decided that my gym training needs an end goal. I need something to strive for, something to attain, something to feel good about. So after about 2 months of really going hard in the gym and tracking my food, I found a local posing coach and got a consultation.  I was pleasantly surprised when she said my body was decent enough to do a bikini competition in a few weeks... but I want to push myself so she recommended another 12-16 weeks for a figure competition.

Bodybuilding for women is broken down into categories:

1. bikini- though more body fat and less muscle definition, theses girls clearly work hard to stay in shape
2. figure- (what I will be competing in) a lot less body fat with a focus on deltoids, V-taper (lat spread), outer thigh sweep (vastus lateralis), and small waist
3. physique- less body fat, muscle striation, vascular, muscle separation
4. body builders- ... well- you get where this is going

So I am super excited and have been at this for a month now (11 weeks out).

I will try to post my progress!

#GOHARDORGOHOME

It's been awhile... My bad!

Writing this morning to check in. I have a post in the works that will be informative and awesome... as always! ;-)

One thing I took away from the raw lecture I attended so long ago was that regular fasting can be a good way to re-start/ refresh the body.  He suggested doing it once a week or even on a full moon or new moon (which is about every month).  I decided back then to fast on every new moon as a way to start off fresh... new, even. So today is the day! I have 3 liters of coconut water and unlimited sources of water that I will be chugging today.  My tummy has been acting up lately so I hope this will make everything feel normal again (fingers crossed).

I love coconut water by the way. LOVE!

Coconut water has long been a prevalent drink in the tropical countries, Latin America, and Southeast Asia, where it is widely available as a fresh fruit, or in can or bottle. It is fat-free, cholesterol-free, and low in calories – but high in nutrients and electrolytes.  Coconut water is high potassium content and contains antioxidants linked to a variety of health benefits.

Electrolyte is a "medical/scientific" term for salts, specifically ions.

In your body, the major electrolytes are as follows:

• sodium (Na⁺)                 chloride (Cl^-)
• potassium (K⁺)             calcium (Ca²⁺)
• magnesium (Mg²⁺)         bicarbonate (HCO₃^-)
• phosphate (PO₄^2-)          sulfate (SO₄^2-)

Sweat= Water, minerals (potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, etc), lactate, and urea

Potassium is good for:

1.     Balancing the PH of the body

2.     Water balance in the body

3.     Normal muscle growth

4.     Healthy nervous system and brain function

Sources: 1, 2, 3

As an aside, I suspect that bread/ grains are messing up my tummy.  I did a tiny bit of research on gluten free diets, but need to learn more. I really am not trying to add one more excluded food group to my diet... but for no more uncomfortable tummy troubles?  I just may have to sacrifice..

 Stay tuned!

Organic: What Does that REALLY Mean?

This post is long overdue…

The BIGGEST thing that has made my nutrition journey (which I will get into later) so difficult was shelling out extra money for quality foods. That means organic fruit and vegetables, Non-GMO soy products, and free trade goods whenever possible.

Now, I am SUUUUPER frugal, but I know that the investment I put in my food now will only make me stronger and healthier later. I cringe when buying organic kale for $2.49 a bunch instead of $0.99… Talk about painful.

The key to saving your pennies is to know WHAT you are looking for, the lingo and requirements, and to only buy what is most important.  I composed a quick list of terms to keep in mind:

 

Heart Disease Series: Know Your Numbers

Today I received an update from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Healthbeat newsletter about a heart disease related stats.

According to the Agency for Heathcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) reviewed the latest available numbers of sufferers:

"One in every 4 adults, representing some 55 million Americans, was treated for high blood pressure in 2008"

What is staggering about this is this only represents the people who know they have high blood pressure.  

"Because high blood pressure has no symptoms, the real total would have to include people who have high blood pressure and don’t know it."

The first heart health tip would be to KNOW YOUR NUMBERS!

Like I said in the introductory post  when I described myself, my personal numbers weren't as AMAZING as I had hoped. Because you feel fine, doesn't mean you are fine...

You should know the following stats about your health and monitor them regularly:

• average/ normal blood pressure reading: this ideally would be taken first thing upon waking before eating or even moving

This chart reflects blood pressure categories defined by the American Heart Association.

