Religion, politics, and 'diet'.  There is a social rule to never bring up politics or religion at a dinner party, and we need to add 'diet' to that list.  It seems a lot of people have their own strong opinion of what works best.  However, It never fails, when I go out in public and someone finds out what I do for a living, they want to know my opinion of what they should eat (sometimes bringing up the subject to simply try to prove their opinion is right).  Not that I mind helping a neighbor out, but I always warn them up front, "Don't get me started!".  From the beginning, I tell inquiring minds, that no one really knows for sure that they are right, and if they say they are, run for the door.  I do say I have data to support my hypothesis, and then offer to show them the data...in my office, not at a dinner party. It is too difficult for me to leave the tip of the iceberg exposed...I have a hard time not spilling the whole jar of candy.  I have to practice self control and dole out just a few tasty morsels. Nutrition goes really deep.  It seems the deeper you go the deeper it gets, and like the roots of a tree, it goes off in many directions.  So when I get the proverbial, "What should I eat", as they are nibbling on pizza (should I give them the 'pizza effect' lecture?), and sipping on beer (the 'liquid bread' lecture?), I wonder where I should start, and what can I say in just a few minutes that will help them realize how critical nutrition is to the quality … [Read more...]

Everyone knows exercise is good for you, but most people do it to 'lose weight and get in shape'.  Burn off that bodyfat and tone those muscles!  Exercise does so much more than simply burn fuel and shape our muscles, it makes us feel good!  It increases the blood flow to not only our muscles, heart and lungs, but also to our most important body part...our brain.  Exercise stimulates muscle AND brain cell growth.  It makes you smart AND good looking! One of my favorite books on this subject is Spark by John J. Ratey, MD.  I read it back in 2008, so when my son's fourth grade teacher, Miranda Reagan, decided to "spark" her students' brains to help them relieve stress and increase their brain power before the big state exam (called TCAP's here in Tennessee), I was reminded of this amazing book.  I was also impressed that Ms Reagan, and another teacher Ms England, put their brains together to create a program similar to the one mentioned in Spark, "This revolutionary fitness program put one US school system of 19,000 kids first in the world in science".  As you will see in the video below, and the following power point presentation, exercise does indeed spark the brain. Physical activity "Sparks" biological changes that engage brain cells to bind to each other.  In other words exercise enhances memory, mood, and mental acuity as demonstrated by this power point presentation,  made by these students of the fourth grade class featured in my video … [Read more...]

I am not nuts about peanuts!  They are not even a nut.  They are a legume...a bean.  Actually, they are the seed of a legume. Before I get too deep into all the reasons I cringe when my clients tell me they eat peanuts, check out this email I got last week from a friend in Georgia: "I noticed today, the farmer who leases our property "burning" his empty peanut seed bags. Every time he would fill his planter hoppers he would burn the empty bags on the spot. I happened upon this partially burned seed bag label that was laying in one of the ash piles at the end of a row. I scanned it for you to read and tell me if you think the peanut butter you're eating is safe?????" Yeah, I know it is kind of big.  In more ways than one.  When I received my friend's email I decided to post all the reasons why I recommend to not eat peanuts. 1) Peanuts contain lectins, an anti-nutrient that damages the lining of the intestine. 2) Peanuts are listed near the top of "Most Common Food Allergens" by the FDA. 3) Out of all "nuts" they are the most susceptible to to a mold that produces a mycotoxin called aflatoxin, which is a dangerous carcinogen. 4) Peanuts are high in omega 6, an essential fatty acid we Americans over consume,  it causes inflammation, among other things. 5) 99% of the peanuts in the US are grown conventionally, not organically.  See the label above to understand what that means! 6) From 1997-2002 peanut allergies doubled.  This is also the … [Read more...]

