by kelsey | Aug 17, 2016 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
For most students, graduating high school means starting a new chapter in life: college. The first month of college is typically the most stressful time EVER. Worrying about finding your classes, making new friends, and getting good grades takes a toll on almost every student. This can affect those younger students not going to college, but just back to school as well! Being stressed can have a detrimental effect on our overall health, it can even cause us to gain weight. Eating is considered to be a way to handle stress. When we are stressed we tend to eat more and snack more. Most of the time we do this we are eating our favorite tasting foods: candy, cookies, chips, and other processed foods.
If you or your children are going back to school this fall, take these tips into mind to avoid the “Freshman 15” or any weight gain for that matter:
- Choose healthy snacks for study time. Study breaks are needed, especially before exams, and having healthy snacks is an easy way to keep off weight. Eating unhealthy snacks is a major contributing factor for weight gain.
- Don’t skip breakfast! Often times students wake up as late as they can, so they don’t have time to eat breakfast. Wake up a little earlier and make time to eat in the morning. Eating breakfast has shown to keep you full longer throughout the day and can help students be more successful and attentive in the classroom.
- Be health conscious in the dining hall. Go for the healthiest options you can when choosing from your meal plan. Meals that are baked, steamed, or grilled rather than fried or buttered are much better options.
- Avoid liquid calories such as those found in pop, juice, Gatorade, or alcohol (for college students). These empty calories can add up without knowing it! Stick to water or sugar free beverages.
- Hit the gym or incorporate activities into your daily routine. Aim to get at least 30-60 minutes of activity a day.
- Get enough sleep. Sleep is vital for your body to function properly and when we don’t receive the proper amount, weight gain is very common. Sleep helps boost mood and energy levels. Aim to get at least 7-8 hours a night!
-Written by Braden Carmody, SDSU Dietetics Student
by kelsey | Aug 9, 2016 | Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
I think I speak for almost everyone when I say it’d be nice to lose a couple extra pounds or tone up a little. There are many approaches one can take to help lose weight; cutting calories, increasing protein intake, exercising more frequently, etc.
When it comes to dieting, the public generally thinks to avoid having large amounts of fat in their diet. This is mainly due to the misconception that eating fat means producing fat on our bodies, which is not the case. Eating fat can actually be very beneficial for our health and can assist in weight loss, as long as you know what kind of fat you’re eating.
There are four different types of fat that are found in the food we consume; unsaturated fats (poly and monounsaturated), saturated fat, and trans fat. A dietary increase in unsaturated fats has been proven to be very beneficial to our health and can ultimately aid in weight loss. Monounsaturated fats take credit for raising our good HDL cholesterol and lowering our bad LDL cholesterol. These fats help reduce hunger and keep you satiated longer than foods that are considered to be low-fat. Saturated and Trans fats impact cholesterol levels in negative ways. Saturated fats are responsible for increasing LDL (bad cholesterol) levels, while trans fats are responsible for increasing our LDL levels and lowering our HDL levels (good cholesterol.)
Different ways to increase your fat intake in a healthy way:
- Replace vegetable oils with Canola and Olive oil
- Add tree nuts and avocados to salads, or eat plain.
- Increase consumption of fatty fish such as; salmon, mackerel, and sardines
- Supplementing with fish oil
- Adding peanut butter to bread, bagels, etc. (this one is very easy!!)
Foods to avoid that have Trans fats:
- Donuts, pastries, and pies
- Margarine and shortenings
- Other processed foods like cookies, cakes, and chips
The idea that fat is bad for you is often misconstrued. If you need a different approach to losing weight or can’t seem to find something that works for you; add some fat! Just remember, pick the right kind because knowing what you’re eating is very important.