Blood Pressure Category	Systolic mm Hg (upper #)		Diastolic mm Hg (lower #)
Normal	less than 120	and	less than 80
Prehypertension	120 – 139	or	80 – 89
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Stage 1	140 – 159	or	90 – 99
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Stage 2	160 or higher	or	100 or higher
Hypertensive Crisis (Emergency care needed)	Higher than 180	or	Higher than 110

* Your doctor should evaluate unusually low blood pressure readings.

• choesterol: you may recieve the total or the LDL and HDL numbers separately

Total cholesterol

> 200: desirable (however studies show more heart attacks happen between 150-200

200-239 mg/dL: borderline high risk

240 and over: high risk

HDL (good)

> 60mg/dL: some protection against heart disease

< 40 mg/dL (men) & < 50 mg/dL (women): increased risk of heart disease

LDL (bad)

< 100 mg/dL: desirable

> 160 mg/dL: high- very high

 Source

• blood sugar: this is more related to diabetes but both chronic conditions overlap complications

Blood glucose

Fasting blood glucose:	70-99 milligrams per deciliter (3.9-5.5 mmol/L)
2 hours after eating (postprandial):	70-145 mg/dL (3.9-8.1 mmol/L)
Random (casual):	70-125 mg/dL (3.9-6.9 mmol/L)

Raw Food Lecture Notes

These are some of the notes a gained from the Raw Food lecture I attended a few weeks ago...  I definitely learned a lot and have followed the eating recommendations since his speech.

He also talked about detoxing with the use of coconut water in order to restart the body. Below are some of his YouTube videos decribing the key points of fasting and eating raw. Enjoy!

• The Art of Fasting
• The Art of Fasting Part 2
• 5 Keys to Becoming and Staying Raw in 2012

What is Oil Pulling?

Have you ever heard of oil pulling or oil swishing before?

Me either... until the other day during one of my "raw food lifestyle" Google searches- yeah, I get pretty specific with my search engines.

This really intrigued me because I wanted to find an easy daily detox that will help my body even more than my new and improved diet.

Here is the quick in dirty facts about oil pulling:

- it has ancient Ayurvedic roots

- long list of cures: gum disease, allergies, asthma, intestinal diseases, ulcers, headaches... The list goes on and on

- can be done with any pure oil (organic), but sunflower and sesame have the most powerful effects

- oil can seep through the crevasses of the mouth to extract toxins and bacteria

- our tongue is thought to be very powerful connection between the rest of the body: think sub-lingual medications. There is so much blood supply that flows under the tongue it's a key place to reach the blood stream quickly

Here is how you do it:

- they recommend you do it first thing in the morning before you eat, brush your teeth, even drink water...

- use sunflower oil or sesame oil of high quality (organic, cold pressed)

- you swish 1 tablespoon of oil in your mouth for 15- 20 minutes doing a suck and pull motion through the teeth and around the gums

- DO NOT SWALLOW: spit out in a garbage can (because the solution is full of bacteria and toxins)

- rinse with salt water mixture

- brush teeth as normal

So I tried it with virgin coconut oil this morning while preparing my meals. It was fine other than the fact that all of the saliva and mucous fills your mouth quite quickly. I rinsed with salt water and brushed my teeth afterward. Since I don't eat in the morning anyway, I followed that sequence with 16oz of water and hopped on the train to the gym...

My teeth felt instantly cleaner. I will see how it helps my body if I continue to do it every morning for the rest of the month.

I hope to see changes in:

- joints and muscles being less achy: which is from working out and walking so much

- clearer skin: veganism has made my skin quite nice, but I want it even BETTER! #selfish

- digestion

- gum health: my gums are slowly receding so this would be great for that

- impacted molars: I read one case where a grown woman started seeing her molars rise after oil pulling

I will let you know how it goes!

Here is an AWESOME article that explains everything for more reference.

Old Class Project: Body Image Video

I wanted to post an old class project I completed for a graduate nutrition class. In it, I solicited my friends and colleagues from different ethnicities and comprised an educational and personal short documentary surrounding health and beauty among minorities. This was my 1st (and last so far...) video editing job. I loved the process of being artistic through this medium: video.  Enjoy!

