Diet – Get Fit With Kayla

Supplements

January 7, 2023January 19, 2023 Kayla Goldwag

Supplements are controversial. Some say even with a perfect diet, due to soil depletion we need them for a healthy energetic life. Others ague that nutritional supplements have little to no value, can even be harmful and simply make supplement companies rich while you pee them out. These polarizing views each likely offer some element of truth but the simplicity and polarization often are masking complexity which the average consumer doesn’t have the headspace or qualifications to adequately explore.

While many of us believe that if a product is on the market, it must be ok to use, that isn’t always true. Countries differ in how they control these substances. The US FDA doesn’t test effectiveness, safety, or purity of nutritional supplements- including vitamins or protein powders and more. Aside from a kosher label, we don’t know if a supplement contains what the labels claims it does.

So I encourage you to ask yourself some questions before investing in and consuming a supplement;

How do I know I will benefit from this ie. have I looked at my current food intake, have I done nutritional testing?
What objective peer reviewed research demonstrates this supplement does what the manufacturer claims it will– without causing harm?
Why do I trust this manufacturer?

Reasons clients sometimes choose various supplements include needs for increased strength and endurance performance and recovery, prevention of deficiencies of micronutrients, convenience, enhance food absorption, reduce digestive issues, enhance fat utilization, reduce inflammation , improve insulin sensitivity, improve sleep, support bone and connective tissue.

Sometimes even if a supplement does what it says and is not harmful it needs to be taken in conjunction with other nutrients to be effective. Athletes need to know if supplements are on a banned substance list. Some supplements interact with other foods or drugs you may be taking. That’s why I’m often skeptical when non healthcare providers recommend specific supplements to everyone.

It is true that there’s largely little to no organization or accountability to make sure that the amounts reported on a label are consistent in a supplement, and that food is the best source of nutrients. There are some ways to research it yourself.

For years now, I have consulted with a couple of different Registered Dietitians as well as Joe Cannon who owns the consumer site https://supplementclarity.com
Consumerlabs.com isn’t free (but they offer a free 5 day trial) They do brand testing and reviews.
Labdoor.com reviews purity and label claims
Examine.com is a site for reviewing evidence supporting specific supplements.
The NSF does comprehensive third-party certification and testing of nutritional supplement for sport. and HFL Sport Science is a drug surveillance lab providing doping control and banned substances.

For many people, supplements are unnecessary. Many cannot be processed by the body, even can be harmful.

Even vitamin D has a variety of forms and might be more effective taken along with certain other minerals or vitamins and harmful taken other ways or in certain amounts. Ask your doc to explain or direct you to resources to help you optimize your supplementation if prescribed.

One client who replied to my question last week points out:
“When I stopped taking vitamins I started being more careful about food.”- Alexandra Blaker

Do you research, and get to know yourself. It also doesn’t have to be all or nothing. You could supplement on some days and not others. Check with your healthcare provider. Nothing beats the nutrient power of a good diet.

Jan 4-10 Sprouts Market is offering 20% off supplements and bodycare
Some say that Whole Foods offers sales on Fridays.

Some of my personal favorites are below.Check with your Doctor to see if they are right for you before consuming

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Pareve Protein Powder- Pea Protein

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Pareve Protein Powder- Hemp Protein

Dairy Protein Powder

This one is famous for its smooth blending ability and good taste. It contains Stevia as the sweetner. It is a Whey protein.

Blender Bottle

This product is great for on the go blending of your protein powder with water, juice, nut milks or other liquids without a need for electricity. I even froth milk in it for a latte.

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Greens Supplement

Multivitamin for Women

I liked that this one digests well. They do make a women age 40+ which contains Cohosh that probably gave me hot flashes…even though I’m in midlife I still prefer the regular women’s once daily.

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Prenatal Multivitamin

These have been around forever.

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Collagen Supplement

Check with your LOR about kashrus since it has questionable certification but some/not all Rabbonim feel supplements may not require the same level of certification under certain circumstances. I use this on occasion with disposables. It adds to my feeling of satiety with coffee and I have noticed a smoother more plump texture to my cheeks.

