by kelsey | Jun 27, 2018 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
It’s a wonderful time of year to stop by your local Farmer’s Market to pick up some fresh produce and many other products! This can be a popular place for members of the community to gather. There are a lot of benefits of shopping at the farmers market. Just a few of these include getting fresh produce, supporting local businesses, seeing a variety of products and connecting with the community! It can be a really fun way for you and your family to get out of the house and get active on a Saturday morning.
Here is a list of tips that can help you navigate your way through a Farmer’s Market:
- Have a list
- Make a list of the different items that you know you would like to pick up. Often times there is so much offered and so much to look at that it can be easy to get distracted and forget what you came for. Having a list will help you remember!
- Ask Questions
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the produce or products that are being sold. There may be a vegetable offered that you have never heard of before but would potentially love! You can even ask how they prepare their produce and get ideas that way.
- Explore
- Even if you are going for a few specific things, take some time to explore other booths and look around at all that is offered. Some booths even have fresh coffee, baked goods, and flowers!
- Pack Reusable Bags
- Many booths do not have plastic bags for you to take your fresh produce home in, so it is always a good idea to have reusable bags on hand.
- Have fun!
- Farmer’s Markets are supposed to be fun and upbeat! Socialize with others and get to really know your community members! You may make a new friend out of the deal.
Check out your local Watertown Farmer’s Market on Saturday’s from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm in the Runnings parking lot!
Kylie Serie, SDSU Dietetic Student
by kelsey | Jun 26, 2018 | Diet, Motivation, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Mindful eating is a way of eating that promotes health, wellness, and peace, control, and balance with food. Check out today’s post written by Kylie Serie, SDSU Dietetic Student. If you want to learn more about working on your own mindfulness, contact me today! Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
What is mindfulness? My personal understanding of mindfulness is being aware or conscious of whatever it is you are doing at that moment. It is being fully present. This may seem like an easy concept; however, I think many of us are eating and surrounding our food with very mindless actions and thoughts. What are you doing when you eat? Are you watching TV, driving, reading, or scrolling on your phone? All of these are examples of mindless eating. Even when you are cooking your food, are you paying attention to what you are doing or how you are cooking? Or are you again watching TV or talking on the phone? There are so many places we can incorporate mindfulness into the process of preparing and eating our food.
Benefits of Mindful Eating
- More satisfaction
- Less chance of overeating
- Acknowledge your internal body cues
- Avoid emotional eating
The benefits of mindful eating far out way not being mindful. When preparing your food, paying attention to how you are making it and all the time, energy, and love that goes into it can lead to a greater appreciation for the food. Having a greater appreciation for your food will hopefully lead to a greater appreciation for feeding your body the healthy food it deserves.
When actually eating your food, being mindful of each bite and chewing slowly will allow you to pay attention to your inner cues of being satisfied and stop you from overeating. You will also fully taste the food you spent your energy making and again, create a greater appreciation for the process.
The last thing I want to talk about it emotional eating. Our emotions have a mind of their own and can lead us to do pretty crazy stuff. There have been many times that I chose to eat and eat and didn’t really know why I was eating and it all had to do with my emotions. When I took a step back and asked myself, “Why am I eating right now?”, it wasn’t because I was hungry but usually because I was upset. When I was able to recognize this, I could channel those emotions in a more positive way such as journaling or going for a walk.
Tips for Mindful Eating:
- Pay attention to how you are preparing your food and appreciate the time and energy spent on this.
- Sit down at a table to eat with no outside stimuli.
- Chew slowly- put down your silverware between bites.
- Drink water in between bites.
- Pay attention to your internal cues for when you are full and satisfied.
- Ask yourself, “Why am I eating right now?” or “Is this what my body needs right now?”
- Pay attention to your emotions while you are eating. If you are not even hungry but you continue to eat, slow down. Maybe take out a journal and write down your feelings. It sounds cheesy, but it works.
- Eat foods that are beneficial to your body’s wellbeing.
I hope some of these tips and tricks help you out with your mindful eating! It is hard at first to break certain habits surrounded by mindless eating, but I promise your body and mind will thank you. You may even be able to work through certain emotions and things in a positive way because you will now be able to recognize them!
Kylie Serie, SDSU Dietetic Student
by kelsey | Jun 21, 2018 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
The summer season is the perfect time to eat more fruits and vegetables because they are so fresh! There are countless ways to incorporate them into your meals and even try something new. Whether you have your own garden or make your way to the farmers market for your fresh produce, today is the perfect day to add more fruits and vegetables into your diet!
Ways to use fresh fruit and vegetables with links to delicious recipes:
- Cut them up and make a morning smoothie.
- Click HERE for a smoothie recipe.
- Add them to your oatmeal or top off a pancake!
- Click HERE for a an oatmeal recipe.
- Click HERE for a pancake recipe.
- Grill them (Pineapple and peaches are great for this!)
- Click HERE for a grilled fruit recipe.
- Prepare fruit parfaits with yogurt and granola.
- Click HERE for a fruit parfait recipe.
- Have you ever tried fruit salsa? It’s delish!
- Click HERE for a fruit salsa recipe.
Ways to use fresh vegetables with links to delicious recipes:
- Switch it up with a green smoothie!
- Click HERE for a green smoothie recipe.
- Nothing better than some fresh garden salsa.
- Click HERE for a fresh salsa recipe.
- Throw them on the grill!
- Click HERE for a grilled vegetable recipe.
- Top off your burgers or make a burger bowl!
- Click HERE for a burger bowl recipe.
- Chop them up and make a fresh salad.