The End of My 7 day Raw Cleanse (… or is it?)

I have learned a lot this past week. Raw veganism is a strange new path I think I want to embark on. The potential for optimal health is endless. The only things I worry about is getting enough nutrients I need to maintain a moderately vigorous athletic schedule.  I love challenges and I think I just found my next one!

Below are a few things I learned throughout the week:

5 Things You Can Do RIGHT NOW (or in 5 mins) to Improve Your Health At Work

If you are like me, you spend 8 hours a day in front of a computer screen and lustfully look outside your window for amusement. The time we spend at work makes up the majority of our day so why not make it a little healthier?  As your Account Manager, I recommend you try a few of my tips to stay healthy and fit at work.

1. Drink water (ALL DAY LONG). Make it a competition with yourself to drink at least ½ your body weight in ounces everyday.  If you know you will be out and about after work, try to get in ¾ of that number before you leave. 

For instance if you weigh 160lbs, you will need to eventually drink 80oz of water that day, but try to down AT LEAST 60oz before heading out.  I do this by using large reusable water jugs that hold 32 oz of water.  My daily goal, since I workout before work is to finish 2.5-3 jugs before I head home.  I also try to keep my jug in front of me next to the computer monitor so I remember to drink up.

See how many days out of the week you can accomplish this and reward yourself with a non-edible prize (like a manicure or a new DVD).

2. Stand up. Studies show that the more active we are throughout the day, the more mental clarity, circulation, and alertness we can achieve.  Get up. Go for a walk. Get more water (see above ;-).  JUST MOVE! 

I have been guilty of sitting in one spot ALL DAY LONG several times. Without the help of my coffee loving colleague, I probably would never move from my seat. We usually go get coffee/ tea or get her lunch at a nearby shop. Even if I don’t buy anything, the fact that I moved is good enough for me.

See tips 3-5 after the jump...

Books Reviews and Other Rants

I hope everyone's long weekend was spectacular ;-)

I am sitting at work a little confused about what to do first... so of course I decided to write a post (Shhhhh don't tell on me!).

Since I am a fan of short, concise, explanations of things (i.e books, research articles, relationship arguments... I digress) I will doing brief book reviews of some of the stuff I am or have already read. My opinion of course will be intertwined in the book's content, interesting quotes, and hard facts while also presenting some food for thought... Gotta keep you thinking!

So stay tuned for my book reviews in the near future...

-----------------------

In other news, my raw diet is going well. Still eating my salads, fruits, and nuts... but I had DUN DUN DUNNNNN hummus last night. It is technically roasted which isn't raw but whatevs. That is the hardest thing about this detox- finding packaged raw foods = HARD! So I guess I will dust off my juicer (an old Juice Man for the 1990s) and continue with my smoothies I guess.

Le sigh... Have a great Tuesday!

I like it RAW (EW for the nasty minds!)

So resolutions kind of piss me off… wait for it.

I really don’t  understand why people have to wait for a specific day to change their life around. Starting as soon as you have the resources is always best. Immediately implement your game plan and don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t work out. Stressing over failures isn’t worth the mental strain and physiological changes your body goes through. I am reading a book right now called When the Body Says NO: Exploring the Stress-Disease Connection by Gabore Mate, MD.  More about the book later…

In an attempt to reset my body for the New Year, I want to eat uncooked, unprocessed, clean foods for one week. If all goes well, I want incorporate 3-7 days a month of complete raw eating.

BUT (there is always a but) I wanted to attempt 7 days of raw eating for the 1^st week of Janurary. That means nothing cooked over 112-115 degrees.  Now I am already vegan, so eating raw really means not cooking things to death. The only problem I foresee is not being able to make my grains (brown rice, quinoa, millet, amaranth, etc.). But for a week, I should survive.  I will supplement my protein with hemp protein and nuts mostly.

Today I bought my ingredients for the week which included salad stuff, my smoothie stuff (my Vitamix is my baby and a lifesaver) and snacks. After spending $70.00…

I KNOW RIGHT!!!