How do you go about finding a high quality Whey Protein Powder?  This can be a daunting task.  The shelves are crammed full of different makes and models.  Deciphering the labels, and all the benefits they claim, can seem overwhelming without a degree in Organic Chemistry.  Below is a condensed list, thanks to Dr. Mercola, of 9 important rules to follow when trying to decide if that can of whey protein you're considering ingesting, is not just a can of overly processed, additive enhanced, nutrient devoid, glorified talcum powder.  The video below will also help explain the benefits of whey protein powder and why this may be just what you need to include as part of your REAL food program.  Especially if you are looking to turn all that hard work into a hard body!         All-natural, grass fed cows' whey, NOT pesticide-treated, grain-fed cows' whey Hormone-free Cows, NOT hormonally-treated cows Cold processed to protect the nutrients in their natural state, NOT heat processed Acid-free processing, NOT Acid / Ion Exchange Processing Whey protein concentrate, NOT protein isolates Sweetened naturally, NOT artificially, and low carb Maximum biological value, NOT compromised or damaged Easy to Digest, NOT Causing Digestive Stress Free from Toxic Heavy Metals or at Such Low Levels NOT to be a Health Risk … [Read more...]

In my last video blog (vlog), about how to grocery shop, I mentioned that saturated fat doesn't cause heart disease, the number one killer in the USA.  I quipped that saturated fat isn't bad for us, and that inflammation is the primary cause of heart disease.  Even though my video wasn't meant to be a lecture on nutrition, I got quite a few questions about that statement.  Apparently, there are a lot of people who have never heard this, and are a bit skeptical.  How can you blame them?  Since the late 1950's we have been taught, by the scientific and medical industry, that cholesterol and saturated fat are artery clogging.  Mainstream media continues to this day to perpetuate this myth.  Well, just because there is cholesterol at the scene of the crime in "clogged arteries", doesn't mean it caused the damage.  That is like saying because a fire truck shows up at a fire it caused the fire.  It is simply not true. If you find it hard to believe, coming from little ole Health Coach Penny, then read this article with Dr. Dwight Lundell, M.D.  He has 25 years experience as a heart surgeon, and has performed over 5000 open heart surgeries.  He is bravely setting out to right the wrong with medical and scientific fact.  Below is a clip from one of my favorite movies, Fathead, that helps to explain how this big fat lie got it's start. For those of you out there in cyberspace who are still not convinced that it is okay to eat butter, lard, tallow, and cheese, that … [Read more...]

At last!  Here is the video I have received the most requests for…how to navigate a big chain grocery store in search of REAL food. I compare this type of shopping to walking through a casino.  Everything is set up to keep you shopping as long as possible, to squeeze as much money out of you as possible, and make all the products as alluring as possible.  The music, the lighting, and the positioning of the products on the shelves are well thought out by the food industry.  I guess you could say we are just pawns in their chess game.  Let's see if we can out maneuver the aisles and hold onto our King (our health). This video is not about nutrition education, that takes a few more hours.  It is about how to navigate a grocery store in search of REAL food.  It is shocking to see how far from REALity mainstream eating has become.  There is no better place to to view this separation of real and fake than in a big chain grocery store "feedlot".  Between the pesticide infested GMO fruits and vegies, to the boxed, bagged processed foods, it is no wonder there is a 'diabesity' and heart disease epidemic in this country.  Sure, sometimes you may have to pay a little more for REAL food, but would you rather spend your money on medications and medical care, or on food that supports good health. The truth is, I didn't want to make this video.  The stores will probably put out a 'cease and desist' order against me.  There are a lot of people who will think I go … [Read more...]

What exactly is hydroponics?  I have been pondering this ever since visiting my friend's restaurant, Windhorse in Eustis, FL, where they have hydroponic towers in the outdoor dining area.  They use these towers to grow food for their salads.  It is an amazing site and a culinary delight.  When I stumbled upon Innovative Hydroponics in Alcoa, TN I was determined to finally get to the root of it (pun intended!).  So, with video camera in hand and my inquisitive husband in tow, we swooped in on Andrea Rzad to pick her brain and her plants. Hydroponics is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions in water, without soil.  The Latin derivative hydro, is 'water', and ponos is 'labour'.  The fact is, growing plants in this manner is much less labor intensive than growing them in soil.  There are no weeds or insects to contend with, so no pesticides are needed.  Because the nutrients are constantly fed to the roots, the plants grow quickly with a high yield.  It also uses less water because the mineral infused water is recirculated.   It seems the only things that need to be monitored  are the mineral (especially sodium), concentrations, the ph balance, and the lighting.  This isn't a new fad, hydroponics have been studied since the eighteenth century.  They are an efficient way to grow plants, and many believe may be the answer to feeding the world.  There are even plans to bring hydroponics to Mars!  Who knows what this will grow into...I do … [Read more...]

