My Lent 2017 Recap: So Many Lessons Learned

So, I know I'm a little late, but I wanted to let you know about my Lent 2017 journey.

For Lent, I gave up white bread, rice, pasta and potatoes, breaded foods and alcohol. I also worked out at least 4 days per week. In the beginning, it was a little tough. By week 3, it was a breeze. I called my sister up and let her know that I didn't really feel closer to God for the past few weeks. She said, "Maybe you can do the Daniel Fast next year." But I didn't want to wait until then.

I read my daily devotional and it spoke about fasting and different types of fasts. So, I decided to do that. I started fasting from 12am to 12pm every day. You may think it was easy because you're asleep for most of that time. It was not! I go to the gym at 7 in the morning most days of the week. I would get home after working out and eat NOTHING. I would get ready for work, commute there and eat NOTHING. And sometimes my coworkers would bring food for everyone (bagels or fruit) and I would eat NOTHING. Once 12 o'clock came around, I was a savage! I'd go from total control to complete loss of control. 

The same thing happened when Lent was over. I went crazy and ate everything that I couldn't eat for the past 40 + days. And I paid a BIG price for that. I lost almost 10 pounds and felt pretty good during Lent. But once it was all said and done, I felt like I needed to eat all of those foods I had not eaten in so long. It was like, "Oh! You haven't eaten French fries in a while. You've GOT to eat them now." Let me tell you! The pain that came after eating those foods was excruciating. I was so bloated and gassy and just felt like crap overall. My joints were also aching more. It's like my body was rejecting those foods because I had not eaten them in so long. 

It made me think: 

1. My body probably doesn't like these foods and just manages to get used to them after a while of having them in my diet. 

2. I need to gain control of my eating habits. 

So, I've identified the problem. What's the plan? Moderation. Yep, the key word of every dietitian. It’s the truth though. Moderation is the key. Overall good health and maintaining weight loss is not about the all or nothing mentality. It’s about creating and being consistent with healthy eating. And allowing yourself to eat “not healthy” foods sometimes. It is true; Lent did catapult me into healthier eating. But the old Natasha reared her head once it was over. I won’t fall back into that way of life; especially since I know the horrible effects it has on me. So, my Lent journey was a great learning process. Not only did I become closer with God, I became more in tuned with myself and the way my body and mind works. Seems like a win/win to me!

So, how did your Lent journey go? Did you continue on with what you gave up after Lent was over? Let me know in your comments below.

Lose to Gain: Transparency

Hi! My name is Natasha and I am an overweight dietitian. Though it’s been that way the entire time I’ve been a nutritionist, that was still hard to say. I’ve been overweight almost my entire life. To be honest, I don’t want to say these things aloud and I don’t want to write these things down. Doing so means it’s true and that some action HAS to take place. Am I ready for that? Deep down, I’ve always felt like I was destined for greatness, but was too scared to be great. Slightly above average has been the name of my game for years. But that’s not who I feel I am inside.

To go into the field of nutrition and be overweight is hard. So, I use therapy as an outlet to work through matters like these. In my last session, I brought up the fact that sometimes I am hesitant at nutrition consulting because I may not have the typical outside appearance of a dietitian. My therapist brought up a good point. She said, “There’s no better first client than yourself.” That resonated and reverberated in me for what seemed like an eternity during our session. There IS no better first client than myself!! But, how do I do this?

As a registered dietitian, I have helped hundreds of clients improve their diets and health over my career: from women with fibroids, to private clients with weight loss, to pregnant women, infants in children in the WIC program, to the geriatric population in long term care facilities, to hospitalized adults in trauma and surgery, and even those who face the harsh reality of having dialysis treatments for the rest of their lives. I have shared my nutrition expertise to many and have had numerous success stories. Well, what about my story?

The first chapter of this journey begins here! I write this (and hopefully many more after this) to be transparent. To show how difficult it can be to lose weight. To show that even a dietitian with almost 10 years of experience and schooling can still have a hard time with weight loss. I want to show you that I know where you’re coming from. I’m not some person who has been skinny their entire life and has decided to tell you how to lose weight. I am an African American woman from the south. I know about food and I know about temptations. I know about the ups and downs of yo-yo dieting, weight loss pills, working out two times a day and restricting calories to some ridiculous amount. I know because I have done it ALL. But now I’m tired of it. I don’t want to be this way anymore. I don’t want to live to eat. Instead I want to eat to live.

