Simple Systems: Foods That Cause Bloating

by Jenni in

We have talked about foods that reduce boating before, but what about the foods that cause it? Yes, there are plenty of foods that range from fruits and veggies to certain drinks that will cause the retention of water and production of gas. Some of these foods are bad for us in general, and some may come as quite a surprise. ​

Salty Foods

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Salty foods are one of the greatest causes of bloating, and one of the most well known. High amounts of salt eaten over a short period of time will cause higher water retention in our mid region. This works great for before and afters since it can help gain some inches in water weight and is easily fixed. By drinking more water and eating fewer salty foods like snacks, automatic foods and pasta, pickles, cheese, and lunch meats, you can reduce your sodium intake and decrease bloating. 

Carbonated Beverages

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Carbonated beverages use gas, so it is no wonder that these beverages can cause gas when consumed. When we drink carbonated beverages, carbon dioxide is released into our bodies. The bloating that these carbonated beverages cause is just one more reason to stay away. The sugars and other chemicals in sodas can also do a number on our digestive system and our health. If you are tying to diet or have regular heart burn, try avoiding sodas and other carbonated beverages, water will do more for your health and help decrease any unwanted bloating.

Sugary Vegetables

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Vegetables that contain complex sugars like raffinose will cause bloating because the raffinose will not be broken down until it reaches the large intestines. The bacteria that breaks down raffinose and other ogligosaccharides creates gas as a byproduct. ​Veggies high in the ogligosaccharide, raffinose,  include beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, asparagus, and cauliflower. These veggies are some of the healthiest vegetables out there, better to limit your quantities to one of each per meal rather than taking them out completely.

Starchy Vegetables

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Starchy vegetables include potatoes, corn, beets, carrots, and squash. Just like other sugary vegetables, these are not broken down until they reach the large intestines. When broken down in the large intestines, these foods cause gas, abdominal discomfort, and bloating. Since these veggies have some of the highest carbohydrates per serving, it is best to simply stay away. ​

Dairy

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Once we reach the age of five, the lactase enzyme that breaks down milk starts to ​decrease its production in our bodies. Because of this, most people have some form of lactose intolerance that ranges from almost completely tolerant to not tolerant at all. Upset stomachs and gas after eating dairy are the main symptoms of lactose intolerance. Certain cheeses also have some of the highest salt levels of any food, the salt plus the gas produced from dairy can make it a double whammy in the bloating department.

Try limiting your dairy intake or taking a lactaid pill before consuming any dairy products. There are some great dairy replacement products out there. Almond milk is a great (and healthy) milk substitute, vegan cheese, and So Delicious coconut ice creams and creamers are all as great or better than there dairy counterparts. ​

Simple Systems: Healthy[er] Pizzas

by Jenni in

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I love pizza. It is one of my favorite foods in the world and I am quite sure I could, happily, live off of pizza and sushi. Unfortunately, it is said that eating pizza once a week will cause 10 pounds weight gain in ten years. I am currently working very hard to disprove this on a personal level and have decided to investigate the healthiest and the least healthy pizzas that are commonly eaten today.

The biggest pizza brands include Pizza Hut (favorite), Domino's, Papa John's, Little Caesar's, and Hungry Howie's. To keep things equal, all have been judged per one slice of the healthiest pizza option- veggie. Veggie is healthier than all the rest because it has less cheese and less fat since there is no meat. 

Let the healthy pizza battle begin...

Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut's 14" pizza has tomatoes, mushrooms, black olives, green peppers, and red onions. This is based off the original pan crust. 

  • 320 calories
  • 14 grams fat
  • 5 grams saturated fat
  • 36 carbs, 2 grams from fiber and 4 grams from sugar
  • 12 grams protein

Domino's

Domino's is based off the large, 14" pizza wit original crust.

  • 400 calories
  • 17 grams fat
  • 49 carbohydrates
  • 19 grams protein

Papa John's

These measurements are based on a 14" pizza with onions, peppers, baby portobella mushrooms, black olives and tomatoes.

  • ​280 calories
  • 9 grams fat
  • 4 grams saturated fat
  • 39 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams from fiber and 5 grams from sugar
  • 11 grams protein

Little Caesar's ​

The Little Caesar's pizza is based on a large, 14" pizza with mushrooms, black olives, onion, and green pepper.​ The Little Caesar's pizza also has 15% daily value of vitamin C, 8% vitamin A, 20% calcium, and 15% iron.

