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Tag Archives: nutrition
Healthy Living in a Toxic World – Episode 5: The 109 Year Old Man
In this episode of Healthy Living in a Toxic World, we talk about the art of living long with Bernando La Pallo, author of Age Less, Live More, who at the time of the interview was 109 years old. Bernando passed away at the age of 114, and had no chronic illnesses or diseases.
We discuss:
- Bernando’s personal health journey and how he was led to raw foods
- Tips that can help you increase your longevity
- How positive thinking and attitude contribute to longevity
- Lifestyle habits that can increase longevity
- How eating the right foods can help keep you healthy
& More! Tune in and don’t forget to share.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
IGTV Ep 4: To Carb or Not to Carb?
To Carb or Not to Carb? That is literally the question everyone and their mother seem to want to answer these days… So how do you decide if removing carbs from your diet is right for you? Stay tuned. Welcome to Health Bytes!
Carbohydrates are the bodies’ preferred source of energy. When a person consumes carbs our bodies break down or converts most carbs into the sugar glucose which is absorbed in the bloodstream. The two main forms of carbohydrates are sugars (such as fructose, glucose, and lactose) and starches, which are found in foods such as starchy vegetables, grains, rice, breads, and cereals. Simple carbs (refined sugars, white breads, pastries) are composed of smaller molecules and increase our blood sugar levels rapidly, while complex carbs like whole grains or brown rice are composed of larger molecules that increase the blood sugar levels gradually with more time.
So what’s the fuss about carbs? Well there are several things… First off you may know someone or have experienced a gluten intolerance yourself. Gluten is found in wheat, barley, rye, and often in oats. Even if you don’t have gluten intolerance, gluten sensitivity is quite common, and can cause more subtle changes in energy, brain fog, and indigestion. Some research has also suggested that gluten may be one of the main culprits for leaky gut, and autoimmune conditions.
In addition to gluten intolerance issue, you may have noticed that refined carbs (like white bread and pastries made from white flour are one of the first things people limit when trying to lose weight. This is because when we consume simple carbs or a diet high in refined sugar, this can lead to insulin resistance, hypoglycemia, diabetes, weight gain, and other blood sugar related issues. However if we consume foods lower on the index, our blood sugar levels are likely to remain stable over time, we feel fuller and have less hunger from consuming fiber-rich foods, and may be less likely to overeat. So paying attention to the TYPE of carbohydrates you consume can go a long way for maintaining or losing weight.
Now when it comes to research, low carb diets have been shown to offer some real benefits. Studies have show that low carb diets are more likely to encourage and keep weightloss off in the long run when compared to low fat diets. Low-carb diets are most beneficial for lowering triglycerides and also delivered the biggest boost in protective HDL cholesterol. Research shows that a moderately low-carbohydrate diet can help the heart, as long as protein and fat selections come from healthy sources. In one twenty year study, Women who ate low-carbohydrate diets that were high in vegetable sources of fat or protein had a 30 percent lower risk of heart disease and about a 20 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes, compared to women who ate high-carbohydrate, low-fat diets. But women who ate low-carbohydrate diets that were high in animal fats or proteins did not see any such benefits. Recent research has also made it clear that consuming a low carb diet that is high in animal protein, decreases longevity.
Now that you have the skinny on the carbs, you are in a better position to decide for yourself. Keep in mind that carbs are the bodies’ preferred energy source, so cutting them out altogether may not be the best long term solution, but perhaps reducing or replacing the kind of carbohydrates you consume can go along way to a healthier you. Reducing the amount of processed foods and increasing whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, grains, and fish or lean meats is ideal.
I’m Esosa E. Clinical Nutritionist & Founder of rawgirltoxicworld.com, until next time, your wealth is in your health!
Podcast Ep 4: Effective Exercise
Episode 4 of Healthy Living in a Toxic World is live! This week I talk to personal Trainer and former body builder Mocha Lee about all things fitness. We get into how to to find variety in your workouts, and why women should really not be scared of building muscle mass. If you are looking to take your fitness to the next level in 2019 I recommend you give this show a listen.
It’s still the first month of the year, when everyone makes that gym rush. If you are getting bored with your workout already, I recommend you find movement that you love. Remember the gym is not the only place for you to get some physical movement. If you need some ideas, check out this past post on Reframing Exercise.
To listen to the full conversation, subscribe to the podcast on Itunes, Spotify, or Google Play. Links below 🙂 -XO Esosa E, MS AKA Raw Girl
Podcast Ep 3: The Power of Adequate Sleep
Episode 3 of Healthy Living in a Toxic World is live! This week I talked to my former professor and NY Times Best Selling Author, Dr. James Maas, who has authored several books including Power Sleep and Sleep for Success. We discuss the benefits of adequate sleep, how to nap effectively, what happens to the body when there is a lack of sleep, and how sleep affects performance.
