Tag Archives: health

My Favorite Vegans & Vegetarians

July 21, 2015

Once I became a “Flexetarian” (flexible vegetarian: I am working more and more each day to be a full veggie-saurus, but sometimes eating meat -with exceptions- is hard for me to avoid at the moment) I started to take note of the people I follow in media who are vegan and vegetarian. The more I thought about it the more I felt as though they needed a shout-out and appreciation post, because these people are not only health, animal, and Earth conscious, but they are also just plain awesome. This will be an ongoing project, I think, seeing as I find more cool people who love the planet and it’s inhabitants every day.

Tyrannosaurus Lexxx on Youtube

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I stumbled across Lex’s page a few months back after seeing a video from Laci Green that was about internet equality and making the internet a safe place for women. The main reason her page had popped out at me was mainly because I had created a character with the same name during college (she was a super-villain version of me that wore a silly dinosaur suit and had a fat Komodo Dragon as her companion…really old and badly drawn evidence here), Obviously I had to investigate! It turns out that Lex is a super awesome Vegan-British woman who also happens to be very funny and smart. I hadn’t actually found out about her veganism until I was searching through more of her older videos. All I had known was that she was a big proponent of Lush which specializes in cruelty free and natural based cosmetics and bath products. Along with her main channel (listed above) which is updated weekly with varying types of videos she also hosts a channel called “Girly as Hell“. It hasn’t been updated in about a year, but it still has a great amount of informative videos about veganism and cruelty free beauty products, as well as fashion and ‘haul’ videos.

Daniel Bryan

While Daniel Bryan is not currently a vegan, he still tries to maintain a mostly vegan diet while being on the road for WWE. He has certainly mentioned his love for vegan food in a (somewhat) recent interview, but he’s been unable to continue his veganism because of a negative reaction to soy. Many “on the go” vegan products have a soy base, and while traveling at all hours of the night/day (and feeding themselves enough calories for an athletic body) it isn’t easy to keep to a strict diet like that. I also want to mention that he and his lovely wife Brie Bella are, as the call themselves, “locavores.” Being on the road as much as they are, they always make sure to post which local farm-to-table restaurant or coffee shop they visit. It’s adorable and I’m sure it helps out the businesses in some way as well! They also have a grey water system built into their backyard in Phoenix, Arizona. These two are probably some of the most earth conscious wrestlers I’ve ever heard of and I appreciate the fact that they don’t hide it to try and keep some sort of weird “street cred” in the wrestling world. It also helps to add to Bryan’s TV persona from time to time if the story calls for it.

Beside the fact that Daniel Bryan is a super chill guy, he’s also a fantastic athlete in the squared circle. He had two amazing matches during Wrestlemania 30 which led to him becoming the World Heavy Weight Champion (until complications intervened) and is currently the Intercontinental Champion. I could go on and on, and I wanted to post some of his best matches below but WWE keeps a pretty tight lock on their best material. I’ll just post my new favorite photo of Ian and I below!!

Mr. Ian and I got to meet Daniel Bryan last month and I gave him a little drawing and a note telling him how much I appreciate him as an athlete. It was very brief, but it made my day (week, month, year). He’s also Ian’s favorite wrestler so it was nice to be able to go with him.

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Posted by Alexa in The Girls Tags: CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Diet, Favorites, health, Mamrie Hart, Tyrannosaurus Lexxx, UFC, vegan, vegetarian, vegetarian athletes, Wrestling, WWE, youtube

Alexa Asks, Jen Answers #19: Why all the soy hate?

July 10, 2015

Alexa is working toward a vegetarian diet, and is loaded with questions. Jennifer’s got answers. We talk about anything as long as it is vegan. Are tattoos vegan? How do I politely not eat Thanksgiving dinner? How do I order without pissing off the waitress? We know you are dying to ask!

I hear that soy is both good and bad? Which is true? I know a few people have told me that since I’ve been diagnosed with hypothyroid I should lay off the soy. Why is that?

There are two main reasons why people avoid soy. One reason is allergies. This is a VERY good reason to avoid soy. There is only a small percentage of people who actually have a soy allergy, even though it is one of the more common food allergies. Soy allergies are commonly an allergy that children grow out of. What makes it so scary is that there are many soy by products in our processed foods. As mentioned in the non-soy proteins post, there are lots of replacements for soy based products, even things like tofu and soy sauce.

