Author: Marissa Elman

The Hadza Diet: What is It and Why You Should Consider It

On September 5, 2017

In Hadza Diet, Hadza People, Health & Wellness, Healthy gut, Marissa Elman, Microbiome

The Hadza Diet- What is it and Why You Should Consider It

The Hadza people are one of the last remaining hunter-gatherer tribes in the world. For thousands of years, they have lived on the same land in Northern Tanzania living on a diet that consists of berries, tubers, and over 30,000 different mammals. This diet has been making ways around as people are growing more interested in how this diet can have great health benefits.

The Hadza diet primarily consists of eating whatever is found in the wild which include berries, tubers, honey and larvae straight from the comb, and meat from a variety of mammals. The interesting fact about this is that it also varies based on the seasons. During the dry seasons, they typically eat meat and tubers, and during the wet seasons, they eat more berries and honey.

This diet is starting to gain a great deal of attention, especially amongst the gut health-conscious. The reason for this is that through this diet by the Hadza people, they have remarkable healthy microbiomes meaning they have very healthy guts. The Hadza people get one hundred or more grams of fiber per day in their food on average. We typically get about fifteen grams on average. Now, this is not to suggest that you go and live the hunter-gatherer lifestyle. The idea is that we need to up the intake of fiber we have per day. Justin Sonnenburg, who is a professor at Stanford University made a statement saying that “Fiber is all that’s left at the very end of our digestive tract where these microbes live, so they have [Hadza people] evolved to be very good at digesting it.” Along with eating more fiber, it is also important to only eat minimally processed foods and have in-season fruits and vegetables readily available.

The hope through this diet is to increase the diversity in one’s microbiome. The research done by Sonnenburg shows that the Hadza people have one of the most diverse microbiomes in the world. They compared stool samples of the Hadza tribe to those of 17 other cultures around the world which included other hunter-gatherer communities in Venezuela and Peru and subsistence farmers in Malawi and Cameroon. Through these samples, the research showed an interesting trend that the further away people’s diets were from a Western diet, the greater the variety of microbes they have in their guts which also includes bacteria that is missing from American guts. So the next time you are considering taking up a new diet, try taking up the ways of the Hadza people.

Worst Menu Items in America

By Marissa Elman

On August 15, 2017

In Health & Wellness, Marissa Elman

There’s no denying that eating out on a regular basis can do horrible things to your diet. Making your own food at home is, for the most part, going to be a healthier option than ordering out the same item at your favorite restaurant. Many of us get overwhelmed by the choices and ultimately succumb to ordering something too heavy that makes us feel like we just blew an entire week’s worth of exercise.

Not to worry though, the next time you go out to eat with your friends or family, just be sure to steer clear of these terrible choices that pack on the calories, sugar, and fat. What to look out for from any restaurant is when there are multiple menu items that are contained in one meal, like mozzarella sticks on a cheeseburger. A cheeseburger is not devoid of nutrition, but a cheeseburger topped with mozzarella sticks and a side of french fries is going to run you hundreds and hundreds of calories and an unhealthy amount of fat.

Worst Offenders

The Cheesecake Factory

The Pasta Nepoletana

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is an organization based in Washington DC that advocates for healthier food choices in the United States, and they found that this pasta creation from the Cheesecake Factory is one of the worst pasta dishes you can order in America. For those that want to throw caution to the wind and go for the Pasta Nepoletana, you’ll be served a creamy parmesan cheese pasta topped with several meats like pepperoni, meatballs, sausage, and bacon. Just one serving of this dish is estimated to be around 2,310 calories and a mind blowing 4,370 milligrams of sodium and 79 grams of saturated fat. To put that into perspective, the average adult woman should only be consuming 1,800 to 2,400 calories, 16 grams of saturated fat, and 1,500 mg of sodium each day.