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You may have noticed a lack of soy protein recommended. Soy is often genetically modified. It is unclear if soy is right for everyone- particularly cancer survivors. It is also not in a fermented natural state but rather highly processed when in powder and there are plentiful alternatives recommended above.

Diet

Fat Facts that Blew My Mind

December 2, 2022 Kayla Goldwag

This week, while I was down with that nasty cold that’s making its rounds, I caught up on studying for my Nutrition Certification with Precision Nutrition. While I have been doing nutrition coaching for a long time already, I didn’t enroll in a professional certification program before, mostly for financial reasons-these courses can top $1,000+, but also because I was skeptical of the value of such programs given the conflicting information out there, the lack of a national standard or international standard in nutrition education (outside the RD track which involves a 4 year degree, an internship and a national exam) and the wide availability of nutritional data in the public sphere which I had already incorporated into my coaching sessions (much of it from Precision Nutrition, among others). Investing in myself however and choosing one of the most reputable and longstanding certifications is proving not only to raise my confidence in the level of service I can be to my clients with the information I already have, but given me the support and resources and education to enhance the level of support I can give to my clients. It also re-energizes and re-ignites my passion as I learn new things -especially ones that bust myths such as the one about saturated fat I learned about recently that I want to share with you today.

Fat is high in calories- about 9 calories per gram.. Which doesn’t sound like a lot, but compared to alcohol at 7 grams and protein and carbs at 4 grams each respectively, fat is the definitive winner on bang for the buck. Its part of why eating just a few nuts can provide us with the same or greater amount of energy as a whole plate full of another kind of food. However it does make us feel full longer (it satiates us) and that’s a good thing. You would think the more fat you eat, the more fat you store in the body and jiggle around with- but the body isn’t that simple. As we know from the 1990s Fat-Free food trend, snackwell cakes and other highly palatable but fat-free foods (containing salt, sugar, awesome textures and colors) only increased what we call the obesity epidemic.

Saturated fat particularly got a bad rap. Saturated fat is in beef, lamb, eggs, butter, cheese, coconut and cacao (chocolate). I was disabused of the notion that they were linked to heart disease quite a while ago because they are high in cholesterol. The thinking (remember, back in the eggs bad era..) was that if we eat cholesterol we raise our cholesterol levels. Raised cholesterol levels lead to deposits in the arteries which for plaque which leads to heart disease and cardiovascular disease- the #1 killer. However, the body is more complicated and we actually make most of our own cholesterol just fine on our own in the liver, and we need cholesterol to do many important jobs in the body like make our sex hormones testosterone, progesterone and estrogen as well as make vitamin D, help the liver digest fats, and insulate our nerve cells. We also know foods like cacao have stearic acid which can be good for us. Yay chocolate. So, we can’t predict a food’s disease risk by how much saturated fat it has.

Here’s where my mind was blown though: A meta-analysis (a study that looks at a bunch of other studies and pulls all the findings together) found there’s no significant evidence for concluding dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD.” For instance, a 2013 article in the British Medical Journal points out that, ⅔ of people admitted to the hospital for a heart attack “really have metabolic syndrome-but 75% of these patients have completely normal total cholesterol concentrations.” “The biggest culprit in many chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease is excess body fat, which leads to systemic inflammation and metabolic disruption from things like insulin resistance.”

In a nutshell, overall excess energy intake (especially highly palatable processed foods which disrupt our feelings of fullness and cause us to eat more and thus store more as adipose tissue/body fat, upsets the metabolism and increases insulin resistance which leads to inflammation and disease. So, THAT is why we should move more- since movement combats insulin resistance and we should eat more whole, natural, less- processed and maybe more boring foods. It’s empowering though- because now all we have to do is find ways to make getting protein, fats and carbs and movement more exciting- which is about behavior change/forming new habits. This is something completely in my domain as a Personal Trainer, and yours, as a human being who wants to show your body love.