Yeah $70 is a lot of money. My normal weekly food budget is $40, so I swallowed my pride and paid. My plan is to eat 1-2 salads a day, 24-48oz of green smoothies or 24oz of raw vegetable juice and snack on fresh and dried fruit. And finally, I will be clearing everything out with about 100oz AS MUCH water a day that I can tolerate (ambitious, I know).

SO I will check in again later in the week for an update. Stay tuned and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Heart Disease Series

As THE #1 cause of death in the United States, heart disease and its complications will affect nearly all of us either directly or indirectly in our lifetime.  Minorities seem to suffer the most effects with a seemingly cultural affinity to developing the disease.

Values/ habits + lifestyle = an overwhelmingly high proportion of suffers

Although genetics loads the “gun” for this and other common diseases/ conditions (i.e. diabetes, Alzheimer’s, cancer etc.), lifestyle pulls the “trigger.” Without a consistent practice of healthy habits, your genetics will have free range and be more likely to take over.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 9 out of 10 heart disease patients have at least one risk factor.  This risk factors influence each other and one often leads to the other. 

They include:

• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Cigarette smoking
• Overweight and obesity
• Poor diet
• Physical inactivity
• Alcohol use

Small but consistent lifestyle changes can greatly influence one’s chances of developing heart disease.  Why is something as simple diet and physical activity so difficult for us to adopt?

This series will give short tips, information, article summaries, and other thought provoking insight on heart disease, its causes, and preventative measures to attempt.

I am always open to questions and suggestions on what to include for this series. I feel as though it is too important to gloss over or just give one large, textbook- like post on the subject.

Cheers to your heart!

My FIRST BLOG POST!!

::rubs hands together, clears throat, checks mic::

HELLOOOO OUT THERE!!

So I decided to start my own blog because I am so inspired by all of the blogs I read every day. I want to express my sentiments (and research) on health, nutrition, fitness and overall wellness as seen in my daily life and the lives of those I read about. As an African American woman, there are certain "dos and don'ts" when it comes to food and our bodies. I hope to explore these stigmas through this blog. But first, I'm sure you have some questions for me...

What is with the title of this blog?

The Body Bank Account is based on the view that what you put in, is what you ultimately get out. If you eat horribly and never move, your body will reward you with a whole host of conditions (Diabetes, high blood pressure, weight problems, acne etc.). But if you mindfully eat- as in choose whole foods with little processing- and move the national recommended amount of 30 minutes most days of the week of moderate intensity exercise, your body will bless you will good digestion, functioning organs, strong hair and nails, clear skin and your set weight base on the Set-Point Theory.

Easy right? Ummm not so much. Explain why over 2/3 of Americans are overweight and obese and heart disease is our #1 killer... can't? Don't worry I will...

So who the heck are you anyway?

::Jay Z voice:: Allow me to re-introduce myself... my  name is... well I will be your "account manager". I am just a country girl (who was stuck in a secluded area void of diversity) living in the city (Washington, DC). 

What do you know about health and fitness? Why should I listen to you?

I grew up an only child obsessed with sports. I was signed up from everything from tennis, to ice skating, to soccer... I excelled and learned to love basketball and volleyball and ended up trying to play volleyball in college. In 11th grade, I became a vegetarian because of a club teammate. I wanted to take meat out of my diet at first to get leaner and lose weight.  At the time I was battling a mild eating disorder so I felt not eating meat was a legit way to lose weight.  I researched how the meat got on my table and slowly developed my real reason for not eating meat (or so I thought).

Sports have always become my passion and nutrition was slowly becoming just as important.  After a track accident with months of rehab, I became inspired by the medical world. I later attended George Mason University in Northern VA and walked on their D1 volleyball team as a freshman. Because I was not progressing the way they wanted, I was let go right before my sophomore season.  That was physically and emotionally the most difficult year of my life. I remained active and continued to eat what I felt was a healthy balanced vegetarian diet.

In school, I studied health sciences with a focus in community health. I immediately went to grad school for a masters in science studying health promotion management. This degree is focused solely on the individual moving into a healthier and more knowledgeable citizen, not on a public level. I now work for a company that caters to physicians and do volunteer/ work part time with a non-profit (which I will talk about in this blog) organization which aligns with my education AND passion: wellness training in both the child and adult sectors. I am also a certified personal trainer through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).

Read more after the jump...