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The Ripe Stuff is a personal and lifestyle blog that was created to reflect a way of positive thinking, constant learning and growing.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

The Peanut Butter Experiment

Because of the knowledge I gained from my South Beach Diet trial, I have been paying closer attention to the foods I consume. I now look at not only the nutrition information, but more importantly the ingredients on the labels in order to A. know what exactly I am putting into my body and B. make sure it is not one of the hidden ingredients that secretly makes people FAT!

Since peanut butter is one of my all-time favorite foods, I realized it was very necessary to see if this favorite of mine is as healthy as it is rumored to be.

I started my "experiment" by switching from my usual Jif/Skippy, reduced-fat, creamy/chunky peanut butter to strictly (at least according to the label) "Natural." Before I really knew what "natural peanut butter" constituted, I selected Skippy Natural Super Chunk Peanut Butter.


I decided on this peanut butter as my new natural choice because of its claim to eliminate the drippiness of natural peanut butter with the added palm oil. The ingredients were only roasted peanuts, sugar, palm oil, and salt. Since it didn't contain the hydrogenated oils and corn syrup that my non-natural peanut butters had contained in the past, I believed the label that this peanut butter was 100% Natural.

However, I was wrong. Natural peanut butter only contains one ingredient. Can you guess it? Peanuts. So, I had to go on a new quest which consisted of A. finding the best way to get rid of this faux-natural peanut butter and B. find a natural peanut butter that didn't scare me away because of its drippy and flavorless consistency. The first part was easy (I ate it :x). The second part brought me to the peanut butter section of an aisle at the grocery store. I decided to go with Smuckers because it was apparent that my good old friend Skippy lied about being natural. I found a natural peanut butter (with no salt added) and decided to give it a try.

I first put it in the refrigerator in hopes of eliminating the drippiness. When I opened it a few hours later, the top was still sort of liquidy (which is yuck), so I stirred it. The thing about all-natural peanut butter, I am learning, is that it is much different from regular. So if you are not adventurous, the real stuff may not be for you. After stirring a lot, I tried some and got a mouthful of liquidy, peanutty oil. So I stirred some more and dug into the bottom where it felt more solid, and I tried again. This time, I actually enjoyed it! Though it is definitely not as sweet as the enhanced stuff, it is still very flavorful. If you can get past the absence of those unnatural flavors, it will definitely suffice either on a piece of celery, an apple, or even by itself for some people.


So, if you are also looking for ways to improve your eating habits, start by paying attention to ingredients on labels. If one of your favorite foods has a bunch of big words that you don't really understand in it, then chances are it isn't that great for you. You are in luck if you can find a healthier alternative! If you can't, then you probably shouldn't be eating it anyway :)

x Riana

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

SoBe Diet : Fail; Learned Some Stuff!

The South Beach Diet was working out great for me. I noticed a 7 pound loss in the first 4 days! I could eat as much as I wanted of certain foods, but couldn't eat any carbs or sugar. This meant I couldn't eat fruit! My mom and I were researching the diet and discovered that the body's reaction to this small carb intake could result in some pretty dangerous side effects, such as Ketosis.

We decided to stop the diet for health reasons and are returning to other healthy ways of eating! Though I realized the South Beach Diet isn't for me (as a runner, I also believe that I should be eating some carbs, and fruit has too many benefits to pass up!), I did learn some things:

1. Avoid Foods with Hydrogenated Oil
This is an ingredient found in MANY foods, from coffee creamer to peanut butter to breakfast cereal. It is something to be aware of. There are many dangerous results of consuming foods with hydrogenated oil in them, including heart disease, weight gain, diabetes, cancer and high cholesterol. Basically, hydrogenated oil is a type of trans fat. Many food companies avoid counting it as one though! The best thing to do is read the INGREDIENTS before purchasing or ingesting a food. You may discover that foods you love contain this ingredient! I had to give up my coffee creamer because it contains this ingredient, which sucks, but I would rather have the health benefits of eating naturally and without any artificial flavors or oils! I also believe that giving up the creamer as well as other foods had to do with a significant part of my weight loss.

2. Meals Based On Vegetables & Lean Protein Are More Filling!
It's true! Eating a breakfast, lunch, and dinner that includes vegetables and protein will keep you full longer. This combination helps your body maintain your blood sugar at a stable level so you are less likely to have carb cravings shortly after your meal. Having snacks of vegetables, low-fat cheese, and nuts will also facilitate the steady blood sugar levels. These past few days I've added fruit back into the mix. I'm still not sure how they have been affecting my cravings, but I am certainly enjoying them more after going a few days without.