Braden Carmody, SDSU Dietetic Student
by kelsey | Aug 3, 2016 | Cooking Tips, Diabetes, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day! Yes, you have probably heard this before, but are you a breakfast eater!? Having a good breakfast is a great way to start out the day. It’s not only important for our body, but our mind too. Many times we’ll have excuses such as I was running late, I didn’t feel like eating, I’m not hungry in the morning, and this actually accounts for about a 1/4 to a 1/3 of the population! Starting the day without breakfast is like driving your car on a low tank of gas. We know we can’t go on forever on a low tank of gas, so we shouldn’t do that to our bodies either! Those that skip breakfast tend to snack more on high fat and lower nutritious foods…and are more likely to overeat at lunch because they are over-hungry. Studies have also shown that those working on weight loss are more successful when they eat breakfast as this really jump starts their metabolism and starts their day off right. In addition, eating a healthy breakfast helps our kids excel in school as it helps fuel the brain!
So what should you eat for breakfast? It’s important to get a balance at your meals and especially include a source of protein and a whole grain as these provide satiety. Here are some examples for you:
- Ready-to-eat cereal (>3g fiber, <2-3g fat, a ratio of greater than 4 g carbohydrate:1 g sugar)
- Hot cereal (oatmeal)
- Bagel with low-fat cream cheese or peanut butter
- Yogurt Parfait
- Fruit and yogurt smoothie
- Peanut butter or hummus on whole-wheat toast
- Breakfast quesadilla with low-fat cream cheese and sliced fruit
- Breakfast burrito or taco
- Toasted whole-wheat English muffin with lean ham and low-fat cheese
- Toasted pita with scrambled egg and low-fat cheese
- Low-fat milk and 100% fruit
- Meal replacement drink
If you are one who is not a fan of breakfast but understands the importance of it, I encourage you to try a variety of these options and see which one works best for you. I also encourage you to plan ahead. You may need to wake up 5 minutes earlier to fit breakfast in or make your smoothie the night before so all you have to do it pull the bottle or container out of the freezer or fridge in the morning and drink it on your way to work. Starting your day with a full tank will provide long lasting benefits to you and your body!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jul 28, 2016 | Cooking Tips, Food, Wellness/Health
Snacking can sometimes become an issue in the summer. Children are often at home more with a less structured schedule and older children are alone for certain periods of time. To avoid consuming too many extra calories (which leads to weight gain) try these tips.
Buy Good Food
- Avoid processed foods as much as possible. Chips, candy, pizza rolls, etc. are filled with calories but almost no vitamins or minerals.
- Fruits and vegetables contain tons of vitamins and minerals with less calories. They are a quick snack to prepare and delicious raw.
- Encourage water as the main beverage this summer. Kids need the hydration.
- Avoid sweetened beverages (see the article on the next page).
- Switch to skim or low-fat milk products.
Set a Loose Schedule
- Encourage a morning meal to start their day and an evening meal with others to provide structure.
- Emphasis eating a nutritious mid-day meal and 2-3 small snacks through the day.
- Make a rule that all food must be put on a plate or in a bowl. Cut down on consuming extra portions out of the container.
- Make a rule that food is to be eaten at a counter or dining table. Cut down on mindless munching in front of the TV or reading a book.
Fun Snack Ideas
- 1/2 cup low-at yogurt with fresh fruit
- 1/4 cup roasted almonds
- Apples or celery dipped in natural peanut butter
- Dried fruit (raisins, dried apples, etc.)
- Baked tortilla chips dipped in salsa
- Keep fruits and vegetables handy for munching on
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jul 26, 2016 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Homemade fruit and vegetable smoothies are a great way to guarantee your 5-A-Day natural nutrients while keeping you cool in these hot temps. Consumption of fruits and vegetables may help prevent chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes while delivering fiber and vitamins. Contrary to the common belief, consuming the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables can be inexpensive and in the long run will save you money in terms of medical bills.
There are endless smoothie recipes you can use to make a quick breakfast, after a workout, or for an afternoon snack. Adding an extra boost to your smoothie such as protein powder or Greek yogurt will additionally provide other valuable nutrients. Here’s a guide to help get started
Add Fruit/Vegetable
|
Add Liquid
|
Add Thickener
|
Extra
|
| Banana, Berries, Apple, