Carbs have been given a bad reputation by the diet industry, and it’s unfortunate because they’re so important for long-term, overall wellness.
There are two big issues with the way we consume carbs:
1) The sources most people want to eat are highly processed fake foods.
2) People have trained their bodies to run entirely off those sources, so they feel unsatisfied, hungry, and lackluster.
Carbohydrates are a quick-burning calorie that don’t provide energy for long. When most meals/snacks are processed carb-based, you end up hungry soon after or, even worse, HANGRY. Feeling hangry is a sign of poor blood sugar regulation which is not a good thing! Popular diets like Paleo and Keto are part of the movement to eat more fat, a slow-digesting calorie that leaves you feeling fuller for longer. The benefits of fat don’t make carbs any less valuable!
Here are just a few roles carbs play for us:
• source of quick-burning energy
• provide essential micronutrients (vitamins and minerals)
• support regular bowel movements (oh, hey there fiber)
Healthy carbohydrate sources:
• vegetables
• beans/legumes
• fruit
• sprouted grains
Shelby O’Hagan, Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP)
Rebel Yum Nutrition
Like machines, our bodies must have the proper fuel to function. We need to drink lots of water, eat at least five helpings of fruits and vegetables daily, take a multivitamin, and talk to our doctors about additional supplements we may need. Above all, we should not go long periods without eating: low glucose levels in the blood may be responsible for some dementia in later life. We can stay lean with physical activity and balanced eating, rather than dieting.
February in the Northwest is a tough month. The days are short and it’s still cold and blustery. It’s a good time to concentrate on sparking energy into your day and creating an oasis in your home.
Clear the clutter. Start with stowing away anything holiday-specific, such as red, green, and blue ornaments, ribbons, and dishware. Separate the items you need to have, want to have, from the rest of accumulated stuff laying around. Now is an excellent time to re-organize with baskets and storage boxes. Be discerning when choosing what to keep. Don’t store things that should be donated, up-cycled, or tossed out. Tip: check your closets and garage for empty storage boxes before buying more.
Refresh your framed photos. Print a few current favorite photos from the holidays or highlights from the past year. Replace the old with the new pictures in the same frame. They will add warmth and happy memories to your décor.
We will be open regular hours with regular classes on President’s Day, February 17th.
February is “get fit with a friend” month.
Learning to swim should be a priority for every family. It’s an important life skill that can play a key role in helping to prevent drowning—a top cause of death among children. Children, and their parents, need to learn how to swim to help keep time in the water safe and fun!
A great deal of the mental ability lost with age can be attributed to lack of use, (just like our physical selves). Our mental function depends on neural highways, which like neglected roads eventually become unavailable for use. But we can continue to learn and grow new connections (or highways) in our brains throughout our lives. Any type of learning can provide this stimulus: courses, conversations with friends, learning a language or even word games can keep us mentally sharp. By keeping physically and mentally active, we are two times less likely to suffer from dementia.
February’s “Equipment Spotlight” is a piece of resistance equipment called the “Smith Machine”. It is a plate loaded piece of equipment in which weight plates may be added to the bar on each side, much the same way as a regular barbell. The difference with the Smith machine bar is that the bar travels on two guide rods with safety hooks attached to each side of the bar. This gives the bar a stable path of movement with the ability to hook the bar safely at different heights.