The second murkier area for avoiding soybeans is the presence of phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are “dietary estrogens” because they are not made by the body, only plants produce them. When most people hear this they automatically assume it effects you estrogen levels and it is more complicated than that.

It is worth noting that soy isn’t the only food that contains phytoestrogens. In fact, nuts and seed oils have more phytoestrogens than soy products. Other foods that include phytoestrogens would be grains and cereals, legumes, and meats (what do you think cows and chickens are eating? Remember your are what you eat.). There are lots of foods we eat everyday with phytoestrogens and no one makes a stink about it, like flax seed (which has more phytoestrogens than soy), sesame seeds, coffee, apples, carrots, rice, and lots more.

Why do plants produce phytoestrogens? Well it is part of their defense systems, and protects them mostly from fungi. But since plants have been producing these estrogens for so long, humans and animals have evolved with them. That means we kind-of use these estrogens in our body too. But it is hard to pin point what makes phytoestrogens good or bad because of synthetic estrogens that are used in cosmetics. But there has been observations that phytoestrogen has helped regulate cholesterol and bone density in post-menopause. It has even been linked to the prevention of many different diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, brain function disorders, and osteoporosis.

So what about hypothyroidism and soy? Some people believe that phytoestrogen interferes with the absorption of hormones in the medication. But after reading through lots of medical journals, most say the effect is minimal. Still concerned? Guidelines that I read said to wait 4 hours to eat soy after taking any medication. That’s all you need to do. So it is probably good thing to eat soy for dinner or lunch, and just exclude it from your breakfast plans (if you take your medication in the morning).

I see men say they don’t eat soy because of the phytoestrogen, actually they say because of the estrogen. Phytoestrogen isn’t the same as estrogen. Studies have shown there is no effect on men from soy consumption. So shriveled testicles, no decreased semen samples, nothing. The frustrating thing about hearing men say this is that there is actual estrogen in milk and meat products.

Overall, all studies that find adverse effects of soy tended to be small studies, or studies performed on other animals. I wouldn’t be too concerned about phytoestrogen levels in soy, and it certainly shouldn’t discourage you from going vegan. As mentioned there is phytoestrogens in meats, most likely since cows and pigs are eating lots grains and soy, which have the plant-based hormone. There is also actual estrogen in milks and meats from animals, which is more likely to have more of an effect on your body than the phytoestrogens.

Posted by Jennifer in Alexa Asks, Health Tags: alexa asks, estrogen, health, hypothyroid, Phytoestrogens, soy, soy-free, vegan

My first CrossFit Class

March 19, 2015

The other week I drove up north and visited Alexa. Although Alexa hasn’t mentioned on the blog (she is on a mini hiatus from writing while she gets some things in order) but she has been taken up CrossFit. She has been very devoted to it, taking hour long classes 3 to 5 times a week! She is now working out more than me! As person who works out at home, I thought it would be fun to take a class, and to see why CrossFit has such a cult like status.

Pro: Guy and Girls

There is something empowering about being a class full of girls and guys, as if, as a female, you are doing just as much work as a male. I know I had gym class with boys and girls, so when I take a class and it is filled with all women, it seems like I am taking an easier modified workout. I think this is a similar reason why I like running, I can talk about running with someone regardless of their sex. But if I try to talk about barre workouts or yoga? There are some males, but not many.

Con: Price

I know this point can be said about almost any type of certified fitness class. I first started with taking fitness classes with the YMCA. I can’t remember the actual price, but in my mind it was something like $10 a class. With some research, many local yoga studios are $17 for a drop in class. The location we went to is $25 for a single class. I know this is a “warped” view since most CrossFit offer a free first class and want you to pay monthly passes. So for Alexa, who pays for a monthly fee, she is probably more commonly averaging $6-8 a class.

Pro: Socialization

As mentioned, I do most working out on my own. I do a lot of videos, light weight training, and running before heading into work. It fits my budget and I don’t have to add on travel time. What I wasn’t prepared for was how friendly everyone was in the class. Previous classes I’ve taken were half filled with sociable people, and half with people who kept to themselves. It was nice hearing everyone help each other out, and praise each other.

Con: I can see where common criticism comes from

There are two common criticism I read about CrossFit- people are prone to overexertion and that people are taught poor form. I can kind-of see how some people can come to that conclusion from my one class. Let me state that I don’t lift often, so I can’t say I was taught “the wrong way” to lift a barbell in class. But having so many people in a class, I can see how bad habits can form. That being said, unless you have a personal trainer, it would be worse to self teach yourself how to lift at a gym. That leaves only you to research and self correct.