Diet, Exercise, General Health, Motivation, Q&A

Q & A: Can people who exercise “get away” with poor food choices?

November 28, 2021 Kayla Goldwag

My short answer is Yes and No…

In a small study of two groups of 7 participants, one group exercised for at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity or higher at least 3 times a week. The other group worked out less often and less intense than the first group.

All 14 participants were fed the same high fat 960 calorie breakfast meal. (2220 mg sodium, 48 g of fat, including 16 g saturated fat and 4.5 g trans fat..280mg. cholesterol)

After the high fat meal, they measured obstruction of blood flow in the brachial artery (-the one just above your elbow crease on your arm)..The less active group showed a greater obstruction of blood flow through the artery- it was narrowed, while the more active exercisers had no change.

Both groups experienced an increase in triglycerides (triglycerides are an ester of glycerol and 3 fatty acid groups. High levels of triglycerides indicate an increased risk of stroke.) The more highly active group’s triglycerides rose by 47% but the less active group increased triglycerides by a whopping 184%

While exercise is protective against disease, and people who exercise may be more able to get away with poor food choices, but not on a regular basis.

Johnson, B.D. et al. “Vascular consequences of a High-Fat Meal in physically active and Inactive adults.’ Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism, 36, no3. (2011) 368-375

Diet, General Health

Which DIET is BEST?

November 5, 2021November 5, 2021 Kayla Goldwag

While I’m reasonably certain of what will work best to keep me mentally sharp, performing well in the gym and emotionally even in terms of my nutrition, I’m an agnositc when it comes to my belief about whether that method is the right one or the best one for YOU.

First, let’s be sure we are on the same page. When I say DIET, most people hear the word restriction. When I say the word diet, I just mean the habitual pattern of what you eat on a day to day basis.

I know there are people who are devoutly Vegan or Low-Carb or Paleo or eat within a specific time window or High Fat or High Carb, Gluten-Free, Keto, Kosher, Hallal, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, or any variety of nutritional lifestyle and many of them think their way is the BEST way. However, I know from working with real clients over many years that different things work for different people. I actually think any of these could probably work depending on one’s situation.

If you like to cook, or don’t like to cook, have food allergies, have a big or small food budget, have a lot or a little nutrition knowledge, have GENES or diseases that predispose you to gain or lose weight on certain diets or require certain foods be added or omitted from your diet all coalesce into what your perfect diet is for YOU.

You may be wondering how it is that someone like myself who has studied nutrition and fitness could endorse such wildly different and sometimes conflicting diets depending on the person, and how I could even coach nutrition under such circumstances. The answer is that most nutrition programs accomplish certain cornerstone habits which are necessary in a healthy lifestyle.

In other words, when I coach clients in nutrition I don’t prescribe a diet or a particular menu though I may make some suggestions in the way that fits their lifestyle.. taking into consideration things like:

~ Cooking Experience and Knowledge

~ Stage of life (big family, small family, living alone)

~ Time

~ Budget

~ Allergies

~ Genetic variables (For clients interested in high fat or high protein diets I often suggest a DNA test to see if they are good candidates for such a diet in the long-term since some plans can require intense commitments. If a diet could feel overly restrictive given their social and entertaining calendars or those of other family members or their genetics indicate it would yield poor results at the outset they will have the information to make a more well informed decision as a result of the DNA test.)

Speaking of genetic variables, 23 and me is offering 50% off their Health and ancestry kit One of the health kits they offer can help you know if you are predisposed to be successful on a high or low fat diet for your individual metabolism and more.

please use my referral code https://www.23andme.com/?utm_source=extole&utm_medium=referafriend&utm_campaign=extole&utm_content=23c_Refer_A_Friend&extole_share_channel=EXTOLE_EMAIL&extole_shareable_code=wiwif&extole_coupon_none=true&sub=ver2

If you would like a FREE tool to help assess if your current diet is actually working for you, click HERE for a questionnaire to help you decide

Diet, General Health

Probiotics to Prevent Breast Cancer

October 22, 2021November 5, 2021 Kayla Goldwag

Breast Cancer is one of the most frequent cancers in women. One in eight women who live to age 85 years will develop breast Cancer over the course of their lifetime.²

The reality is that Breast Cancer Awareness strategies have done little if nothing to decrease the incidence of diagnosis. The mammogram can be a useful tool for detecting a breast tumor, however, the cancer cells may have have already spread. Wouldn’t it be great if we could prevent and/or reverse unhealthy breast tissue before it becomes cancerous?

