by kelsey | Feb 15, 2011 | Diet, Food, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Low fat dairy products “do a body good” by providing an excellent source of calcium and protein to our body. They are an essential part of the heart healthy diet as well. Low fat dairy products are recommended over the full fat selections because of the reduced saturated fat content. Saturated fat is known as the “bad” fat that leads to clogged arteries and heart disease. Choose low fat selections like skim or 1% milk, low fat cottage cheese, cream cheese, cheese, icecream, etc. Since calcium is essential for bone structure, it is recommended we intake 1000-1500 mg/day (varies on age). If you are not a milk drinker, you may want to ask your Brown Clinic provider about taking a calcium supplement.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Feb 9, 2011 | Diet, Etc., Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Do you get your 5 a day? I am referring to 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, which is a very essential part to a healthy diet! A higher consumption of fruits and vegetables not only aids in heart disease prevention, but it also helps promote a healthy weight, prevention of diseases such as diabetes, and gastrointestinal health.
Fresh and frozen varieties offer more nutrients compared to canned or juice products due to the processing. In addition, it’s very important to get a variety of colors!
Did you know that only 17% of South Dakotans are actually getting their “5 a day”!?! WOW! So next time you get the itch for a snack, grab an apple or orange…and double your serving of vegetables at your dinner to get you closer to that “5 a day.”
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Feb 8, 2011 | Diet, Heart Health
This morning I had the opportunity to take part in judging the Heart Healthy Foods Contest at our Watertown Winter Farm Show. There were a lot of great recipes that I can’t wait to try at home! This brings me to my blog topic for this week….February is Heart Health Month. An important part of keeping your heart healthy is eating healthy. There are few important parts of the heart healthy diet, including adding more fruits and vegetables, choosing healthy fats, low salt, lean meats, and low fat dairy products. In the next few posts, we will explore these topics further.
Hope everyone is staying warm today!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Feb 3, 2011 | Diet, Food, Weight Management
When drinking liquids containing calories, we usually do not compensate by eating less food. One can of regular soda pop contains 150 calories, while 1 can of diet soda pop contains 0 calories. While I am not promoting soda pop, I do believe diet soda is a healthier choice over regular soda pop, if water does not satisfy your taste buds. In fact the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association both recommend sugar substitutes over sugar for weight management and blood glucose control.
In addition to the sugary beverages, you have to be aware of the calories in alcoholic beverages. There are about 100-120 calories in about 12 oz of light beer and 150-170 in 12 oz of regular beer. So if you have a few alcoholic beverages in a sitting, the calories can add up quickly! With the Superbowl approaching you may want to increase your awareness of what and how much you are drinking. Personally, I would rather “eat” my calories than “drink” them, so when I get ready to watch the big game on Sunday, I’m going to opt for a lower calorie drink such as my favorites Diet Coke or Diet Mtn Dew so that I can really enjoy the food selections.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Feb 2, 2011 | Diet, Holidays, Weight Management
Did you know that a handful of chips, a handful almonds, a handful of chex mix, and 2 regular soda pops totals about 750 calories!? WOW! That’s almost half of the calories we should be taking in a day!
When preparing snacks and food for a party such as the Superbowl, it’s important to try to incorporate a few healthy items into the mixture. This is especially important if you are watching your waist line. Below are a few snack ideas for you as you prepare your menu.
- Low fat, whole grain, or baked chips with salsa
- Fat free or whole grain wraps with lean lunch meat and veggies
- Thin pizza with lean meats such as hamburger or Canadian bacon (stay clear or thick crust and more processed meats like pepperoni and sausage)
- Trail mix with healthy nuts such as almonds and walnuts
- Fresh veggie and/or fruit trays
- Dips made with low fat cream cheese or sour cream and whole grain crackers or chips
- Avoid or limit of any foods that are breaded, fried, and creamy!
Stay tuned to my next post regarding liquid calories!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Feb 1, 2011 | Diet, Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Well, how is everybodys New Years Resolutions doing one month into it? Have your goals still been realistic? Are you trying to do too much all at once? Are you frustrated, had enough, and ready to quit? I have been hearing lots of these phrases lately. Remember, all of this is about a “Lifestyle Change”, not a weight loss program. You cannot expect to watch all of your calories, and push exercise, and expect everything to fall into place right away. You will have setbacks. Tackle either the calorie counting/diet changes, or the exercise first, and then slowly incorporate the second phase in. Here is a picture of me after one of my marathons. I am totally exhausted. I gave it everything I had. It took 2 people to help get me up off the ground here. Bottom line….you don’t quit! You may have to slow down, turn down the intensity, but you keep working at it. Anything worth having is worth working for. That thing worth having is YOU! Remember when you are struggling, “Reflect” back on what worked and what didn’t, and adapt to it. Perserverance is a big key! Keep going!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1224
