by kelsey | Jan 19, 2012 | Diet, Food, Weight Management
Carbohydrates tend to get a bad rap in relation to weight management. A popular question I get when I discuss weight loss strategies with my patients is if they should cut out the carbs and choose more protein. As you probably know, there are always fads in nutrition and sometimes the USDA’s MyPlate gets criticized because it doesn’t got along with that fad. MyPlate’s recommendations have been heavily researched for many, many years and science has proven that this balance is what keeps our body functioning at its highest abilities. 1/4 of your plate should be grains and we recommend at least half of your day’s intake be from whole grains over the white grains. There is a great deal of biochemistry that backs this recommendation, but more basically put, the reason why is that our brain and central nervous system depend on adequate carbohydrates for energy. Proteins and fats can be used for energy when there is not sufficient carbohydrate intake, however if this is done long term, it puts a great deal of stress on the body as the processes to convert proteins and fats into energy are not as efficient. An insufficient intake of carbohydrates long term can lead to significant issues with the kidneys, liver, and other major organs and can even result in death due to ketosis. Carbohydrates do have a purpose in our diet and a moderate intake is essential for fueling our body with energy as well as weight management. Carbohydrates are mainly found in grains, but they are also found in some beans and lentils, fruits, dairy products, and a few starchy vegetables. You have heard me discuss it before, but again…moderation is key!!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jan 18, 2012 | Food, Weight Management
Meal planning is a great tool for eating healthy. By planning your week (or even month) menu, you will be less apt to run through the drive through or grab a food choice that is quick and convenient. Those quick choices are usually higher in fat, calories, carbs, and sodium, thus making them a not so ideal option for you. Meal planning is one of my goals for this year as I was falling into a bad habit of getting home from work, not having anything ready or prepared and then scrambling to make something quick. Since the new year, I have made an effort to sit down for a few minutes every weekend to look at my schedule and see what the week ahead will bring. I then take a look at some of my cookbooks and decide a few options for the week. Batch cooking is another tool that works well with meal planning. An example of this is baking a couple chicken breasts or browning a pound or two of hamburger and using that in a few different dishes throughout the week. Meal planning will not only result in healthier eating, it will result in less stress as you won’t be scrambling to figure out what to make! Give it a try!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jan 17, 2012 | Etc., Weight Management
If you are an owner of a smart phone, you have the capability of accessing many nutrition and exercise tools right in the palm of your hand! I recently came across a review of the weight management apps on the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetic’s website. I was happy to see on my favorite apps was at the top of the list “MyFitness Pal.” Keeping track of your intake is a useful tool with weight management and it’s even easier when you can do it right from your phone! This is snapshot of my phone and some of the apps I use. In addition to MyFitnessPal, I like to look up recipes and check out the nutrition content of food selections at restaurants to help me make better choices. I encourage you to check out the review at : http://www.eatright.org/Media/content.aspx?id=6442467041 and browse your app store to equip yourself with some great tools!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Jan 16, 2012 | Exercise, Family, Motivation, Wellness/Health
This weekend we spent in Sioux Falls with the rest of my brothers, and my sister, and all of their families, to celebrate my Dad’s 80th birthday. I just talked about on the last post of mine about motivation being an inside job. Look no further than here for where I get my motivation and inspiration from. My Dad worked his whole life doing manual labor, and then has spent the last 16 years in retirement being an exercise maniac. He still rides his bike at least 10 miles a day, but was doing 15 miles. I don’t know if I have mentioned this before, but he would keep a log on a calendar about the bike rides he did, and would mark the day with an “X” on the calendar. At one point, he was 6 months ahead of schedule, so he was actually doing like 45 miles some days on the bike. He has always been an inspiration to me. His motto has always been…”you get what you work for, and nobody is going to hand things to you. So get off your butt, and get it done.” He always made sure he had fun doing it though.
We have had a lot of fun over the years, and I am so glad my kids got to know you, Dad. I did not get the chance to know my grandfathers, but my kids sure got to know theirs. We appreciate all of this time.
Be sure to spend time with your family, and the ones that mean the most to you. Once that time is gone, you don’t get it back. Remember to take care of yourself, and keep moving!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1572
by Dan | Jan 14, 2012 | Exercise, Motivation, Wellness/Health
What motivates you? This is still one of the main things that each of you individually needs to answer. For each of us, we as individuals need to evaluate our own abilities, and at the same time, incorporate these abilities into our life’s objectives. “What you can concieve you can achieve.” One of the more critical issues when it comes to motivation is restructuring our own attitudes, and using this to achieve true success. Anything worth having does not just happen. It takes effort, and effort requires work. Once all is said and done, that work can return rewards that will fulfill our lives, make us happy, and allow us to appreciate who we are as individuals. The hardest part of regular exercise is not the exercise, it is the regular. It becomes much easier when you make exercise a habit. It then becomes a part of your day, your routine, and you just plan for it.
A quatation by Aristotle sums this up: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
Keep moving!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1570