California Pizza Kitchen

Waldorf Chicken Salad

Just because you may order a salad at a restaurant does not mean you will actually receive a healthy meal that will keep you on track with your health goals. According to Eat This, Not That!, this salad is basically like eating 4 Hostess cupcakes because of the incredibly high sugar content at 55 grams of sugar. Not only that, this seemingly harmless salad is packed with 1,310 calories and 1,840 mg of sodium.

UNO Pizzeria

Whole Hog Burger

If you’re watching your caloric intake, it’s not likely you will end up ordering this colossal burger, but it’s good to keep in mind what the absolute unhealthiest menu item in America is. This single burger comes with over a pound of meat between sausage, pepperoni, hamburger, and bacon is at a heart stopping 2,850 calories and 6,610 mg of sodium.

How to Hire a Personal Trainer

By Marissa Elman

On July 25, 2017

In Fitness, Health & Wellness, Marissa Elman

How to Hire a Personal Trainer - Marissa Elman

Getting in shape by yourself can be daunting, but just as overwhelming can be trying to find the best personal trainer for you and your own situation. There are some excellent personal trainers out there, but there are also ones that are just plain terrible. Before you shell out hundreds of dollars on someone to help you get in shape, follow these steps to make sure you’re getting the most for your dollar.

Set Your Goals First

Make sure you have a clear understanding of what you’re hoping to gain from your time with your personal trainer. Are you already in shape but hoping to advance your muscle mass, or do you need help losing a significant amount of weight? Think about your own skill and experience level too and how many times per week you would like to participate in a workout routine with the trainer.

Meet with Several Trainers

Once you have a clear goal, it’s time to start seeking out trainers in your local area. If you live in a large city, you’ll likely have many options to choose from compared to a small town. Make sure you look for places that will work well with your own schedule each week and are close to your work or home. It’s often most beneficial to find a gym between work and home so it’s easier for you to get to. Narrow down your choices by reading reviews, asking coworkers and friends, and checking out the facility, then go in and meet with the trainer you’ll be partnered with.

During the consultation, make sure you define your goals and articulate what it is you’re hoping to gain from your time together. The trainer should come up with a realistic schedule and regimen that fits within these goals and exercise level. Make sure they are aware of any injuries you may have had in the past or limitations so that they don’t ask you to do something that may hurt you.

Know the signs of a bad trainer

A great trainer should be excited to get started with your workout schedule because they sincerely want to help you. It’s also worth it to ask about their certifications and success stories of the past. Having certifications doesn’t necessarily equal excellence in personal training, but it can be an indicator that they take their work seriously and are dedicated to building their level of knowledge of personal training. Bad trainers will make unrealistic promises, guaranteeing results in a relatively short amount of time.

Extreme Fad Diets You Should Never Try

By Marissa Elman

On May 31, 2017

In Health & Wellness, Marissa Elman

faddiet_marissaelman

Most people who have tried to lose weight have attempted a fad diet or two. These diets typically force you to eat certain foods for a specific length of time, normally a week or so, in hopes that you will see a significant drop in your weight. While these diets may seem harmless, they can actually do more harm than good, and you’re likely to put all of the weight back on that you lost once you return to your normal diet. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, so the following fad diets should be avoided at all costs.

The Tapeworm Diet

This diet was made popular in the 1950’s, and it involved the dieter swallowing actual tapeworms. The premise behind it was that the tapeworm would consume the calories and the person’s body would not have a chance to absorb the excess calories. Not only is this diet absolutely disgusting, it’s actually extremely dangerous. Having a parasite in your body can lead to weight loss, but at a serious cost to good health. A myriad of problems can arise such as fatigue, cramps, diarrhea, and even an intestinal block if the tapeworm gets large enough. This one is the worst of the worst and should not even be considered.

The Cabbage Soup Diet

Many people who have tried fad diets have tried this diet along the way. The cabbage soup diet promises that you’ll lose at least 10 pounds and consists of eating cabbage soup for an entire week with different fruits and vegetables for select days. While this isn’t the most dangerous diet, it is not going to be effective in losing weight in the long term. The 10 pounds that you do lose is going to be all water weight, and maybe even some muscle mass since the diet does not include very much protein to retain muscle.

