by kelsey | Feb 21, 2012 | Etc.
The blog was a bit quiet last week with Dr. Dan on vacation in Mexico and I was on vacation as well! Adam and I took a little vacation to Vegas (thanks to the Brown Clinic as I won the trip at our Christmas party!) and we decided to tag a few extra days on and drove through the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon, on our way down to Phoenix to visit family there for another few days. Our stops reminded us of the hilarious Chevy Chase movies and we had many laughs along the way. The Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon were on my “bucket list” which made the trip even more exciting. Below is a picture of me at the Hoover Dam. What an amazing structure!
You have heard Dr. Dan and I discuss goals many times, and another aspect of goal setting is the “bucket list.” The bucket list is a term for a list of things you want to accomplish, do, see, etc in your lifetime. Some of the items on my bucket list are to visit all 50 states and to run a road race. I have been working on the 50 states since I was a child and only have about 10-15 left to go… and I will be tackling the road race this May as I have decided to run a half marathon with my brother, who is running the full. Personally, my bucket list helps keep me motivated with my health goals. I certainly can’t fill my bucket list if I’m not healthy! As you examine your goals, think about your bucket list and things you’d like to accomplish, see, do, etc and ways you can achieve them. Life is a beautiful thing, so live it to the fullest!
Our road trip from Vegas to Phoenix took a full day with our stops, which meant we had to have snacks and stop for food a few times. In my next post, I will discuss health snacks for on the road and traveling. Stay tuned!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Feb 19, 2012 | Exercise, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health
Just got back from our week on vacation in Mexico. Great time, great weather. Ran on the beach everyday. Much different to get used to for running, but also went walking everyday along the ocean, barefoot, and was very nice. The beach extended for miles so you could just keep going. The scenery was great. Lots of pelicans around, always diving into the ocean to get food. They were great posers for the camera as well. Here one is coming in for a landing along the posts on the edge of the beach, where they like to hang out everyday at.
They made for great subjects, especially at sunset and sunrise. Never really even felt like we were out running or walking, or working at the exercise, when we had this kind of scenery all of the time to look at. Once again, I will take you on a tour of Mexico, and show some of the other scenery, and beach area where we would go running or walking. This would not be hard to get used to! Keep moving!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1606
by kelsey | Feb 9, 2012 | Cooking Tips, Food, Heart Health
This morning, I had the opportunity to judge the heart healthy contest at the Watertown Winter Farm Show with two other judges. We evaluated several very tasty and delightful items. I applaud all of the contestants that took the time to tweak their recipes and finds ways to improve the nutrition status of their food item. Overall, participants make changes to the fat content, sugar content, and/or enhanced the recipe such as adding more fiber through various grains such as cracked wheat, oat bran, etc. Overall, it really showed me that adapting recipes doesn’t have to be a scary thing! There are so many options and ways to improve recipes and with a little time and energy you too, could turn your favorite, not the best for you, recipes into healthy, heartful ones. Next time you’re in the store, I encourage you to check out the various options, read labels, and think critically about how you could improve the nutrition of the foods you’re making.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Feb 8, 2012 | Heart Health
I hope the heart health quiz tested your knowledge base some and I’m sure many of you did well if you have been following our blog for awhile! Here are the answers:
1) Which of the following foods is not specifically linked to a reduced risk of heart disease?
a) Garlic b) Oats c) Corn d) Grape juice e) Nuts
ANSWER: corn. All of the others are proven to reduce cholesterol and risk for HD.
2) The fiber in which of the following foods will lead to a reduction of blood cholesterol?
a) whole grain bread b) brown rice c) bran cereal d) carrots e) oats
ANSWER: oats. Oats have soluble fiber which binds with bile (fat emulsifier) and prevents absorption of cholesterol. The others contain insoluble fibers. Both types of fiber are good for us and we should try to get at least 25-30g/day.
3) What percentage of total deaths in the US is linked to heart disease? ANSWER: 40%
4) Which of the following conditions is not linked to metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that vastly increases the risk for development of heart disease?
a) kidney disease b) low HDL cholesterol c) High total cholesterol d) insulin resistance ) abdominal obesity
ANSWER: kidney disease. Metabolic syndrome is diagnosed if any of the following three conditions are present: waist circumference >40″ for males, >35″ females; triglycerides >15, HDL < 40 in men, <50 in women; blood pressure > 130/85; and fasting glucose >110.
5) How many calories are contained in each gram of fat?
ANSWER: 9 calories. Carbohydrates and protein contain 4 g/cal.
6) Which of the following oils is high in saturated fat?
a) canola oil b) palm oil c) safflower oil d) corn oil e) soybean oil
ANSWER: palm oil. Canola, safflower, sunflower, flaxseed, olive, peanut, corn, soybean, and cottonsead oils are all unsaturated oils which promote heart health.
7) How much soy should you eat in a day to lower cholesterol?
ANSWER: 25g. When combined with a diet low in cholesterol and saturated fat, soy may help reduct risk of HD.
8) If you are trying to reduce your sodium intake, it is recommended that one serving of any food should not contain more than ___ mg of sodium?
ANSWER: 400mg/serving. We recommend to limit sodium to 1500-2400mg/day.
9) Potassium is shown to reduce blood pressure in humans. Which of the following foods are not high in potassium?
a) green, seedless grapes b) oranges/orange juice c) potatoes d) tomatoes e) bananas
ANSWER: green, seedless grapes. All of the others are great
10) Which of the following is a lean cut of beef?
a) 80/20 hamburger b) T-bone steak c) sirloin d) brisket e) chuck blade roast
ANSWER: sirloin. All the other choices are high in fat and cholesterol.
-Kelsey
www.rd411.com
by kelsey | Feb 7, 2012 | Etc.
February is National Heart Month! To help us be more aware of the heart healthy dietary recommendations, I decided to test your knowledge! RD411 has a great quiz that I thought would be perfect for our blog. I will be posting and discussing answers tomorrow, so stay tuned! -Kelsey
- Which of the following foods is not specifically linked to a reduced risk of heart disease?
- The fiber in which of the following foods will lead to a reduction of blood cholesterol?
- What percentage of total deaths in theUnited States is linked to heart disease?
- Which of the following conditions is not linked to metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that vastly increases the risk for development of heart disease?
- How many calories are contained in each gram of fat?
- Which of the following oils is high in saturated fat?
- How much soy should you eat each day to lower cholesterol levels?
- If you are trying to reduce your sodium intake, it is recommended that one serving of any food should not contain more than ________ milligrams (mg) of sodium?
- Potassium is shown to reduce blood pressure in humans. Which of the following foods is not high in potassium?
- Which of the following is a lean cut of beef?
www.rd411.com