I’ve read a few articles about CrossFiter getting injured badly from overexertion. My class wasn’t being “over pushed,” no one got “yelled at” for not doing something, or forced to something over again until completed in full. But I can see where people overexert themselves, if they have an incredibly competitive spirit. No, stats are being compared in class, but if you find yourself outdoing others with out being prompted, then you might ignore signs from your body in order to break records. But I don’t think this is an issue for like 99.9% of the population

Pro: Feedback

This might only apply to the fact that I work mostly alone, but it was nice having a person come up to me and say I was doing a good job. It was also nice to get direct feedback, as most classes the instructor gives vague instructions on how to correct form, as to not single anyone out. So it was nice to get a little extra attention about how to lift. At the end of the class the instructor gave a “good job summery” making note of some of the achievements for the class for the day. I liked that.

Pro & Con: Commitment

I mentioned before that the best way to get your “moneys worth” is to do a monthly membership. And that might not be a possibility for everyone. I find it hard to fit in working out, but I do it because it makes me feel happier and healthier. So trying to fit in my schedule an three different hour long workouts during the week, that would probably need an extra 30-40 minutes for travel and prep time would be hard. Which is why I like the idea of studios with open classes, that have cheaper individual classes so I can maybe take one a week, or less. I find this problematic as well since I like doing lots of different things, some days I like the major burn of a barre workout, some days I just want cardio, sometimes I want to lift. CrossFit seems to only have room for CrossFit.

BUT this can be a pro. Because of this, I think some beginners are much more committed than they would be. If you sign up and can’t make it to many classes, you might feel more motivated to get your moneys worth and go to more classes. You start working out a schedule and you will be taking classes with the same people, you make friends, and you have even more motivation to go.

Overall View: CrossFit is Good

Putting all the pieces together, I can see why CrossFit has such devoted members. It does a great balance of cardio and weight training and builds a great community to surround yourself with. It can be great for a beginner to get just get the ball rolling. The biggest downside for me, is that it is easy to get stuck only doing CrossFit.

Any CrossFitters reading? What makes you love CrossFit?

Posted by Jennifer in Health Tags: crossfit, exercise, health

2 comments

Sunday Reading : 07-27-14 : #1

July 28, 2014

Sorry guys that I have been a little absent lately. These past two weeks haven’t been fun. My fridge died, which resulted in porting my freezer contents over to my sister’s house, borrowing a mini-fridge and salvaging my food. I don’t think all of the food survived, so I got some food poisoning. Ugg… In short my digestion tract is shot, and food is pretty much on the bottom of list of things I want to talk about.

I am not a huge fan of weekly posts like “Friday Favorites” or the like, but I am really getting into the idea of Weekend posts that feature articles. I am finding that Weekend Reading is my favorite thing to read over on Choosing Raw. So I figure I would give it a try.

So every Sunday, I will post whatever I find really interesting that week. It might be a new article, a recipe, video clip, or blog post. And since I’ve been so sick, my first post features nothing about food. Good right?

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Posted by Jennifer in Sunday Reads Tags: cute peach, feminism, grimmricksen, health, john oliver, last week tonight, reading, sci-fi, sunday reading, super strength health, wealth gap, working out

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No one is “work out” type

July 8, 2014

werkitcat

One thing I hear often from people when I mention exercise is that they aren’t the “work out” type. But let me say that I don’t think anyone is really the “work out” type.

I certainly wasn’t. My husband was shocked when I told him that I was the laziest person in my house growing up. My sisters were on different athletic teams, and pretty passionate about it. They might not have been the best at their respective sports, but they poured a lot of time and energy into it. I, on the other hand, was a big bum. Most of my hobbies involved sitting: sewing, embroidery, web design, jpop, movies, etc. I did one year of swim team, because my Mom expressed concern for my health. However, I quit soon after, and the next closest thing I got to exercise was marching band. Otherwise I lived a sedentary lifestyle. I was quite a pudgy girl who would eat a whole box of macaroni and cheese for lunch.

That said, I was good at walking. I went to college in Philadelphia and walked everywhere. I had the reversal freshmen fifteen, losing 15 to 20 pounds. I walked up several flights of stairs everyday (How many people actually walk up 15 flights of stairs to go to class on time?) I wasn’t necessarily trying to better my body, just doing what I felt had to be done. There were several elevators, but only 2 of them worked. If there was a line out the door for the elevator, I had to use the stairs (my classes were usually on the top floors). If I wanted to see a movie sometimes that just meant walking 2 miles to the closest theater (because taxis are dangerous* and expensive).