In my practice as a nutritionist, I have discovered that getting adequate sleep is the foundation of healthy living. It doesn’t matter what your healthy living goals are, without sleep you will fail. Lack of sleep affects your ability to lose weight, decreases your energy leaving you unable to exercise, and influences the hormones that affect our cravings —leading us to make poor nutrition choices. Lack of sleep also will make you as insulin resistant as a type 2 diabetic! Have you been prioritizing sleep in this new year? If not, make a plan today for your regular bedtimes to get some good quality rest. Your work, body, and performance will thank you!
To listen to the full conversation, subscribe to the podcast on Itunes, Spotify, or Google Play. Links below 🙂 -XO Esosa E, MS AKA Raw Girl
Podcast Episode 2: Plant-Based Diet
Episode 2 of Healthy Living in a Toxic World has been live for a week now, hope you have caught it! It was a real honor to have the opportunity to interview Dr. T. Colin Campbell, author of the China Study, and Founder of the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies at my alma mater Cornell University. You may have also seen Dr. Campbell in awesome plant-based focused documentaries such as Forks Over Knives. Dr. Campbell and I discussed the wide range of diseases that can benefit or be healed just by switching to a plant-based lifestyle. One of the most interesting nuggets I took from our conversation was the origin of the protein myth. Dr. Campbell mentions that this idea that we need excessive amounts of animal protein actually started after a study on dogs (not humans) was published in the 1800s and showed that the animals were weaker with a lower consumption of protein. Crazy huh?
As you may know, as a nutritionist I believe in bio-individuality and that we all need to find the unique balance of foods that work for our bodies. That said, I do believe that EVERYONE can benefit from eating more plant-based foods, and eliminating processed foods. Take a look at your diet today, and see how you can add in more organic fresh fruits and vegetables whether it be including smoothies, juices, fresh salads, or additional sides.
To listen to the full conversation, subscribe to the podcast on Itunes, Spotify, or Google Play. Links below 🙂 -XO Esosa E, MS AKA Raw Girl
IG TV Episode 2: 5 Reasons You May Have Acne
Are you vegan, gluten-free, only drink rain water, and can still not figure out why in the heck you still have acne? This one’s for you boo. Welcome to Health Bytes!
There are many reasons why acne can happen, but most people focus on acne as an external issue and don’t think of acne as a warning sign. Acne usually points to a underlying issue with your digestion, elimination, your diet, hormones, and sometimes the balance of microorganisms in your gut. You may have what in your mind is the PERFECT diet, but still can’t beat the blackheads. Here’s a few reasons why:
- You eat a lot of processed or packaged foods, or fried foods. Consuming foods with dead oils and high in trans fats that are processed can cause breakouts for some of us, because everyone has different levels of sensitivities to food. Even if your bff can wolf down fries and maintain her blemish free skin, it may not last for long and could lead to a much more serious health condition. If you are sensitive, consider it a blessing and stay away from foods with excess oils, stabilizers, chemicals, high fructose corn syrup, and other fillers.
- You have some underlying elimination issues. The colon is literally our bodies’ sewage system. In order to keep our skin clear we need to have regular bowel movements. the colon needs to be clear enough to process waste and toxins out of the body. If you are only having one bowel movement over the course of a few days — it’s a sign that you are constipated and need to drink a lot of additional water. To calculate how much water you need, a good general rule of thumb is to divide your body weight in half and drink that amount in fluid ounces, not to exceed 125 fluid ounces.
- You May Have…Parasites! A lot of people don’t know this, but some acne or skin breakouts can be caused by parasites. Parasitic infection is usually a sign of an underlying root cause or health issue sometimes related to leaky gut, for example mercury poisoning, candida overgrowth. DO you have fatigue, or a visible white coating on your tongue? It may be time to figure out what’s really going on and get the buggers or candida out of your system.
- Last but not least: Stress and hormonal imbalance can cause acne. Remember when you were a teenager and everyone said not to worry about your acne because your raging hormones caused them? Well when we get older and still have acne, that’s no longer an acceptable answer. SO now what? Well if we are stressed out, and our cortisol levels are consistently high, our body stays in fight or flight mode, and we can eventually wear out our adrenals, and throw off the balance of progesterone and estrogen in our body. If estrogen levels get high, we also may breakout, or have an imbalance that manifests itself in other ways such as fibroids, endometriosis etc. in women. Moral of the story is that acne can be affected by more than diet alone. If you do the work to figure out what your acne is trying to tell you about your body; you’ll be able to stay blemish-free and keep that natural glow! -XO Esosa E, MS AKA Raw Girl
Podcast Episode 1: The Ageless Woman
If you haven’t checked out Episode 1 of Healthy Living in a Toxic World, you are missing out! It was such a pleasure to interview Ageless superstar Annette Larkins. I learned a lot from her. One of my favorite gems is highlighted in the clip above, after she explained that her family has a genetic history of serious chronic conditions but that her lifestyle has kept her youthful, happy, and healthy!