Um, Yeah! That’s why I’m on the lookout for the latest and greatest in research to arm us with just that sort of tool. While researching information on foods and health and weightloss, I stumbled across this mind-blowing info:

A 2019 review of the studies from Oncology Review indicates some promising research about the efficacy of probiotics to alter the but bacteria to prevent the growth and development of breast cancer by modulating the gi bacteria and systemic immune system.

Probiotics (bacteria or yeasts) are live microorganisms which when given in the right amounts in food or as a supplement provide health benefits. The most commonly used bacterial strains for probiotic purposes are the lactic acid bacteria, which are mainly consumed as fermented dairy like Kefir and yogurt. There are others as well including Kimchi, fermented saurkraut, Kombocha, and there are also tablets. Each type of probiotic is somewhat different and it may take some research and experimentation to find out which one(s) are right for you. Gastrointestinal bacteria is affected by diet, alcohol, and cholesterol metabolism, and vice versa… and these all have an effect of the amount of estrogens in the body. In short, several small-scale studies reported lowered cholesterol on using probiotics, which may support their benefit in blocking the hypercholesterolemiaestrogen cancer mechanism.^44,45In summary, in addition to regular exercise, stress reduction such as including mindfulness meditation, adding fruits and veggies to your diet (specifically the cruciferous ones like broccoli and cabbage) it seems probiotics can be another tool to improve your odds preventing and beating disease including Breast Cancer (-specifically, estrogen positive cancers).

I’m trying to incorporate probiotics like this fermented cabbage into my daily diet. Its ok to start with a small amount even a tablespoon to see how you tolerate different kinds. Do your research and consult with your doc to see which might be right for you.

Read the latest research that got my attention: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6775487/

Body Image, Diet, Exercise, General Health

Is Obesity a CHOICE?

October 16, 2021November 5, 2021 Kayla Goldwag

Trigger Warning:

This post involves discussions of Weight. If such topics are distressing or triggering to you please consider employing self-care tools and strategies which may include not reading this.

This information begs the question: Is Obesity a Choice?

This short answer is..not usually. Sure genetics and bone structure, genes and upbringing play a part. However, some of us eat more and/or move less when stressed or anxious or depressed.. and for others its just the opposite! Some of us find sweet foods satisfying in some situations and salty in others (hint: there are actual biological reasons for craving salty in some situations and sweet in others–and its part of the glorious way or bodies are pre-programmed for survival).

Sometimes people are making choices, but they are only semi-conscious of them-for instance out of self-harm as a trauma response. Other times we don’t even know we are making choices because we are simply unaware of alternatives or we have never been educated about the way that stimuli such as emotions and specific foods trigger different responses within the body that set us up for a cascade of effects that are displayed visually or on our bloodwork results…

Information like how to combine which foods to achieve stable blood sugar and lower insulin response. A sensitive balanced insulin response can increase your sensitivity to feelings of hunger and fullness. That is necessary for true agency in one’s health outcomes (and visual outcomes). Listening to one’s body only works well when the body is working to give us those signals otherwise the whole system is rigged against us succeeding from the start (if our goal is to “listen to the body”).

There is a whole science behind options including which foods to combine or eat and when if you want to decrease cravings overall. Or which foods can make you feel fuller longer or think more clearly or have more energy. Which type of exercises performed which way for how long will make you hungrier and which will enable you to feel more full after the workout. If you would like to know more about those things, so you are more empowered to make changes smarter not harder, it is something I coach my 1:1 Private clients on.