I didn’t start “working out” until I graduated and went back to the suburban world. I noticed I was gaining weight and felt restless. I figured it was probably because I stopped walking everywhere. Instead of walking 15 minute to a grocery store and carrying all of my groceries by hand on the way back, I hopped in my car and drove 15 minutes to the grocery store. To counter this, I started using Wii Active. This was the first time I made the conscious decision actively to work up a sweat for the sake of health.

I didn’t necessarily enjoy it.

Nope, I don’t think I really start to love the sweat until two years ago. I forced myself to workout and slowly started to see benefits. I found that I had more energy, could breathe easier, and had a toned body. The more I kept going, the more I noticed things I liked. It was a great way to relieve stress, which was a life saver for my wedding. The better I felt after working out, the more I ramped up the workouts.

If I had told myself 8 years earlier that I would be training to run a half marathon I would laugh. I would simply think my body wasn’t cut out for it. I would have just assumed that people are split into 2 types: those who are naturally athletic and those who are not. I was made for crafts, cooking, and reading, not running.

Not to say that people are lazy, but starting is the hardest part. Just think of Newton’s laws of motion. An object at rest will remain at rest unless acted on by an external force. By nature our bodies want to rest and conserve energy. But your mind can be that external force. Give yourself that kinetic push. We’re all capable of it. And the more you do it, the easier it becomes. In the end, you’ll thank yourself.

* Note taxis are mostly dangerous because of, you know, hitting people. Heck, I’ve been hit by a taxi. And by hit I mean lightly tapped. I don’t want to be in a taxi when it hits someone else.

Posted by Jennifer in Health Tags: exercise, health, running, taxis, werk it, werk it cat, working out

Allergy Bummers

March 4, 2014

I can’t help but laugh a little. I made a pretty big vow to whip myself into blogging shape. I made a few recipes but waited to post so I could spread out my work. What happened? My husband’s new diet.

See, my husband, Jon, has always had a sensitive stomach. We constantly went back and forth about what ailed his stomach. We blamed the usual suspects like cabbage, beans, etc. So I left these foods out of his lunch. But the stomach did not subside. It reached a crescendo during Super Bowl week when my husband described the pain as unbearable. So we are in a current food overhaul. I’ve heard of some diets where people cut out common food intolerances to try and pinpoint the culprit.

Okay so let me back up- what the fudge am I talking about? Most of us are aware of Food allergies (IgE). Doctors test for these allergies by pricking a needle on your skin and waiting for signs of irritation. This is an immediate response to the allergy trigger, and most people have a general sense of their allergies. That seasonal allergy? IgE. That girl who carries around an EpiPen just in case of “nut-dust”? IgE. These allergies are easy to identify.

But food sensitivities (IgG), are more difficult to identify. Food “sensitivities” can be called allergies or intolerance. Testing for these allergies is usually done with a blood sample. Information about this is relatively new, and sadly, that means that most insurance companies don’t currently cover this testing. Basically it is a delayed reaction to the “bad foods.”

Symptoms can be a little vague. They range from digestion issues (IBS, bloating, blood in stool, constipation) to skin irritations (acne, eczema, hives) or even general aches (fatigue, headaches, puffy eyes). Many symptoms can be passed off as side effects of other ailments, so knowing that you may actually have any food sensitivities isn’t simple.

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Posted by Jennifer in Health Tags: allergies, dairy-free, gluten-free, health, soy-free

Tag Archives: health

My Favorite Vegans & Vegetarians

Tyrannosaurus Lexxx on Youtube

Daniel Bryan

Alexa Asks, Jen Answers #19: Why all the soy hate?

I hear that soy is both good and bad? Which is true? I know a few people have told me that since I’ve been diagnosed with hypothyroid I should lay off the soy. Why is that?

My first CrossFit Class

Pro: Guy and Girls

Con: Price

Pro: Socialization

Con: I can see where common criticism comes from

Pro: Feedback

Pro & Con: Commitment

Overall View: CrossFit is Good

Any CrossFitters reading? What makes you love CrossFit?

Sunday Reading : 07-27-14 : #1

No one is “work out” type

Allergy Bummers

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