by kelsey | Aug 22, 2018 | Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
If you’re a parent with school age children, you have probably witnessed this scenario many times: your child comes home from school or an activity and they are starving! They rummage through the cupboards and try to find something “good” to snack on until supper is ready. Snacks in between meals help provide the body with energy and aid in metabolism and blood sugar control, but the key is making a healthy snack as junk foods will only provide empty calories, leaving you hungry and looking for more later on.
Below are some healthy snacks for kids. With school starting tomorrow, I thought this topic was worthy of discussing again!!
Healthy Snacks for Kids
Inside-Out Sandwich: Spread mustard on a slice of deli turkey. Wrap around a sesame breadstick.
Rocky Road: Break a graham cracker into bite-size pieces. Add to low-fat chocolate pudding along with a few miniature marshmallows.
Mini Pizza: Toast a whole-wheat English muffin, drizzle with pizza sauce and sprinkle with low-fat mozzarella cheese.
Spread mustard on a flour tortilla. Top with a slice of turkey or ham, low-fat cheese and lettuce. Then roll it up.
Sandwich Cut-Outs: Make a sandwich on whole grain bread. Cut out your favorite shape using a big cookie cutter. Eat the fun shape and the edges, too!
Banana Split: Top a banana with low-fat vanilla and strawberry frozen yogurt. Sprinkle with your favorite whole-grain cereal.
Apple Pie Oatmeal: Make one packet of microwave oatmeal with low-fat milk. Mix in 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce. Sprinkle with apple pie spice or cinnamon.
Mix together peanut butter and cornflakes in a bowl. Shape into balls and roll in crushed graham crackers.
Microwave a cup of tomato or vegetable soup and enjoy with whole-grain crackers.
Fill a waffle cone with cut-up fruit and top with low-fat vanilla yogurt.
Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on hot popcorn.
Peel a banana and dip it in yogurt. Roll in crushed cereal and freeze.
Spread celery sticks with peanut butter or low-fat cream cheese. Top with raisins.
Stuff a whole-grain pita pocket with ricotta cheese and Granny Smith apple slices. Add a dash of cinnamon.
Mix together ready-to-eat cereal, dried fruit and nuts in a sandwich bag for an on-the-go snack.
Smear a scoop of frozen yogurt on two graham crackers and add sliced banana to make a yummy sandwich.
Microwave a small baked potato. Top with reduced-fat cheddar cheese and salsa.
Make snack kabobs. Put cubes of low-fat cheese and grapes on pretzel sticks.
Toast a whole-grain waffle and top with low-fat yogurt and peaches.
Mix together low-fat cream cheese, mixed dried fruit bits and shelled sunflower seeds. Spread on a toasted English muffin.
Blend low-fat milk, frozen strawberries and a banana for thirty seconds for a delicious smoothie.
Make a mini-sandwich with tuna or egg salad on a whole-grain dinner roll.
Sprinkle grated Monterey Jack cheese over a corn tortilla; fold in half and microwave for twenty seconds. Top with salsa.
Spread peanut butter on apple slices.
Reference: Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Aug 14, 2018 | Cooking Tips, Diet, weight lifting, Wellness/Health
Some fall sports are starting practices now and with practices running multiple times a day and running from sport to sport it is important to keep your athletes energized and properly hydrated. Healthy snacks are important for athletes to have the energy necessary for practice. A snack higher in protein and sufficient carbohydrates is recommended before a long practice. Some snacks before practice could include: a cheese stick, crackers and cheese or a little meat, almonds, hard boiled egg, yogurt parfait (pictured above), or a small sandwich. It is important that athletes stay hydrated. Water is the preferred and recommended beverage for proper hydration during exercise. Vigorous practices that are over a hour may require a sports drink to replenish electrolytes but water should be the go-to drink before sports drinks. Remember to keep your athlete properly hydrated and energized!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jul 31, 2018 | Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Many of us enjoy one or more cups of coffee each morning and although the caffeine and wake-up call it provides may be the motivating factor, perhaps some of the drink’s other benefits can play a role in your continued enjoyment of it!
Coffee has been shown to help with brain function, perhaps prevent some diseases, and increase calcium intake when milk is added. Coffee also contains antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties as well. Important vitamins and minerals such as potassium, niacin, vitamin E and magnesium are also present in coffee.
One thing to keep in mind about your morning pick-me-up may be to choose wisely. Some of the fancy coffee drinks found at popular coffee shops can also contain loads of sugar and fat, which may contribute empty calories to your daily intake. When choosing a coffee drink, choose low or non-fat drinks or plain coffee, or plain coffee with milk to ensure the most benefit from your coffee.
During the hot summer months, enjoy cold-brew coffee or iced coffee as a seasonal way to reap these benefits!
-Kelsey
Reference: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. http://www.eatright.org/resource/health/wellness/preventing-illness/benefits-of-java
by kelsey | Jul 26, 2018 | Diet, Exercise, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Exercise is an integral piece to the weight-loss puzzle, but it certainly doesn’t stand alone. Eating right is just as important for weight loss as exercise alone. The best weight-loss prescription, of course, is to do both—watch what you eat and exercise regularly. These tips can help you get maximum results from your hard work and diligence.
Level of exertion
Make sure that your exercise gets results by working at your ideal level of exertion. The best way to do this is to check your pulse against your maximum heart rate. You can calculate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. You should have the ability to speak without gasping for air, but should work hard enough that you don’t really want to have to talk much. You will need to take in 500–1000 calories/day less than what you expend in order to lose 1–2 pounds/week.
Extra food
Avoid the tendency to eat extra food on days that you’ve exercised. Remember that all of those extra bites and spoonfuls can really add up.