Some people say, I can’t train with you Kayla, you’ve never been overweight like me. I have never been you, but there have been times I was overweight (5’5″ 172lb not pregnant, and 175 when pregnant) and I have also been mocked for appearing underweight (young teen), Fortunately I have mostly been in the normal range. I have discovered ways to hack the system both from reading and studying and talking to pros about it to be more stable over time and some of it has to do with hearing relatives who do have a good relationship with their bodies and food while growing up-which helps me reflect back to my clients when something seems off track. I’ve survived illnesses, injuries, and other setbacks. I’ve had a few pregnancies too…and struggled sometimes there too. Its important to select a trainer and coach (sometimes a counselor and/or RD) who does get you and who you are comfortable with and have the conversations so it can become more of a choice that your body is rigged to help you with instead of fighting with your body.

Body Image, Diet, Exercise, General Health, Motivation

How to Hack Your Hormones for a Better Mood

October 13, 2021November 5, 2021 Kayla Goldwag

This year it seems World Mental Health Day got a lot more press in America. That’s a good thing because its really time to lower the stigma and thereby encourage everyone to get the help they need to to feel good.

So many of us have been affected by lifestyle changes brought about by Covid and I’ve seen many tip lists and articles about how to lower anxiety and increase happiness but some of it is dense and hard to remember so I created this handy dandy chart compiled from some of them. See if you notice what I did:

OK. Technology wasn’t on the list.
Did you see how often EXERCISE was on the list?!?

Exercise has multiple physical health benefits. AND it can have a positive impact on emotional well-being.Regular physical activity can increase your dopamine and serotonin levels, making it a great option to boost your happy hormones. In addition, you’ve probably already heard of the ‘high” that many feel from endorphin release intense exercise triggers.

According to one article focused on using food to boost mood, here’s how to Maximize the Mood Boosting Power of your workout:

To see even more benefits from exercise:

Include a few friends. A small 2009 study (of men) found evidence to suggest group exercise offers more benefits than solo exercise.

Get some sun. Move your workout outdoors to maximize your serotonin boost.

Time it. Aim for at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at a time. Any amount of physical activity has health benefits, but research associates endorphin release with continued exercise rather than short bursts of activity.

Diet, Uncategorized

Maintaining Goals During the Holidays

December 23, 2019November 24, 2022 Kayla Goldwag

For the client who is panicked about the meal itself and how it will affect her goals:
I’d like to take a moment to remind you that the main foods of Thanksgiving: turkey, sweet potato, green beans… on any other day we would call this diet food or clean eating.. LOL. So usually its not the food itself which is so worrisome but it could be.

Are you worried you are going to over eat?
Are you worried that the food will be prepared differently or will be different than the foods you usually eat?
What do you want your food consumption to look like at this meal?
How do you want to feel during the meal and afterward?
How could you feel good during this meal?
Can you visualize yourself the way you want to feel after the weekend or gathering?
What could you do to prepare in advance to make yourself have that desired result?

The answers to these questions will be different for each client but these questions are some tools for you to begin to eat mindfully.

If you are going to be away and not in control of the food and how its prepared or served, what you do have control over is eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are full and not eating when you aren’t hungry. Allowing yourself time (20 minutes or so) for your body to register fullness. Or finding something else to do when you want to eat for reasons other than physical hunger.

Worst case scenario: you over-eat..and then you will get back on track and not blow it all out because its not about what you do one day or a couple of days. It is about what you do the rest of the year that determines the outcome of your combined choices. Maybe set the goal or intention to make it through the holiday with joy rather than being sick about worries about the food and definitely come back to training regardless of the outcome.

Here are a few more tricks to help you be able to make stick to these goals:

Bulk up on self-care before the event: get enough sleep, fill up on time with people who “get you, “ meditate or take yoga or pray, work out and get those endorphins flowing get your nails done- whatever it takes to help you feel balanced, good enough and pretty enough.
Stay hydrated
Avoid the alcohol- it lowers inhibitions and can lead to poor decision-making and dehydration
Be your own best friend. If you find that you are saying things to yourself which don’t make you feel good, ask yourself if your best friend would talk to you this way. (If she would, it might be time to get a different best friend). Change the internal dialogue into one of affirmation and support.

