by kelsey | Sep 5, 2013 | Diet, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
According to the American Heart Association, one out of every three people in the United States is affected by heart-related diseases. There are many risk factors when it comes to heart disease including: excess weight, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure (to name a few). In addition to working with your doctor, you can minimize these risk factors by your dietary intake and physical activity.
For a healthy heart you want to consume a diet low in sodium, low in saturated and trans fat, and cholesterol. Challenge yourself to replace these with some of the foods and food components listed below:
- Fruits and Vegetables- Many fruits and vegetables contain fiber, which helps your body take in more nutrients, can lower cholesterol levels, aid in achieving a healthy weight. Fruits and vegetables not only contain fiber, but they also contain potassium and antioxidants. Potassium can help with blood pressure by blunting the effects of sodium on blood pressure. Antioxidants may help prevent disease and keep your body working properly.. At the grocery store, be sure to choose a variety of deeply colored fruits and vegetables like carrots, apricots, broccoli, beets, berries and kidney beans to maximize your intake of vitamins and minerals.
- Whole Grains-There are many components within whole grains which provide benefits. Whole grains provide fiber, vitamins and minerals, and antioxidants. To reap the benefits, aim for at least 3 daily servings of whole grains. On the label, look for the phrase “whole grain” or “whole” before the grain’s name. Some examples include: whole grain breads, cereals and pasta, brown rice, oatmeal and popcorn. Using a supplement such as ground flax seed (shown in the picture) is beneficial to improving total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. You can work up to using 2-3 Tbsps/day for improved levels. This is often mixed into cereal, oatmeal, or used like granola with yogurt…you can also bake with it.
- Heart Healthy Fats- A diet of moderate fat intake is beneficial to your health. You can enjoy the healthy benefits by choosing oils and spreads rich in unsaturated fat, such as olive, canola, safflower, sunflower, corn, or soybean oils. Salmon, sardines, herring, trout, and tuna are terrific sources of the omega-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which are types of polyunsaturated fats that may reduce the risk of heart disease. If you are unable to get fish into your diet, you should consider taking a fish oil supplement of 1-4g/day with at least 1g of DHA and EPA.
- Stanols and Sterols- These plant-based food components help block the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine, which has a beneficial effect on blood cholesterol. They are found in foods like corn, soy, wheat and some fortified foods like orange juice and yogurt. 1-3 grams of stanols or sterols are needed each day to see beneficial effects.
-Written by Morgan McLain, SDSU Dietetic Student.
by kelsey | Sep 3, 2013 | Diet, Etc., Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Our fall STRIVE 2 Survive starts one week from today! We are really excited to work with another great group of people as we all work to become healthier. I have gotten several emails and questions about our program so I thought this would be the perfect time to give you some feedback from one of our previous participants. This participant “J” has lost about 40lbs by working with me individually and with the help of our 12 week wellness program STRIVE 2 Survive. We can always tell you what we think about the program, but I think it sometimes means more coming from an actual participant! Below is J’s feedback about STRIVE. If you’re trying to decide whether or not to join, I hope this helps you! There is still time to enroll and we do still have room, so if you have any questions and/or would like to enroll, be sure to contact us today! First lecture is next Tuesday, September 10th at 5:30pm at the County Fair Banquet Hall.
- What pushed you to join STRIVE?
- What pushed me to join Strive was because I was not only tired of being unhealthy (I was becoming pre-diabetic) but I was always in pain from all of the weight this was placing on my body, but it was also finally my time to take control of my life and to stop letting food be the one in control.
- What was your goal?
- My goal was for the healthy eating which helped with the weight loss.
- Have you met your goal?
- I feel I have met some of my first goals but I still have so many yet to do. I think I will always be a continued work in progress because when you reach one goal there are so many more to grab a hold of.
- What’s your motivation to continue?
