Class #4 Thursday December 7, 2023 Plate by ZUMBA with ZIN Monica Velez, the Holidays version

Warmest of warmest greetings.

Hello family and friends!  I hope this day finds you well.  Thank you for being here today.  I'd like to give a warm welcome to all of you for being here today, whether live in the zoom meeting, or later at a video recording, or here on this blog.  I appreciate all of you for watching or reading my blog notes.  We really do need each other along life's journey, right?!

Introduction

Today's topic will be talking about tracking food the Plate by ZUMBA way.  We will review the Food Chart from Plate by ZUMBA, and we'll review what to eat and which foods to avoid eating.  

In the last class, the video I made omitted the sound, so all you could see was my pretty face but not my voice.  I am so disappointed about that; I had shared a lot of personal stories and testimonies that were related to food and the topics we are talking about.  

Please be thinking about if you have any questions, or comments, and write them down.  I'd love to hear them, either in the zoom chat, or as a comment if you're catching the video later, or in a blog comment if you're reading the blog notes.

On A Personal Note 

Are you a morning coffee drinker?  I am.  I didn't always used to be, though.  I began drinking coffee around 18 or maybe a little later, when one of my co-workers introduced me to "free coffee on the house" as a way to combat weariness from working hard.  At the moment, I use stevia from the green packet as my sweetener and a coffee creamer that is made from organic coconut milk.  I think it is somewhat of an acquired taste, but very do-able for me.  The first time I recall ever trying coffee creamer from coconut milk was in the mid 2000-teens like 2015 or there abouts, and I was not a fan at that time.  However, my taste buds have changed, and I think knowing that I am putting something into my body that is healthier alternative makes me happy!  What about you?  Do you think this is something you could try, or would want to try?

Let's check in with each other.  

How are you doing?  How have you been these past two days, or past two weeks, or since from the last time we met or talked?  Did you stay on track?  Did you fall off track?  How did eating or exercising or drinking water go for you? How would you rate yourself, on a scale of 1-3?  Or, plus, minus or check?  (Plus is good, minus is off, and a check is so-so or satisfactory.)  

For me, I have not been mindful of my water intake, actually.  I do drink a lot of water on my zumba workout days, because I have to!  But, on the other days, I find or have noticed that I am not thinking about it much.  Also, last week I mentioned that my "starting number" was 149.5 pounds.  And, this past week I hit 145.5 pounds on the scale.  Woo hoo, yaye for me; I think I must be doing something right.  Now, I know that we are more than our numbers.  And, if your number didn't move up or down, please no need to worry.  Just keep doing the right things for you and for your own goals, taking one or two baby steps at a time, and change will happen for you.  It's almost guaranteed.  Disclaimer:  I am not a medical doctor, and any eating plan that you do or decide to go on should always be in discussion with your own physician and guidance.  Also, I ordered a massage tool online a while ago, and it came in the mail recently.  I have been trying it out and enjoying it immensely.  It's been a useful tool for helping my body's muscles to recover from my ZUMBA workouts!  

Video of Class #4 on YouTube

How do we keep track of food the Plate by ZUMBA way?  Let's find out, together!

The Plate by ZUMBA way of keeping track of food is easy and could be useful to track your food intake.  If you want to try it, great.  If you don't want to try it, of course you don't have to.

Their tracking is a new way of tracking food for me, so I'll do my best to present it to you.

A couple of things you'll need to know:

• one, you need to find your BMR number (BMR is your basal metabolic rate)
• your BMR number is based on a variety of factors; i used an online tool to figure out mine and i learned my BMR is 1335
• take your BMR number and multiply it by the number according to your activity level (I'll show/explain more below)
• so my exercise level is moderate since I teach 4-5 classes currently per week so 1335 times 1.55 gives me 2069.25
• the 3rd step is to subtract 500 from this number if you want to lose weight (but if not then do nothing)
• so 500 from 2069 is 1569 
• 1569 is the number i use to match on another food chart (that i have) to tell me  what my healthiest options are for each food group
• my result looked sort of like this: 3-6-2-1-480
• really, this is NOT complicated

According to these calculations, I should be eating 3 fruit servings a day, 6 vegetable servings, 2 grain servings, and 1 legume serving a day for optimal health and weight loss.

During our zoom class time, or in the recorded video, I will show you an example of what the Plate by ZUMBA food tracking system looks like (I drew a diagram).  

I hope this made sense to you.  Find your BMR and then find your daily calorie need.  Just multiply a few numbers together and you match it to a food chart (that I have).

I almost forgot.  The 480 is for the number of essential calories I am allowed per day on the Plate by ZUMBA way.  (Essential calories include what we typically think of as "healthy fats" and things of that sort.  This is a great segway to the food chart because I am wanting and hoping and was planning on reviewing the food chart today as well.) 

But, before we review the food chart (the Plate by ZUMBA way), I thought I would share with you what I ate today.  I chose these foods today based on what was in the house and available, not by my food tracking system.  Together we will see where I am eating well, and also we will see if there are any gaps or missing elements in my eating.  

So, today for breakfast I diced and baked some potatoes with a sprinkling of rosemary on them.  One egg, with cheddar cheese, about a quarter cup, half an orange, and a sliver of avocado, and a small handful of walnuts.  I also drank 2 cups of freshly brewed coffee, with coconut creamer and one packet of stevia.

For lunch I ate a small cup or cup and a half of the leftover beef and cabbage soup, 1 small apple with a spoonful of peanut butter (around 2 tablespoons), and another sliver of avocado.

For dinner, I plan on eating 1 or 2 slices of the homemade vegetable pizza, along with the beet soup (also known as Ukranian borscht and it contains a ton of veggies).  For dessert, I may eat the other orange half from earlier.

My diet, or my food intake of what I'm eating is missing grains and legumes today.  Yesterday I ate garbanzo beans with curry and vegetables, so I did get in some legumes then.  But, I notice I am still missing the grains.  (This is because of another meal plan, the Wheat Belly with Dr. Davis and the 10 day detox).  Feeling conflicted, to grain or not to grain, "that is THEE question."  Each person must choose based on their informed knowledge and understanding at the time.  I am going to continue learning from multiple sources that I consider reliable and trustworthy (you too, do your own research).  I will keep learning and be open to new ideas.  

Did I reach my target?

3 fruits: 1 apple, 1 orange

6 vegetables:  potatoes, cabbage (soup), veggies on pizza, veggies in beet soup

2 grains: zero/none eaten today

1 legumes: none today but one serving yesterday

480 essential calories: I'm not sure yet; I'd have to think about more and then do the math.  But, "I'm done.  I'm ready to stop now."  

No, I did not reach my target.  But, that's ok.  Everyone has to start somewhere, myself included.  I know, for example, I have been eating more vegetables now than I probably ever have in my lifetime.  And, I am thinking more about the healthy fats, and which kinds I can have, and am being more mindful and intentional about including them in my diet more.  

Let's Review the Food Chart the Plate by ZUMBA

We have two general broad food categories in the Plate by ZUMBA food chart.  They are one, essential foods, and two, essential calories.  What are essential foods?  The essential foods are four categories; one, fruits, two, vegetables, three, grains, and four, legumes or think beans.  The last column, which is super tiny, is for the essential calories.  These are things like the healthy fats and so on.

Our food chart is separated into color groups.  The color groups are green, orange, and yellow.  Think of a stop light or traffic signal.  When it's green you go.  These are foods in the green top part of the chart that you want to eat.  When the stop light is yellow, it means caution.  In the orange middle part of the Plate by ZUMBA food chart, these are the foods you may choose sparingly, but not every day.  Use caution when selecting these.  And, the red bottom part of the food chart are foods to avoid.  

I would like to read the food chart for a little bit and just get an idea of which foods to eat.  I can also look at this chart and get an idea of which foods to not eat.  This food chart is a very useful tool to have on hand, on the refrigerator or in my mind. (Consider pausing here to pull up the pdf and read to students during zoom/video recording)-note to self.

Now that we have learned how to track food the Plate by ZUMBA way, and we have reviewed the Plate by ZUMBA food chart, maybe we can talk about how we like to prepare some of our favorite dishes.  Which seasonings to use, and so on?