Cotton Ball Diet

This extreme diet is also extremely dangerous. Popularized by YouTube among teenage girls, the cotton ball diet involves the dieter swallowing cotton balls that have been soaked in some type of juice or smoothie in hopes that it will allow the person to feel full and not want to eat anything. Much like the tapeworm diet, the cotton ball diet can lead to serious health problems and even death in some case. The reason it is so dangerous is because the cotton balls can get stuck throughout the digestive system, which is a breeding ground for bacteria. Stick to eating cotton candy every once in awhile and leave actual cotton balls for their intended hygiene-related purposes.

Instead of cutting any food out, learn the power of eating in moderation and increase your daily physical activity. Leave the fad diets alone and always talk to your doctor before you begin any significant changes to your diet.

Food That Increase and Reduce Stress

By Marissa Elman

On May 12, 2017

In Health & Wellness, Marissa Elman

healthy foods

If you’re struggling with high levels of stress, you should consider taking a look at your diet to see if the foods you’re eating are exacerbating your stress. Before going into what food to eat to help reduce your stress, it’s important to know what foods may increase stress levels.

Foods high in refined sugars or sodium can actually increase stress levels if eaten in large amounts. Foods high in refined sugars cause fluctuations in your blood sugar as the body in your insulin, leading to mood swings and potentially higher levels of stress. High levels of sodium causes your body to retain water, making your cardiovascular system work harder and increasing your blood pressure, which in turn can raise stress levels.

Drinking large amounts of alcohol and caffeine will not do you any favors in terms of stress reduction. While many of us can’t get through the morning without a cup of joe or energy drink, it shouldn’t be consumed throughout the day as high levels of caffeine can cause you to feel edgy, increase your heart rate, and make you feel more stressed. Alcohol may help you relax after a long day, but drinking alcohol causes your body to release a hormone that is the same that’s released why you’re stressed out.

The following superfoods are known for helping to decrease your stress levels:

Avocado

Vitamin B is known for its stress reducing properties, and avocados are rich in vitamin B. Avocados are also high in the good fat for our body, monounsaturated fat, along with about 20 other vitamins and nutrients that are important for the body.

Almonds

Along with being an excellent source of protein, almonds also have high levels of vitamins B12 and E that can help the immune system, which in turn can reduce stress.

Leafy Green Vegetables

Foods like kale and spinach can actually help your body regulate hormone levels in your body, leaving you feeling more in control of your stress levels. Try to add spinach to as many foods as possible throughout the day to help you keep control of your stress and giving your body a boost of nutrients.

Turkey

When you sit down for Thanksgiving dinner, the combination of overeating and the chemical tryptophan typically causes people to feel lethargic after the meal. Adding some turkey to your diet will give your body some tryptophan that can help you feel more relaxed and lower your feelings of stress.

4 Yoga Poses Everyone Should Do

By Marissa Elman

On May 2, 2017

In Fitness, Health & Wellness, Marissa Elman

Whether you have been regularly attending yoga classes for years or have never set foot on a yoga mat in your life, it is always a good idea to perform several poses to stretch your muscles and combat the effects of poor posture — especially after a long day of sitting due to work or travel. Here are some poses you should definitely add to your arsenal:

Garland (Malasana)

This pose is a simple yet effective way to open your hips and lengthen your spine — a necessity for Americans, as we spend a majority of our time with our hips at a 90 degree angle. In order to perform this pose, start with your feet wider than hip-length apart, turning your toes out just slightly. From there, keep your gaze forward and your spine straight as you lower your hips as you would if you were moving to sit in a chair. Move your hands into the prayer position and push your elbows against your knees, helping you open your hips further. The point of this pose is to bring your hips as low as possible without bending your spine or lifting your heels off the floor.