I want you to take this journey with me. I will lose this weight and I will do it the “right” way. I’m going to do it the healthy way: good ol’ diet and exercise. Am I excited about it? Yes and no. I know being transparent will help others see that it is possible, but it is also letting out a side of me that I have not shown. Maybe this is what will catapult me into the greatness that I know is true in my heart. I’m not sure, but we shall see.

I want you to please email me, Facebook me, tweet me, Instagram me and Snapchat me your weight loss stories, trials and tribulations. Let me know the difficulties you have. And hopefully we can do this and be successful in weight loss together! #LoseToGain

--Natasha J

NatashaAshleyRD@yahoo.com

Natasha Ashley on Facebook

@Natasha_RD on Twitter and Instagram

NatashaAshleyRD on Snapchat

“Life is a cycle of gaining and losing. It’s what you gain and lose that really counts.” –Anonymous

Using Lent to Catapult your Health and Nutrition

I was introduced to Lent about five years ago from a friend who is Catholic. He asked me what I was giving up for Lent. I had no idea what he was talking about.

Lent is a season that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. It lasts 40 days, not counting Sundays. According to United Methodist Communications, "Lent is a time of repentance, fasting, and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection."

My friend would always give up something a bit difficult; something he knew would take lots of prayer. The constant prayer, discipline, restraint and repentance from whatever he was fasting from, would strengthen his relationship with God. So, I decided to take on the challenge. I gave up some of my favorite things. I slipped up many times but made sure to get back on track. At times, I even found myself crying at the sheer difficulty of it all. But, it brought me so much joy when those 40 days were completed. Not because I could go back to what I used to do. It was because He brought me through such a daunting task and I was able to accomplish it because of Him.

So every year I continue to participate in Lenten season, and every year I up the ante.  I noticed one year that by giving up certain foods, I lost a few pounds. It made me wonder if I could actually keep it up AFTER the 40 days were up. Well, I did…and then I stopped. But some of my friends did not stop. They participated in the Daniel Fast and continued to eat mostly fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains after the fast was completed. And many of them saw continued health benefits.

I belive Lent is the perfect way to springboard you into your nutrition and health goals. Just think, becoming more spiritual AND decreasing your blood sugar…AND lowering your cholesterol…AND losing weight? That's a win/win. So, I challenge you to give up something. And I'm not talking about something you barely do now. Give up something that can REALLY be a challenge and could have benefits as well. I am giving up white bread, white rice, white potatoes, white pasta, breaded foods, and alcohol (send up some prayers for me y'all).

Leave a comment and let me know what YOU are giving up this Lenten season.

To Cleanse or not to Cleanse?

Recently, I’ve heard many people talking about cleanses. The holidays just passed and everybody was eating a lot of foods that they don’t usually eat. So, in order to get the leftover ham hocks, fried turkey, German chocolate cake and mac & cheese out of their system, they go to a cleanse. But, what is a cleanse? Google says it is a process or period of time during which a person attempts to rid the body of substances regarded as toxic or unhealthy, typically by consuming only water or other liquids.

From the trendiest health magazines to personal trainers and doctors on TV, cleanses, also known as detoxes, have been all the rave. They claim to give you a healthy start, help you lose 10 pounds in 3 days and speed up your metabolism. But what it should really say is that they deprive you of key nutrients, keep you hungry, may cause you to store fat in your body and also waste your money. Is weight loss a side effect of consuming only 600 calories per day? Of course! But is losing a few pounds more important than your long-term health?

Let’s be straight. Any fairly healthy adult with working organs does not need a cleanse. Our bodies naturally “cleanse” what we ingest. Let’s have a quick science lesson on food in and waste out.

Food is eaten and broken down when you chew it. Saliva breaks the food down. It is swallowed, and pushed down your throat into the stomach. Your stomach breaks it down even more and it is sent to your intestines. Here water and electrolytes are removed, and other nutrients are absorbed or turned into waste. The liver is important in digesting protein, fats and sugar. The kidneys are filters that take waste out of the blood and eventually helps produce urine. Both the liver and kidneys are used to detoxify. They breakdown and remove substances, which can also be called toxins. Even our lungs are used as a natural filtration system by breathing out pollutants. And there you have it!

No disgusting juices necessary. Just eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and fiber, and drink plenty of water. This will enable your organs to work properly and detoxify products on their own. If you want to lose weight, cleanses are definitely not the way to go. Losing 5 pounds of water weight by hitting the bathroom every 15 minutes is not how you want to do it anyway. How can you lose the weight and keep it off? You already know…healthy eating, physical activity and a little thing called discipline.  I know, I know, that’s not what you want to hear. But it works!

Black RD, Blue Apron: Lamb and Risotto Style Ditalini Pasta

This meal had the most servings yet (I had it three times and still had a little left over). It is a pasta dish, so you can split it up any way you want to. I’ve had lamb before, but never ground lamb. Don’t let the name of the recipe fool you. The meat is a lamb and beef blend (It tasted like ground beef). The recipe will work with any type of ground meat, as well. There is also no risotto involved in the dish; only ditalini pasta.

This recipe uses lemon zest, so you may need a zester. You can also use a cheese grater with small outward protruding holes and spiky edges to zest the lemon. I had none of the above, so I just sliced the skin of the lemon into small, fine pieces.

The first thing I did not like about this recipe was that it called for 2 teaspoons of olive oil to cook the ground lamb/beef. HEALTH ALERT! You definitely do not need to do this. The higher the fat content of the meat, the more oil it will naturally produce once it is cooked. Just spray the pan with an olive oil based cooking spray before cooking the meat. You may want to season the meat before you cook it. The recipe says to use salt and pepper. I used seasoned salt, garlic powder and pepper to give it some added flavor.

I found out I am not a fan of lemon zest in my food. I suggest you try a little with the zest and a little without it. I also recommend you add the green beans after you cook the garlic and onion to make them a little softer. They were a bit raw for my liking when I followed the recipe. And you are not supposed to boil the pasta beforehand. It is supposed to be al dente meaning it should have a slight bite to it. If you don’t like it like that, just cook it a little longer.

Overall, I’d give the recipe a B. I vote NO on the added oil and lemon zest, but YES to the ground lamb/beef mix and family serving size.

Bon Appétit! 

Black RD, Blue Apron: Seared Salmon with Red Quinoa and Pea Shoot Salad

This was a great recipe! I’d never heard of pea shoots until Blue Apron. Pea shoots are the young leaves of a pea plant and are high in Vitamins K, C, A and folic acid. It’s largely found in Washington, San Diego, New York and South Florida at farmers markets or Trader Joe's.

The most difficult part of the recipe was deseeding the lemon. I don’t know what I was doing, but I made a mess. I got through it though. I was a little hesitant about the lemon, sugar and salt combo, but it turned out nicely (I poured a little of the mixture over the salad. YUM!) I was also a little scared about eating the skin of the salmon. Once you cook it, it gets really crispy and flavorful.

The only adjustment I’d make to the recipe is:

Allow the red quinoa to cool for 15 minutes in the refrigerator before mixing with the pea shoots and cucumber salad.

Bon Appétit!

Black RD, Blue Apron: Preparation Tips

I had no I idea what to expect with my first try at cooking with Blue Apron. I cook a little. It’s usually simple things like fish and vegetables, spaghetti, baked chicken and sweet potatoes. I figured I was pretty prepared to be a Blue Apron chef. I was, but then I wasn’t. So here are some preparation tips that I think you should know before you begin this cooking experience:

1. There is a good amount of prep work. Foods are fresh, so you will have to chop up all of the vegetables and peel and possibly mince them. This leads me to…

2. You may need certain kitchen tools that the average person may not have. For example, I didn’t have a zester, or mortar and pestle, or a vegetable peeler. You can also do as I did and just improvise with what you’ve got at home.

3. You will be multitasking a lot. Try not to get too frustrated. The recipes call for you to do a couple of tasks at the same time. You may want to try cooking with your significant other, family or a friend.

4. Make sure you have enough small bowls, large pans and pots. Again, you will be multitasking, so you want to make sure you are prepared. I didn’t have the small glass bowls that are pictured on the recipes, so I just used Tupperware.

5. They expect for you to already have some ingredients. Olive oil, salt, and pepper are the items I have come across so far. Make sure you have these in your kitchen because they do not come in your Blue Apron package.

I hope this information has helped. I figured it was important to share this before posting the recipes. If you have any questions, please feel free to share them. Bon Appétit!