3. There are Good Carbs and Bad Carbs!
Carbs with a low glycemic index number are better than ones with a high one! The glycemic index (GI) contains numbers that represent how fast and how high a food will raise our blood sugar level after we ingest it. Foods with lower numbers, such as apples, peanut butter, whole-wheat spaghetti, low-fat yogurt, hummus, and most vegetables, will keep you full longer because your body takes more time to break them down. There is a lot to say on the subject of glycemic index, but it is definitely something to be aware of if you are trying to get healthier or especially if you are diabetic.
Check out www.glycemicindex.com/ to get a better understanding of how this system works.

Hope you have learned something new! More info on Glycemic Index to come in the near future!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

The South Beach Diet

After a few months of getting back on track after my food-filled semester abroad, I've had some success after rigorous workouts and runs. I'm training for a half-marathon (August 28th in the Bronx) so that has definitely helped. However, I can't seem to shed the pounds anymore!

I know that when the body gets used to the same thing (food, exercise, etc.) it can cause weight loss to plateau. So, I have decided to try the South Beach Diet! Though the first two weeks of this diet are very restrictive, I have read great reviews about it and a few people I know had great weight loss success while on the diet. Not only that, but it is also supposed to curb your carb cravings!

The first two weeks of the diet, called "Phase 1," promote a diet based on protein (lean meats, fish, nuts, cheese) and vegetables. However, carbs and sugar are cut out of your diet almost completely. That means no fruit, alcohol, sweets, pasta, rice, etc... At first I had my doubts. But after day one, I am confident about the remaining 13 days of the phase. The amount of protein, cheese, and vegetables I am consuming certainly makes up for the carbs and fruit. In the book, Dr. Arthur Agatston, cardiologist, says that you should lose 8-13 pounds in these first two weeks! If that isn't encouragement, I don't know what is.

I'm on day two now, and looking forward to my lunch of a salad with grilled chicken (cooked in canola oil). Snacks could be a string cheese stick, nuts, and vegetables with cheese. There are other options, but these are my personal choices. To find out more about the diet, you can either buy the South Beach Diet book, or you can research and find out all about the diet online before committing!

I'll track my progress after the first week is completed!

x Riana

Thursday, July 7, 2011

The Fighter - Drugs + Girls = My First Boxing class @ NYSC!

Just finished my first boxing class ever and my hands are still shaking as I'm managing to write this blog post. I've taken kickboxing before, and have some experience with martial arts (I was a yellow belt at the age of 10 and can karate chop like its my job), but neither of these were like the real, down-and-dirty, combat of boxing.

I go to New York Sports Club in Chelsea everyday and have tried various classes, but usually keep it pretty simple with pilates, weight-lifting, abdominal workouts, and cardio. However, today I decided to try something new.

My roommate Jenna and I did not realize what we signed up for, but we quickly found out after wrongly hitting our first punch with the right hand and consequentially had to get down and do twenty. Our instructor didn't cut us a break but we were the  brunt of a few jokes in the beginning. I decided I didn't want that weakling reputation and stepped it up.


Now, we can't stop going on about how much we loved it! The sweaty, action-packed hour filled with squats, push-ups, left and right hooks, and most importantly, attentiveness, made me feel really strong and powerful. The rest of the members of the class encouraged each person when it was his or her turn to get in the ring. The instructor didn't let us quit and was always reminding us to block our faces. Jenna and I can't wait to try it again. We won't be one of the "First-time-last-time"ers. If you want to try something new, no matter how small you are, definitely give boxing a try. But be prepared to not be able to text for a good hour or so after the class because your fingers are shaking from clenching the gloves #firsttimergirlproblems.

Don't think you're up to try boxing? Check out another class to switch up your everyday routine at the gym! Challenge is always great for your body and it is definitely beneficial to your fitness to add something new to the mix!

Welcome

Welcome to The Ripe Stuff! This is a lifestyle blog that is a compilation of posts about exercise, beauty, fashion, movie/music/book reviews, restaurant and food reviews, and much more. Because I have a passion for fitness, food, entertainment, and experimenting with fashion and beauty products, I decided to create this blog to share some of my ideas and thoughts. 


Feel free to contribute any ideas for blog posts, or if you know of something interesting such as a product, workout, or movie that I might like and I will look into reviewing it! I'm always open to suggestions and I love to try new things.

Looking forward to spreading the word and getting my blog out there. Please pass this on to any friends you think may be interested!

All graphics and layout details created by yours truly.

Thanks for reading!
x Riana

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