Cat-Cow

The cat-cow is the perfect way to stretch the spine and surrounding muscles, especially when performed after just waking up or returning home from work. In order to do the cat-cow pose, start on your hands and knees. From there, you should arch your back and look at your thighs. After taking a deep breath or two, release the pose and let your belly drop as you look up toward the ceiling. In order to feel loose and refreshed, repeat this process four times.

Forward Bend

The forward bend is a great way to counteract the effects of sitting all day. Simply stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and bend forward at the hips, going as far as your hamstrings will allow you to stretch. Make sure to keep your knees slightly bent as you try to at least brush the floor with your hands. For beginners, hold this pose for 30 seconds then release. Remember to keep your breathing even and slow.

Seated Spinal Twist (Marichi’s Pose)

These twists not only release any muscle tension you may feel in your back, but help to realign your spine as well. In order to reap the maximum benefits from this exercise, start by sitting on the floor or a yoga mat with your legs extended in front of you. From there, bend your right knee and place your right foot on the mat, just a few inches from your left leg. Bring the palm of your right palm to the mat just behind your right glute, keeping your fingers facing your body. Place your left elbow on the outside of your right knee and breathe deeply. With each breath, extend your neck so it feels like the crown of your head is moving toward the ceiling. Inhale again, then switch sides.

Is Kombucha Really Healthy For You?

By Marissa Elman

On April 29, 2017

In Health & Wellness, Marissa Elman

kombucha-marissaelman

You’ve probably seen the bottles of Kombucha in the grocery store, and if you’ve never had the chance to try it there are health benefits associated with drinking Kombucha. It has actually been made for thousands of years in asian countries but only recently became a popular drink in the United States. The fizzy drink is comprised of black tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast that has had time to ferment and naturally produce various enzymes, probiotics, and vitamins. The bacteria and yeast in the drink is typically called SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast), which allows the fermentation process to occur. Kombucha is currently available in many grocery stores and cafes because of the list of health benefits that are said to come from the drink.

Increases energy

Most people need a boost in the morning or early afternoon, and since kombucha is made with black tea, there are already going to be traces of caffeine in the drink. When the tea ferments, iron is created which helps give those with low iron an additional boost of energy.

Strengthens immune system

After the kombucha ferments it contains many antioxidants that fight free radicals that are in the body. Free radicals are known to cause cell damage and may even lead to cancer because they are such unstable molecules. Black tea is already known to have polyphenols naturally, but after it has been fermented, the kombucha has much more. Polyphenols fight cancer cells, decrease chances of getting diabetes, reduce inflammation and boost the immune system.

Improves digestion

Because kombucha has such high levels of probiotics and enzymes, drinking it can help improve digestive issues. The antioxidants that help boost the immune system do the same thing for the digestive system and help alleviate issues. It is also believed that drinking kombucha everyday can help heal leaky gut and increase the good bacteria count in your digestive system.

Fights cancer

Kombucha naturally contains glucaric acid after the fermentation process has taken place. Preliminary studies have shown that ingesting glucaric acid can actually help the body fight the cancer or prevent cancer from forming in the body. The amount of this acid that is present in the kombucha will vary depending on how long the tea has been fermenting and the amount of sugar used.

Helps weight loss

It is believed that kombucha may actually help you lose weight because it may increase your metabolism. Like apple cider vinegar, kombucha contains acetic acid, which many believe leads to weight loss.

How to Detox Without Trying

By Marissa Elman

On October 3, 2016

In Fitness, Health & Wellness

Living a happy and healthy life can be a lot easier said than done, but many people don’t know that there are many small steps that can be taken to incorporate a healthy lifestyle. Here are some ways to boost your health journey without trying too hard.