As we have just entered into a New Year, ask yourself if there’s anything in your own family history or even personality that you are using as an excuse to not achieve optimal health. Now, I want you to turn that on it’s head and list all the lifestyle changes you can make to ensure that those excuses don’t become your reality.
To listen to the full conversation, subscribe to the podcast on Itunes, Spotify, or Google Play. Links below 🙂 -XO Esosa E, MS AKA Raw Girl
All New IG TV Show: Health Bytes!
Hey lovelies! 2019 is here, and I’ve got more new content for you. Hopefully you’ve already subscribed to my new podcast, and yesterday I also launched the first season of my IG TV show Health Bytes! If you do not follow me on instagram, head on over to @therawgirl and hit follow so you can keep up with the weekly episodes. Each week I’ll also be posting the transcript from the show, here on the blog. Please send in comments, questions or topic ideas for season two, I would love your feedback. -XO Esosa E, MS AKA Raw Girl
EPISODE 1: The Dangers of Health Fads
OMG have you tried keto yet? What about the low fat or low carb craze? If you can’t keep up with the latest health fads and are overwhelmed with the massive amounts of contradicting information out there, this one’s for you boo! Welcome to Health Bytes!
I’m not sure if you noticed but every year there’s a new health fad being pushed as the latest way to lose weight, stay healthy, OR to binge on a bunch of foods that aren’t so great for you. Whether it be the keto craze, the myth that fat is bad for you, or the obsession with low carbs, following health fads can miss the mark for several reasons. Let me break it all the way down for you :
TO start, the problem with health fads is that they are usually about getting results quick and not about maintaining your health or longevity. I get it! We live in a YOLO society, but when you are 80 and have heart disease, you may regret the years you spent on an Atkins diet. At the end of the day, healthy living should not be a race. and the diet we adopt should provide us with immediate health boosting benefits as well as supply adequate nutrients to keep us healthier as we age. Of course, you diet may adapt as you age to accommodate your bodies’ needs, but following a fad can set you up for building a nutritional foundation that is on shaky ground.
Another problem with fad diets: they are not personalized and do not account for specific conditions. I personally believe in bio individuality. We are all uniquely designed and have specific genetic makeups. It’s incredibly important that our diets take those factors into consideration, and also provide the right balance of nutrients to help us heal if we have a specific disease or imbalance. Our diets should be individualized, and should also include some of the healthiest versions of ancestral foods based on where our families originate. When we keep some of the good foods our fathers father ate before us, we are maintaining nutrients in our diets that honor our genetic makeup.
Last but not least, one problem with adopting health fads is that when the craze is happening, there is rarely adequate evidence based research to demonstrate the full repercussions the diet may have on your health long-term. When we get so focused on the immediate short term goals of weight loss we can sacrifice more important aspects such as cardiovascular health. We all know several health fads that were all the rage; only to find out years later research has debunked them as myths. I’m sure you know of the low fat craze which swept America, only to find out later that healthy fats are incredibly important for maintaining good cholesterol and heart health. For instance, research studies have recently shown that low carb diets that are high in animal protein actually decrease longevity.
The moral of the story? Before you jump on the latest health fad, think twice and do your research. It’s a much better use of your time to consult with a nutrition specialist one on one and build a lifestyle that is tailored to you and includes a balanced intake of protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats.
I’m Esosa E. Clinical Nutritionist & Founder of rawgirltoxicworld.com, until next time, your wealth is in your health!
New Podcast Alert!
Happy New Year 🙂 I’m really excited to hail back to my radio days and launch my podcast Healthy Living in a Toxic World, now available on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify! In this podcast, I’ll be bringing you weekly conversations with health experts, longevity Sheroes and Heroes and insights on your mental, physical, and emotional health. Season one was recorded awhile back but has some serious GEMS! Guests include incredible experts like Dr. T. Colin Campbell author of The China Study, Dr. James Maas New York Times Bestselling author of Power Sleep, Victoria Moran @mainstreetvegan Author, podcaster and founder of Mainstreet Vegan Academy, Mimi Kirk former PETA’s Sexiest Vegetarian Over 70, Bernardo La Pallo who at the time of interview was 109 years old & more!