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 12, 2012 | Diet, Etc., Exercise, Food, Weight Management
I was recently asked about the use and benefit of energy drinks during exercise and I thought this would be a great topic to share on our blog as well! Usually the quick rule of thumb is that water is best for low to moderate intensity workouts that last one hour or less. If your workouts are more moderate to high intensity and last more than an hour, then a sports drink may be a good choice. If you are working out in a hot environment and you usually sweat alot, then you will need additional fluids. The sports drinks help replenish our electrolytes that are lost during high intensity, longer workouts, however they do have sugars which is why they are not really necessary for lighter-moderate workouts. There are now lower sugar options such as Gatorade’s G2, which is a nice alternative to the higher sugar content in the regular product. Another helpful tip is to be sure to get adequate hydration before and after your workouts to keep your body’s fluids more balanced.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jan 10, 2012 | Diet, Food, Weight Management
Have you ever wondered how many calories or fat grams are in a hot dog? Or what about the big pasta dish you had yesterday? Well there are excellent online tools that can help you with this information. Two of my favorite sites are USDA sites:
https://www.choosemyplate.gov/SuperTracker/foodapedia.aspx
and
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/
Both of these sites allow you to select the food you’re looking for, then serving size and give you a complete nutrient breakdown. Sometimes we really don’t want to know what’s all in our food or how bad it is, but looking it up is sure enlightening and can help you make better choices in the future! I highly recommend checking these sites out!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Dec 1, 2011 | Diet, Food, Heart Health, Wellness/Health
Ever heard that saying? I had a recent request to discuss foods that help keep our skin healthy and glowing and that saying came to mind when thinking of this specific topic. What eat truly does make a difference in our bodies, not only inside, but the outside too! Diets high in fat and white carbs can cause issues with our skin, whereas a balanced diet, focused on bright colored fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and healthy fats can truly help make our skin glow. Below is a list of the top foods to promote healthy skin:
- Low fat dairy products & yellow/orange fruits and vegetables such as carrots and apricots: foods high in vitamin A promote healthy skin
- Berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc: these foods are full of antioxidants, helping promote healthy skin
- Healthy fats founds in salmon, walnuts, almonds, canola oil, and olive oil: these foods contain essential fatty acids helping make our skin healthy and glowing
- Whole grains: contain selenium, which promotes skin health
- Green Tea & Water: green tea contains anti-inflammatory properties and water helps keep us hydrated.
You may notice many of these foods are on the heart healthy list as well, so not only are you going to have glowing skin, you’ll have a healthy heart!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Nov 3, 2011 | Diet
The US News has evaluated and ranked 20 diets using a panel of health experts. I find this information very fascinating as the diets that are at the top of the list are ones I incorporate into my daily medical nutrition therapy at the clinic and with our STRIVE 2 Survive participants. These top ranked diets include recommendations that have been proven to improve disease such as heart disease (including cholesterol and blood pressure), diabetes, and aid in weight loss. In addition, it’s important to note these diets are not quick, fad diets with missing food groups. They are balanced diets that one can incorporate the recommendations into their lifestyle and not feel too restricted or miss out on an important food group. These principles are the foundation of my nutrition therapy, as we strive to keep you healthy for life and work at disease prevention not just a quick fix! Please note that the USDA MyPlate is not included as they targeted specific weight loss diet plans not overall healthy eating plans like MyPlate is.
Best Diets
Top 5 (listed in order): DASH, Mediterranean, TLC, Weight Watchers, and Mayo Clinic Diets
Bottom 5 (listed in order): Glycemic Index, Medifast, Raw Food, Atkins, and Paleo Diets
For the full report, please visit: http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/best-overall-diets
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Oct 26, 2011 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management
With the seasons changing and the weather getting colder, hot cereal for breakfast is back! Here are some ways to spice up your hot cereal.
- Use fat-free milk to give you some calcium and protein
- Add dried fruits such as raisins or dates and chopped nuts
- Mix in fruit purees or applesauce
- Add some fruit such as blueberries, strawberries, or bananas
- Give your hot cereal a little crunch by adding a little dry cereal or granola
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice or cloves can spice it up as well
If you’re in a hurry in the morning, make your hot cereal even simpler by preparing it in a mug for desktop dining at the office. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so be sure to start your day off right!
-Kelsey