- I am still very conscience of what I eat and the amounts of my calorie intake. I do allow myself to be naughty every so often instead of depriving myself because if I do this once a month then I do not become obsessed with the “Oh I can’t have that” mentality. I think if you totally cut yourself off you set yourself up for failure. At least for me this works. Say I decide to have a candy bar once a month then I take note of the calories and compensate with what I eat later or walk that extra 1/2 or 1 mile or so. I’m not super woman and I cannot cut myself off from everything and if I do have something I maybe should not have I do not think of myself as a failure. :)Strive has helped me alot. It has taught me about how to read labels on the food that I buy it has taught me about all the different kinds of food there are out there that are actually good for you (and they taste good also). I love the postings at County Fair that they have. I can take what I see there and shop at other stores. It has become such a habit with me now that when I go shopping I am always looking at the ingredients, calories, fats etc without even thinking about it. I take more time when I go shopping and not race through the store just grabbing whatever I see.
The Strive crew is pretty awesome also!!
- I love how I feel and how I look and just my all around mental change in how I look at life. I am so much happier now. I never want to go back to where I was. I read a quote that said: ” I may not be where I am going yet but I thank God I am not where I used to be”.
- If you could tell anyone about STRIVE 2 Survive what would you tell them?
- DO NOT WAIT IT WILL HELP YOU CHANGE YOUR LIFE!!!
- Do you want to share your personal story?
Yes by all means you can share my story. ” I am a 57 year old woman who in life made food my friend instead of making myself my friend.” So because of this I became a fat person. Yes I can say I was a fat person. I had tried so many times to lose weight and nothing ever stuck. Mostly this was because I was doing this for all of the wrong reasons. I was not doing this for me I was doing this for everyone else. After several attempts and several years of being overweight it was like a light finally went off in my head and it was finally my time. We tend to drown our emotions in food and I was very guilty of this. I am still considered fat by my BMI count but I am also so much smaller than when I started.
- Do you feel the program has a lifetime change for you?
- Strive will have a forever effect on my life, and all the teachers will have a forever effect on my life.
- Have you been in any other programs? How do you feel they compare?
- The only other program I have been on was with a different Nutritionist and even though she was a very, very nice person, I always seem to walk away so confused and because of this I ended up not staying on the program she had put me on. This was not her fault this was my issue because I just was not ready to make a change.
- With Kelsey I never left your office confused on anything and if I was not sure you took the time to explain everything to me. With you Kelsey you actually do care and you can see that in you and you can feel that in you.
- What do you think the highlight of the program is?
- I don’t know if I could single out just one thing that was the biggest high point. There were just so many. I enjoyed all the information you gave us and still give us, the show of care on all your faces on helping us do this. The fact that all of you are there to actually talk to us if we have any questions and you take the time to listen to all of our concerns and questions has meant alot to me.
- Would you tell a friend about us?
- I tell everyone! I wear your Strive t-shirt. I have talked to several coworkers about your program when they ask how I have lost all of the weight so far.
- How did you learn about STRIVE 2 Survive?
- My Doctor originally sent me to Kelsey to set up a weight loss program and through Kelsey I found out about the Strive program.
- As you know our ads for the program are on the radio, what could you tell the people listening if they are in doubt it could help them?
- Give Strive a chance. They will teach you how to read labels on the food you buy. They will teach you what is healthy for you. They will teach you so very much, and they are the real deal and care about you. What do you have to lose other than your bad health and weight. 🙂
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Aug 29, 2013 | Diet, Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
One of my favorite parts of my job is that I get to help people. I have always been a people person and grew up in a household where I learned the joy you can receive from helping others at a young age (thanks Mom and Dad!). Weight loss and improved nutrition is a tough thing. I have personally struggled with it at times and know from personal experience and helping others…it’s never easy. Changing your lifestyle is truly challenging and it’s even more challenging with all of the temptations we have in our society to encourage us to over-indulge! Throughout our 12 week wellness program, we tell our participants that we never expect all of our recommendations to happen overnight that instead we encourage you to work on a few things at one time and gradually those baby steps will add up to big steps and big successes. Honestly, I would rather see a slow and steady weight loss that takes longer than the participant would probably like, than a quick weight loss that is eventually gained back.