Exercise routine
Doing the same exercise routine every day can lead to less energy expenditure over time, because you burn more calories when you’re first learning a routine. Interval training, such as walking fast for 2 minutes and then jogging or running for 30 seconds, is recommended to increase the number of calories burnt.
Sports drinks and supplements
Many sports drinks and bars contain nearly a meal’s worth of calories. They are more appropriate for a person who is running a marathon than for a person who is taking an aerobics class or going for a brisk walk.
Time vs intensity of workout
Rather than increasing the length of time that you spend exercising, most experts agree that it can be more beneficial to increase the intensity of your workout to promote weight loss, while keeping the time spent the same or decreasing it.
If you are struggling with weight loss and need some extra help, please send me an email or call! I would love to work with you and help you improve your health and wellness!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jul 25, 2018 | Diet, Goals, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
There are no doubts about it….weight loss is tough….but even tougher is maintaining that weight loss. Many people who lose weight slip back into their old ways and gain weight back. This yo-yo dieting or weight cycling results in a variety of issues including poor self esteem, lack of motivation, binge eating, etc. I like to compare this cycle to being stuck in a revolving door like you’d find at a hotel…you just keep going around and around and can’t seem to get out! To help you put a stop to weight cycling, follow these tips:
•Change your mindset: No one ever wants to go on a “diet” and being a diet is never any fun, so ditch the word. Diet usually has a time period to it, so instead think of this has a lifestyle improvement. Think of healthy eating as a lifelong commitment, not a short period of time. Fad diets never work as you can’t live that way forever, so instead focus on a well-balanced nutrition plan that incorporates whole foods and portion control.
•Get adequate sleep: sleep is often overlooked in the equation to success as we tend to put a large amount of focus on food and activity….but in reality, getting adequate sleep is just as important as your exercise and nutrition. You need to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep/night to allow your body to reset and repair itself. Lack of sleep or poor sleep habits typically result in poor eating habits, increasing cravings for junk foods, and a higher BMI.
•Destress: stress can cause an increase in the hormone cortisol and when this hormone is increased, you may experience a greater desire for junk foods or unhealthy foods. Examine your stress levels and think critically about ways you could improve the stress in your life. You may consider journaling, yoga, or meditation to help you. Engaging in regular activity also helps reduce stress as it gives your body natural endorphins that aid in mood boosting.
•Practice mindful eating: Slow the eating process down and think critically about your hunger and fullness factors. Think of food as fuel and you want to choose healthy foods to provide your body with the appropriate nutrients and energy. When we think of food as “good” or “bad” it tends to make us want those bad foods even more, so instead change your mindset about food and work on portion control and feeling confident about your decisions.
I don’t expect these tips to happen overnight, but I do encourage you to examine your life and look at each part of the equation to help you stop the weight cycling and get on a path of healthy living for the long run! If you want help getting on track with a plan that fits you and your lifestyle that you can stick with long-term, please contact me and/or consider signing up for our STRIVE 2 Survive wellness program this fall!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jul 24, 2018 | Diet, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
In today’s society we are often consumed by the next best diet. There are many kinds of shakes, supplements, the next best diet gimmick to help you lose that 20lbs in 2 weeks. The predicted weight loss is usually what intrigues us to learn more and want to try it…especially when it says “no exercise recommended.” Note–this is a red flag that this diet is not a good one! More often than not, the representatives promoting the products and plans for these fad diets do not have credible and substantial education in health and nutrition. In addition, the supplement and diet industry is huge and everyone in it is trying to make the big bucks, thus they are going to tell you exactly what you want to hear! These plans are very tempting to try, but it’s very important to be aware of the consequences some of these diet plans and supplements can have on our bodies and take the proper precautions.
A few years ago an article was published in the British Journal of Medicine that showed a high protein, low carbohydrate diet (typical of diets like the Atkins Diet, True Weigh/Ideal Protein Diet, and the Paleo Diet) increased risk for heart disease in women. In addition, this high protein, low carb diet can result in damage to our liver and kidneys (Yes, this can really happen and I have seen it happen here–most lately with the keto diet). In regards to the supplements, it’s important to be mindful of the ingredients and the nutrient content as many contain ingredients that can act as stimulants and cause elevated blood pressure, heart palpitations, and overall stress to the heart. Most of these fad diets will result in weight loss as you are often cutting your calories very low and as a result you lose that superficial weight also known as water weight. The odds of you keeping this weight off when following a fad diet are minimal, which is why we come back to the good old fashioned diet and exercise as our best plan for weight loss and weight management.
Sometimes we need that reassurance that dieting the old fashioned way is still recommended because there are so many other temptations out there…but what you need to know is YES, this is best for you and your body long term! Following a lower calorie, balanced diet plan that includes all food groups in moderation (and even some treats here and there) will not only help you lose weight and keep it off in the long run, but it will also keep your body healthy inside and out. A healthy and balanced diet paired up with an activity routine is your ticket to success and has been heavily researched to prove this. US News and World Report ranked the best diets recently and the top ones are consistent with our recommendations: the heart healthy and mediterranean diets are the best for us! [http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/best-overall-diets?int=9c2508]. Sometimes doing it the old fashioned way takes a little longer than we’d like, but be patient!! We really like to see a slower, steadier weight loss than a quick one so stay strong and true and eventually you will reach your goal!
If you need help with improving your weight and wellness or have questions don’t hesitate to contact us! We’re excited to start our fall session of STRIVE 2 Survive September 11th! Enrollment is beginning now so contact us today to get signed up for a great session of learning and working on improving your health and wellness!
-Kelsey