I am a Health Coach, a Trainer, a Nutritionist.  Most of my blogs are about my passion, nutrition.  But, it seems the question I get after, "What do you recommend to eat?", comes "What do you recommend for exercise?".  This is a post to help answer that question.  I recommend hormesis.  Most of the workouts I perform on my clients and myself are short and sweet.  Acute not chronic.  I have been training this way for 32 years.  I attribute my staying fit, and feeling much younger than I am, to hormesis.  I very rarely have injuries with this type of training, and it has served me well in keeping my body, and my client's bodies, aesthetically and physically healthy.  Hormesis, as it relates to exercise,  boils down to short bursts of intense sessions.  Not chronic endurance type of exercise that can degrade the body physically and aesthetically.  Below is a video series I did to show an example of this type of weight training.  When I train my clients I use variations of this type of training depending on their fitness level, goals, and personality type. I am in this for the long haul.  I want to see how long I can hold on to my health and I want to help others do the same.  The experiment of a lifetime, I guess you could say.  The only time my bodyfat went up, my muscle mass went down, and I had a chronic injury is when I did a marathon.  I also performed triathlons, but they were sprint tri's, and they didn't give me injuries or change my body … [Read more...]

I wanted to see what all the fuss was about raw milk so I drove to Blaine, TN to video what I thought would be a farm run by mild mannered agrarians with long skirts.  You know...cows, goats, pigs, chickens, a garden, and homeschooling.  Boy, was I wrong!  It was a real backwoods farm, but Sherry Byington, the captain of this amazing operation, runs a tight ship.  She is a walking organic farming encyclopedia, and she is anything but mild mannered.  I thought I was doing well buying my fresh produce and grass fed meats, but this added a whole new dimension to eating REAL food.  Sherry runs circles around all of us, "whining because we have to drive 5 minutes to the store", city folks.  I could barely keep up with her!  Watch the video we made of the trip then vote, via facebook, on an idea my husband has for our family.  He thinks it would be great to spend a month during summer break and do a real "Reality Show" by living and working on Sherry's farm. My kids are already complaining! To learn more about raw milk check out this great article, go to www.realmilk.com, and read a book recommended by Sherry, The Untold Story of Milk.  This trip was a real game changer for our family.  We feel that our level of eating REAL food has taken a quantum leap forward by incorporating raw milk, her bright orange eggs, and true grass fed butter into our diets.  Big thanks to Byington Farm for keeping us REAL!  Contact Sherry at her email: catfishcookin@frontiernet.net. … [Read more...]

Why Do We get Fat?  Is it eating too many calories or carbs?  Is it genetics? Is it hormonal? Is it lack of exercise?  I KNOW THE ANSWER!  Not. First of all, if someone says they know the answer...they don't.  The fact is, the reason we get fat is a combination of factors.  It is a dance between you saying, "I want pleasure", and the body saying, "I need fuel". The psychological and the chemical tango.  Just like dancing, the individual participants need to be in sync with the music, and the music has to have a good beat, or it just isn't pretty!  This "pleasure and fuel", like dancing, must listen to the messages the brain, and other body systems, are releasing and those messages have to be getting through.  In other words losing weight isn't as easy as 1-2-3.  So, how do you lose weight-and keep it off? You can lose weight by counting calories, counting carbs, eating less, and/or having your stomach stapled but, saying that you simply need to exercise more and you'll lose weight is ridiculous.  It isn't that simple.  You would have to run 35 miles to burn one pound of fat! Then, all that running will make you so hungry you will just want to eat more. Do you ever wonder how some people just stay the same weight no matter what?  Here is how that happens. The body is like an automatic thermostat.  If it is cold outside your heater turns on, if it is hot outside your air conditioner turns on.  It maintains a perfect temperature, very much like the people … [Read more...]