Diet, Exercise, Fitness Goals, General Health

Just One Thing..

December 30, 2018December 30, 2018 Kayla Goldwag

Screen Shot 2018-12-30 at 11.02.08 PM

Just One Thing…

The most common New Year’s resolution is to lose weight and get into shape or tone up.

If getting into shape is your goal, and you actually want to change your shape-say from a pear to an hourglass or from an apple to an hourglass or from a brick to an hourglass, or from a stalk of wheat to something that won’t blow over in the wind, cardio isn’t the best way to try and get there. Cardio is a great choice for heart health and stamina and we need to do it a few times every week but its not a top choice for maintaining a healthy weight and for actually changing your shape.

With resistance or weight training, we can build you some shoulders to give those of you with a pear shape a more balanced look and we can tighten and firm your glutes and use high reps on your thighs to give them a longer leaner appearance. Will that make you an hourglass? Technically no, because bone structure and genetics are what they are, but we can get you closer to balance and proportion you might have in mind.That said, there’s nothing wrong with any of those body shapes and many people do find them attractive despite the singular message about beauty standards the media seems to offer. From a health and longevity perspective weight training is great for you.

Those with more voluptuous bellies or booties may also be dealing with another big issue: hormones. Those of us in our mid to late 40s or 50s with bat wings who may be dealing with age-related loss of muscle.Muscle also gives a more youthful firmer appearance. Muscle tone helps you lose fat because it takes calories just to sustain itself. Even if weight loss is your goal, resistance training, and especially resistance training in midlife is the way to go.

Muscle is metabolically active tissue…which means you don’t need to starve yourself and run marathons to maintain your physique. In fact, muscle tissue needs calories to stick around or it will waste away- which means you can eat good nutritious food without worrying so much that it will turn to fat. Isn’t that good news?

So if starting the new year with an exercise program means loving your body, that’s fantastic. If it means beating into submission, can you believe you’re less likely to succeed at weightloss? Yes the scientific data says loving your body with enough hydration, rest, nutrient dense food, an occasional unhealthy but so yummy treat and the healthy hormones released when you exercise with intensity are fabulous for your health and better for weightloss.. Starving your body, over-working it and telling yourself about how your various bits aren’t up to par is horrible for your body and your emotional health and actually inhibits weightloss and may even foster illness.

This year, can we resolve to work out smarter instead of harder and be kind to our bodies? I’m ready. So here’s my challenge to you: This year don’t join a gym, and blow it out on the treadmill and dry ryvita crackers for 3 weeks and give up by March.. Just pick one thing. ONE small thing you could commit to for the rest of 2019 that might make a difference and stick to that one thing.

Here are some examples: (Feel free to come up with your own…but only ONE..and make it small and achievable)

I will drinking a glass of water every day before breakfast.
I commit to walking for 10 minutes every day.
I commit to a one minute meditation or mantra of gratitude every day.
I commit to learning to do something besides a bicep curl with dumbells
I will learn to do one pushup.
I will join a workout group and attend each of my 6 sessions (okay I had to throw that in there) as a way to kick start making fitness part of my lifestyle.

Diet

Drink Up!

May 12, 2015June 8, 2015 Kayla Goldwag

For camels like me who know they should be drinking more water…Try an infuser like this set from Costco $25. Put your fruits inside, pour water in and refrigerate overnight. I’ve got raspberry lime water. Still technically zero calories but a lot more interesting. This one is made of plastic by Takeya but there are probably glass ones to be found elsewhere. One more tip- if you fill a personal drinking bottle with fruit-infused water, I find my bottle gets moldy faster because of the fructose.. So use a straw bottle brush right away. Don’t just rinse and refill or use a bottle that doesn’t have a straw for easier cleaning