  • 270 ​calories
  • 10 grams fat
  • 4.5 grams saturated fat
  • 33 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams from fiber and 4 grams from sugar ​
  • 13 grams protein ​

Hungry Howie's

Hungry Howie's pizza's seem to be the healthiest option until you look at the serving sizes. A large Hungry Howie's pizza comes with twelve slices, four slices more than any other pizza on our list. To be a comparison, all proportions would need to be multiplied by 1.5. The numbers in parenthesis are the actual equivalent.

  • 200 calories (300 calories)
  • 6 grams fat (9 grams)
  • ​3 grams saturated fat (4.5 grams)
  • 28 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams from fiber (42 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber)
  • 10 grams protein (15 grams)​

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Simple Systems: Finding Good Fish

by Jenni in

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Being a pescetarian has made me much more knowledgable about what I eat and how it can effect my body. A pescetarian is a person who does not eat poultry, pork, or red meat. Most will still eat eggs and other dairy products, but stay away from any other animal by products... Except fish. Fish is on the can eat and will eat tons of list.

Fish is a great way to get vitamins, minerals, proteins, and fatty acids. But, it can also come with a few downsides. Since I eat a lot of fish, I have to watch what kinds I eat, where they are harvested, and how they effect my body and our environment. Here is a quick list of all the trigger words to know when purchasing fish from a market or that snazzy restaurant. Get a good understanding of a few and you will be a fish pro in no time!

Bioaccumulation


When a higher food chain animal eats a lower food chain animal, it is digesting everything the prey had digested. This includes the protein, nutrients, and pollution. Digested contaminants like mercury and PCBs stay in the body and, as we move up the food chain, will be found in higher quantities. This process is called bioaccumulation.

You can avoid eating too many harmful pollutants by limiting the intake of top food chain predator fish. Any large fish that eats other fish (grouper, tuna, sea bass, etc.) should only be eaten once per week or less, and only in small quantities to avoid too much digestion of pollutants. 

Open Ocean or Caged Aquaculture

Just like any other food industry, fish are farmed. Some fish come from farming facilities on land, but there are a great many fish that come from open ocean aquaculture. Open Ocean Aquaculture is a type of fish farming that uses large cages placed throughout the ocean. The fish swim in a large, contained area until they are the right size to be farmed. 

At first, this may sound great! The fish get to swim freely and are fed routinely up until it is there time, kinda like free range for the ocean. The only problem with that theory is the major issue we are having with invasive species. 

Most of these aquaculture farmed fish are not commonly found where they are being grown, or the farming quantities are far more than there would be in nature. Between fish escapees, disease, and the waste they produce, it is becoming a major health hazard for the indigenous species of that area.

By asking if your fish were farmed through aquaculture, you can help all the little fishies in the great big blue!

Over Fishing

Buying fresh caught fish can bring up an issue on its own. There are certain fish populations that have either been overfished, or have such a slow life cycle that they cannot keep up with our demands. Knowing what fish are shrinking in numbers can guarantee we still have them in the future.

If you find out a certain fish population is shrinking, try to get the U.S. farmed version instead. This will ensure that we are letting the wild population grow, while cultivating a good source of non-invasive options.

Bottom Trawling

If you have ever looked at an arial view of Japan's waters and seen those long white lines on the ocean floor, you have seen bottom trawling. This process rakes the ocean floor as a means of fishing. By doing this, ecosystems are destroyed and a large number of wildlife is killed through bycatch.

Bottom trawling is a common fishing method for shellfish and deep sea fish. Some places, including Hawaii, have made certain forms of trawling illegal. 

Long Line Fishing

This form of fishing uses a long line (you don't say) with baited hooks extending from it like branches. Some lines are for surface fishing and have as few as 25 hooks, while others are for deep sea fishing and have as many as 2,500 baited hooks.

Long line fishing has a high incidental death rate among sea turtles, birds, and sharks who get caught on the hooks or in the lines.

Trolling

A method by which multiple lines, each holding one hook, are trailed behind a moving boat. This method is better for fishing since there is minimal environmental impact and any bycatch can be quickly released.

Hook and Lining

Hook and lining is the most traditional way to catch a fish. Lines can have multiple baited hooks, but bycatch is less likely since it can be quickly released. This method uses a pole and a person maning it... The good ol' fashioned way

Gillnetting

Gillnetting uses multiple nets that are located at different levels throughout the water and trailed behind a fishing boat. The net has holes small enough to let the head of a desired fish through, but not the body.

This method can have a great deal of bycatch since any larger animal could also be trapped or entangled- sea turtles are one of the most common bycatches from this form of fishing.

Places where there is not a large variation among the fish populations are areas where this form of fishing is not harmful. Gillnetting can safely be used in Alaska for salmon fishing.