My day was made yesterday when I got an email from Denise Hoff. Denise was in our winter STRIVE 2 Survive program last year and has made some pretty incredible improvements in her health. Denise gave me permission to share her success with you all as in her own words “maybe it will motivate someone else who thinks they are too big or too old to start.” 🙂
Denise has now lost about 17lbs and dropped 12.5″ total (waist, hips, bust, thighs, arms)…4 of the 12.5″ are off her waist! She was never a runner, but thanks to our team’s inspiration, she ran her first 5k with her daughter last weekend (see the picture!). She said they had a great mother/daughter time and as she ran, she was proud to say she was able to keep a stride and actually pass others! 🙂 Denise started to run one block at a time. Her initial goal was a half of a mile, then one mile, then 1 1/2 miles, etc. She broke it down so it didn’t seem so overwhelming and set a goal of running a 5k with the encouragement and support of us and her family…she accomplished it successfully and is now looking forward to doing more 5ks! In addition to the improvement in her weight and waist circumference, her lab values have also improved as she dropped her total cholesterol about 50points, which is now well into the normal range and has kept her blood sugar and blood pressure in normal ranges also. As you can see from the timeline, these changes didn’t happen overnight, but she slowly worked at it and has achieved great success in the last 6-8 months and looks forward to continuing to work on her health and wellness goals. In Denise’s words “Thanks for being so supportive and encouraging. I hope the next time you see me, you will have to take a double look as I am hoping to look smaller and more fit.”
As we approach the start of our fall session of STRIVE 2 Survive, I hope Denise’s testimony shows you the benefits you can receive from our wellness program and our team’s education, support, and encouragement. If you see Denise on the street, be sure to congratulate her on her success! We are very proud of her!
Fall STRIVE starts September 10th…contact us today to get enrolled!!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Aug 14, 2013 | Diet, Food, Wellness/Health
We tend to think bacteria is a cause for disease, so the idea of tossing down a few billion a day for your health might seem a little hard to swallow. A Probiotic is a type of bacteria, but it is actually a GOOD bacterium that can help maintain the natural balance of organisms in our intestines. Its role is to reduce the growth of the harmful bacteria we do not want, which further promotes an overall healthy digestive system. There is convincing evidence that probiotics may help:
- Treat diarrhea (especially following treatment with antibiotics)
- Prevent and treat vaginal yeast infections and urinary tract infections
- Treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBD)
- Speed treatment of certain intestinal infections
- Prevent or reduce the severity of colds and flu
Yogurt is a natural source of probiotics. Make sure to look for yogurts with: “live and active cultures” stated somewhere on its label. A good example of this is Activia yogurt as this kind has more of the live and active cultures than the others. If you don’t like the taste of yogurt, you could always dress it up with a little granola and fruit such as the picture included of yogurt parfaits. Probiotics may also be taken as a dietary supplement. Ask your local pharmacist for their recommendation.
-Morgan McLain, SDSU Dietetic Student
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/probiotics/AN00389
by kelsey | Aug 13, 2013 | Diet, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
I am excited to have another dietetics student from South Dakota State University with me this week. Morgan is finishing up her last semester at SDSU and will be applying for dietetic internships soon. This week Morgan is in charge of my blog posts…enjoy! -Kelsey
Have a Sweet Tooth?
Here are some of my tips to get through those cravings….
1) Realize they are ONLY cravings—and if you can distract yourself for awhile the craving will go away! Mind over matter!
2) Have a sugar free substitution–always have on hand sugar-free or fat-free hot chocolate, sugar-free gum, or sugar free/fat free vanilla yogurt
3) As weird as it way sound, take some cottage cheese and put a packet of sweetener in it (I like stevia best)
4) I drink Green Tea with no sweetener—the bitter taste and it puts a stop to the sweet craving
5) The same with kosher pickles
6) Brush your teeth! It really helps. The combination of the mint tooth paste plus the time it takes to do it, kicks the craving!
7) OR I just give in and let my self have one or two small dove dark chocolates. Dark chocolate actually has tons of antioxidants and doesn’t have effects on LDL cholesterol like your normal sweets have!!
-Morgan McLain
by kelsey | Jul 25, 2013 | Diet, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
There are no doubts about it….weight loss is tough….but even tougher is maintaining that weight loss. The majority of people who lose a large amount of weight, usually end up gaining it 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!
-Kelsey
