In the diet culture we have been taught to fear fat. This ideal often led us to think that low-fat products equate healthy. However, the new diet that is gaining rapid popularity is suggesting the complete opposite. The ketogenic or “keto” diet is encouraging high fat consumption. In addition to this possibly daunting idea, the diet also recommends a low-carbohydrate and moderate protein consumption. The ketogenic diet is a diet that was originally recommended to children who suffer from epilepsy. It can still be used for that purpose today. The keto diet forces the body to use an alternate energy source of fat instead of its primary source of glycogen, this is derived from carbohydrates. Having the body use its fat reserves as fuel via ketones is called, ketosis. In order for the body to achieve a state of ketosis, the glycogen stores must stay depleted. In order to do so, a low carbohydrate intake must be respected while following this diet. Fat consumption will be approximately 75% of your daily diet, if following the standard ketogenic diet (Mawer, 2018). So, why follow the keto craze? Is this right for you? First and for most, always consult with your primary care physician when wanting to change your diet. The main appeal with the keto diet is rapid weight loss. However, there are other benefits that could be obtained when following this diet. Benefits such as: improved cholesterol levels, reduce heart disease risk, and help control diabetes. Next time you are considering a diet change, look into the ketogenic diet and ask your physician if this is right for you!

Mawer, Rudy. “The Ketogenic Diet: A Detailed Beginner’s Guide to Keto.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 30 July 2018, http://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ketogenic-diet-101.

Since elementary school most of us have been taught the basics of a “healthy” diet. I put quotations around healthy, because that word could have a different meaning to different people. The definition could be dependent on a variety of factors such as age and culture. However, something that is a staple in all diets is drinking water. In America, most of us are taught to drink at least 8 glasses of water per day. But, have many of us actually thought about why? Well, I am here to give you a few good reasons to keep up or increase your water intake in order to feel your best.

First off, the body is made of 60-70% water (Zelman, 2018). The body uses this water to preform daily tasks like digestion, circulation and maintain body temperature. And, it may seem like the obvious one, we need water to stay hydrated. It is when the body has a higher water out take than intake that we become dehydrated. Dehydration can cause us to feel light head and fatigued. Keep in mind how much water we secrete on a daily basis through sweating and urination. We must replenish the water loss in order to feel our best. Secondly, consuming water can help control calorie intake. This is another recommendation that may sound familiar, drinking a glass of water before meals. This indeed is true. Drinking a glass of water before a meal can help you feel more satiated, thus consuming less calories per meal (LeMeaux, 2019). In addition, drinking water with meals can replace other high calorie, sugar filled beverages. This alone will help reduce unnecessary calories. Lastly, number three, which maybe I should have labeled as number two, is water helping with regular bowel movements. Water may not be the first remedy we think about when we are having trouble regulating our bowels. However, water can help! Drinking ample amounts of water will keep your GI tract moving smoothly. It is when you do not get enough water that, “colon pulls water from stools to maintain hydration — and the result is constipation.” (Zelman, 2018).

The list can go on about the benefits of drinking a sufficient amount of water to improve your health. Creating a healthier lifestyle does not have to be complicated or expensive. Increasing your water intake is a great place to start. Find a way to increase your intake that is sustainable for you and see the results!

LeMeaux, E.C. “How Drinking More Water Can Help You Lose Weight.” Gaiam, 2 May 2019, http://www.gaiam.com/blogs/discover/how-drinking-more-water-can-help-you-lose-weight.

Zelman, Kathleen M. “Why Drink More Water? See 6 Health Benefits of Water.” WebMD, WebMD, 8 May 2018, http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/6-reasons-to-drink-water#3.

Today, there is an excess consumption of added sugars, both consciously and unconsciously. This consumption is coming from a variety of products including cereals, snacks and beverages. While those may be the obvious culprits, added sugars are also hiding in products that we would not typically suspect. Like in pasta sauces and seasoning blends. Added sugars are everywhere. According to the US Department of Agriculture, added sugars is a term used to define all sugars that are used as an ingredient in processed or prepared foods (AHA, 2016). Added sugars gained popularity as an additive due to its incorporation causing an increase in their palatability, making them more desirable to consumers. Added sugars are creating a diet that is energy dense but nutritionally deprived. This combination is proving to be deadly, because it has increased the risk of developing metabolic and lifestyle diseases. 

The American Heart Association conducted a study on the controversy of associating added sugars and the rise of lifestyle diseases, specifically the effects of added sugars and cardiovascular disease risk in children. The study found, “strong evidence [that] supports the association of added sugars with increased cardiovascular disease risk in children through increased energy intake, increased adiposity and dyslipidemia.” (AHA, 2016) Their recommendation is to reduce the consumption of added sugars on a daily basis. “This strategy could play an important role in reducing the high prevalence of obesity in the United States. The guidelines advised that sweetened foods and beverages be replaced with those that have no added sugars or are low in added sugars.” (AHA, 2016). An example of a recommended replacement would be consuming water instead of fruit juices. 

Added sugars are creeping into our diet now more than ever. Due to this we as consumers have to be more aware and take the time to look at what we are consuming. As a consumer, we should take the extra time to flip over our product and read the nutrition facts, specifically at the amount of added sugars. Becoming more aware is the first step. Added sugars are adding to the rise of metabolic and lifestyle diseases. We can create a decline by being more aware of what we are actually putting into our bodies.

The American Heart Association . (2016, August 22). Added Sugars and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Children: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Retrieved February 16, 2020, from https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/cir.0000000000000439

As a new mom to a four month old baby girl I have found that there are behaviors that are highly stressed during the early stages of the child’s life. Behaviors that are precautionary in nature, like constantly washing your hands when handling a baby, is appropriate and should turn into a habit that is practiced long past the first year of birth. Another behavior that I believe should be converted into a habit is paying close attention to the ingredients in foods that a child consumes. I found via conversations with other parents that when selecting a food for your child that the less ingredients the better, organic is best and quality over quantity matters.

I LOVED the sound of these parameters when selecting the first solid foods for my daughter. My delight came from knowing that these are the same parameters I follow when selecting foods for myself. I shop the outside of the grocery store first, so that I can fill my cart with fresh produce and meats. I look for minimal ingredients in packaged products, like protein bars. However, what I found disheartening when these conversations were taking place is that often times parents only follow these parameters for their child.

Adults could benefit both mentally and physically, if they would implement the same precautionary behavior when selecting foods for themselves. The consciences that I gathered when speaking to other parents as to why they do not follow the same guidelines for their own diet is that it is too difficult. To this I respond with the best piece of advice that helped me create healthy habits and that is: start small. Small can still be impactful. Small change is still change. Start by implementing one new rule at a time for 30-45 days. Let this new behavior become a habit. Simple rules that could be followed to create a healthy habit could include: not purchasing products that contain added sugars or only purchasing products with less than 5 ingredients. Rules like this will reduce the amount of unhealthy product purchases. In turn steering the adult in a path towards a healthier lifestyle.

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.

— Oscar Wilde.

This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.