- Click HERE for a fresh salad recipe.
These are just a few of the many ways that you can add fresh fruits and vegetables into the food that you eat! Let the recipes inspire you to add more colorful foods onto your plate and into your bowls!
Kylie Serie, SDSU Dietetic Student
by kelsey | Jun 20, 2018 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Fat can sometimes get a bad reputation from the general public. However, fat is good for us and we should actually be getting 20-35% of our calories from fat sources. Fat helps regulate certain hormones within the body as well as keeping the body insulated. It also serves as a backup source of energy and is used for the absorption of fat soluble vitamins. There are different kinds of fat so we want to be choosing healthier sources. These sources include monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The kinds of fat that we want to eat less of include saturated and trans fats which are found mostly in processed foods.
Sources of monounsaturated fats:
- Avocado
- Peanut Butter
- Olive Oil
- Safflower Oil
- Canola Oil
- Nuts
Sources of polyunsaturated Fats:
- Walnuts
- Flax seeds
- Fish (salmon, tuna, trout)
- Sunflower seeds
- Safflower Oil
- Soybean Oil
All of these food sources can be easily added into your daily meals. Remember that eating fat is actually good for you and supports your overall health and wellbeing!
-Kylie Serie, SDSU Dietetic Student
by kelsey | Jun 19, 2018 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Eating healthy on the go can seem difficult at times, however there are many things you can do to make it a little easier! Here are 4 tips that will save you time while still eating healthy nutritious food!
- Plan Ahead: On Saturday or Sunday, take a look at what your week ahead is going to be like. It can be very helpful to write out your schedule so you can see the times in your week where you may be on the go and extra busy. From there, decide on a few meals that would be easy to prep and that will provide you with energy for those busy days. Also, decide on some easy to grab snacks that you can keep with you.
- Meal Prep: If you have looked at your week and you know you will not have time to cook for yourself, meal prep a few staple items that you can easily grab out of the fridge on your way out the door. This can be something as simple as brown rice, baked chicken, and a side of vegetables. A few breakfast ideas include overnight oats, protein balls, hardboiled eggs, and precut fruit that you can throw in a blender and make a smoothie with. Whatever your food choice may be, meal prepping can be a helpful way to prepare meals for a few days at a time.
- Prepare Extra Food: If meal prepping isn’t really your thing, it’s okay! Another easy way to save time is to prepare extra food when you do cook. If you have time to prepare a healthy dinner, make a few extra servings that you can save for lunch the next day.
- Snack Up: Having healthy snacks on hand will keep you from purchasing quick and unhealthy choices when life gets a little busy. A few good ideas include fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts, trail mix, cheese, pretzels and hummus, yogurt, and peanut butter on whole wheat bread.
- Hydrate: This last tip is so important! The last thing you want to happen when your busy is to become dehydrated. Keep water with you at all times and drink it throughout the day. You can always spice your water up by adding in fresh fruit or sipping on unsweetened iced tea.
Utilize a few of these tips to make healthy eating a little bit easier when you have a busy schedule or when you are on the go! Eating healthy and staying hydrated will provide you with the energy that you need to get through your day!
-Kylie Serie, SDSU Dietetic Student
by kelsey | Jun 14, 2018 | Diet, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Metabolism is the body’s process of breaking down what we eat to use as energy. This process is the key to maintaining healthy weight and to stay feeling your best. Metabolism mainly stays stable; however, your body’s metabolism gradually decreases with age.
Is there a way to raise your metabolism back up to a healthy rate to promote weight loss or keep weight off? Here are a few tips that help with boosting your body’s metabolism back to a faster rate—the healthy way.
- Eat regularly: Spacing the time you eat to every 3-4 hours (about 3 meals + 2 snacks per day) helps your metabolism stay on track and running properly. Skipping meals causes your body to slow down to conserve calories. This also causes the body to store fat due to thinking it’s in a famine. Storing fat and conserving the calories your eating will cause weight gain rather than weight loss.
- Eat well balanced meals: The type of food that you consume plays a huge role with your mood along with the energy you receive. Eating foods high in saturated fat and added sugar (i.e. desserts, fast food, chips) may cause you to feel more tired and will not give your body the proper nutrients it needs. Try eating smaller, more balanced meals with whole wheat/whole grains, vegetables, lean meats, and fresh fruit.
- Exercise: Exercising helps your body build muscle, which then helps your body burn calories more efficiently. The faster you burn calories, the easier to have weight loss. People with more muscle can consume more calories because of the rate they burn them, compared to someone with more body fat. Try switching up your exercises regularly to make sure your body doesn’t get used to the same routine to promote the best results.
- Be patient: Building your metabolism back up may take time, so being patient is important to getting results.
- Persistence: Boosting metabolism takes consistency. Following a regular diet and a stable eating pattern will help with this. Make a schedule with eating and exercising that you are comfortable with and keep it a routine.
Ways that will NOT boost your metabolism consistently:
- Eating hot peppers or drinking green tea: These MIGHT boost your metabolism for a few hours, but are not an effective way to keep your body producing enough energy to burn your calories in a day. Instead, stick to eating healthy grains, vegetables, and lean meats which will impact your metabolism more effectively and better over time.
- Consuming very little calorie diets: This will cause your body to go into starvation mode which leads to conserving calories and burning them more slowly. Therefore, will cause you to keep weight on. Instead, keep a well-balanced diet and eat throughout the day.
Following these tips will help make you feel better, have more energy, and will give your metabolism an extra boost.
Sources: http://www.eatright.org
Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