A Motivational Message for You

But, before we get into that more, I want to put a shot of adrenaline of motivation into your arm.  Having a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset will be my friend today.  What I mean is, I am making progress.  I am thinking about which foods I'm eating.  I am making healthier food choices.  I am eating more vegetables.  I am cutting out the extra refined sugars from my eating.  I am trying to avoid eating the foods processed in boxes.  I am focusing on the positives, not the negatives.  I love how my food tastes with new and delicious seasonings (who knew curry could be so tasty?) and I love how I am feeding my body the nutrients and vitamins that it needs for optimal health.  I have received a lot of compliments on my physique and weight loss recently.  That is also nice.  Who doesn't like to hear compliments about how nice they look?  However, this is about eating clean and feeling good and enjoying the journey along the way and being involved in the process of our own personal growth and change.  Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither are we.  My encouragement to you or anyone reading this now is keep your chin up, stay the course, and do what works for you.  

These are a Few of My Favorite Foods~

If time permits, I'd like to talk a little bit about your favorite foods.  

Let's start with vegetables.  What's your favorite vegetable?  How do you like to season your vegetables?  How do you like to cook them?

I'd say for me, one of my favorite vegetables is broccoli.  I also love mushrooms!

Lately, my mom has been buying fresh vegetables and I have been baking them in the toaster oven.  This past week, I chopped up a variety of vegetables, placed them on a baking tray, drizzled with some extra virgin olive oil and some paprika; baked at 350 F for around twenty minutes (or until desired tenderness) and dah-lish.  I used onion, peppers, garlic, tomato, mushroom, zucchini, yellow squash and baby carrots cut into bite sized pieces.

Last night, I made a new recipe that I adapted from Dr. Davis's Wheat Belly 30-minute meals recipe book.  I used all vegetables and created a "pizza crust", pizza sauce, and mozzarella.  The cheese I used was from a local health food store, a kind of mozzarella cheese made from cashew nuts?  I never heard of it before, but that's what they offered.  The veggies I put on this pizza were fresh basil, some onion, peppers, tomato, and yellow squash.  I found a way to use some of the vegetables that were bought but not used in the other dish.  One slice would have been enough, but it was so good (and good for you) that I had two! 

I also like beets, and this week I made a dish I found from Natasha's Kitchen online; a kind of beet soup, using the other half of the cabbage head that I didn't use from making the beef and cabbage stew, another recipe I adapted from Dr. Davis (Wheat Belly author).  So I liked buying a head of cabbage and being able to use it in two different dishes in the same week!

So, those are three ways I have been using vegetables this week.  Or, maybe 4!  I bake the veggies, and have used in soups or stews, and I will often use the leftover veggies as an accompaniment to my morning eggs, which can be eaten for any meal of the day, really. 

Fruits.  How Do You Enjoy Fruit?

Earlier in the week there were fresh berries in the house!  I had blueberry muffins (a healthy version), and topped a handful of blueberries with yogurt or cottage cheese, depending on what was available in the home.  Sometimes I will do the same thing with strawberries, adding a big dollop of cottage cheese or plain greek yogurt on top.

Today I ate a small apple with peanut butter, and half an orange (later I will enjoy the other half, hopefully).  I love bananas, especially as a ZUMBA fitness instructor; I need those bananas to fuel my body with magnesium to prevent cramping in my legs, and for optimal performance.

Pineapple is one of my favorite fruits of all time; and cantaloup too.  I enjoy these especially with the red pepper powder; my favorite one is the one that comes from Trader Joes and is flavored with lime, also.  I would like to review my fruit list and see which fruits are better for you than others; for example, in terms of glycemic load which we might talk about more in a future session!

Conclusion

So, I hope you had fun with me today!  I hope you maybe learned something new, or gained a new motivation for working towards your goals.  Please feel free to reach out to me by zumba email, or in a comment of the video or in the blog, of any questions you may have.  If you would like more help with determining your BMR number I am available.  I am so very thankful that we are sharing this space together, either by zoom, or in the videos later on, or here in this blog space.  I hope that you continue to stay on track with your eating goals.  I feel blessed to have this opportunity to talk about clean eating with you through the internet, and I am motivated to stay on track as well. I want to keep on learning, too.  See you in the next video, or in zoom, or here in the next blog.  I hope you have a great week!  Until next time...Sincerely, Monica Velez