TEA TIME

Adding hot tea to your diet is the perfect step to take towards a healthier lifestyle. Dating back to thousands of years ago, tea was used as a form of medicine in China. Tea has a lot of benefits for the mind and the body. For instance, one study found that drinking hot tea can prevent osteoporosis. One study found that natural chemicals that are released when tea leaves are being dried, had improved symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and overall bone health. Tea also contains a large amount of antioxidants, which protect your cells, fight infection, and reduce cholesterol. Tea is also a great treat to have to help you wind down from long days and relax. Instead of your drinking your next cup of coffee, try adding this warm beverage to your diet, your body will thank you.

LEMON

Lemons work like a magical fruit. They are great to use for cleaning and killing germs around the house, but they’re also great for flushing toxins out of your body. Lemons are very high in vitamin C which are essential to your inflammatory system and fighting off infections. Drinking warm water with a slice of lemon every morning before breakfast can help raise your energy throughout the day, while aiding in digestion.

TEN MINUTES OF QUIET

Everyone has those moments when they feel as though they don’t have time for breathing. Adding just ten minutes of personal time can help you feel relaxed, while being more productive throughout the day. This is a time to be free from all of your surroundings, and become one with yourself through breathing. It allows you to clear your mind. There have been any studies done that showed the benefits of meditating for ten minutes during the day, including having a higher attention span and less stress throughout the day. Try waking up ten minutes early to meditate by sitting cross-legged on a mat and focus on your breathing.

WALK

Walking is also a great way to clear your mind, while gaining great physical benefits. Walking increases blood flow and burns calories. Focusing on your breathing when walking can be just as beneficial as meditating. Walks on the beach or trail walking are great for increasing blood flow and flexibility. It is said that an average person should aim to walk five miles (or 10,000) days per day, but it is really easy to hit these goals without even noticing. Try taking walks during your lunch break or parking your car far away in parking lots.

Marissa Elman: 4 Way to Exercise Without Even Noticing

4 Sneaky Ways to Exercise Without Even Noticing

By Marissa Elman

On September 1, 2016

In Fitness, Marissa Elman

It’s always easier to watch just one more episode of your favorite show than to get up and hit the gym. When you’re already busy and stressed, it can be almost impossibly hard to stay motivated when it comes to your fitness. Chances are, though, that you don’t actually mind being active when you have a goal other than exercise. Here are some great ways to get out and get moving without even noticing that you’re actually exercising! Adding a few basic changes to your usual activities can have a huge effect, and you’ll be on your way towards your fitness goals before you even realize it.

Ditch the Car

One of the best things you can do it start walking or biking to work. Pick a few of your most common destinations, like work or your favorite coffee shop, and simply make it part of your routine that you never drive there. It’ll become second nature very quickly, and you’ll always have a destination to keep you motivated. Besides, a daily dose of fresh air can truly do wonders for your mood.

Bring Your Friends

Next time you’re planning a day out with friends, suggest something fun and active. Get a group together a take a hike, or explore local parks, or visit a local rock climbing gym. Your friends will appreciate the fun new activities to switch up your usual go-tos, and you’ll be having so much fun you won’t notice that you just worked up a real sweat. Plus, if you make being active a default with your friends, they can help keep you accountable. Share your plan and goals with them and they can help remind you next time you’re tempted to take the easy way out.

Go Dancing

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Dancing is great exercise for your entire body! Whether you’re in your living room or out for a fun night with friends, this is a fantastic way to cheat the system and get fit while having a great time!

Enlist a Four Legged Work-Out Buddy

Dogs love being active, and it’s easy to catch their enthusiasm! If you don’t have a dog of your own, ask if you can take your friend’s pup out. Go on a long walk to head to the park to play. If you really want to get serious, you can even start up a side gig walking neighborhood dogs on the weekends! It’s fun, and you’ll be responsible to other people so you can’t skip a day. Plus a little extra spending money for doing something you want to do anyway is never a bad motivator. Use it to reward yourself with a smoothie!

Pumped up and looking for even more ideas to work exercise into your daily life? Here they are!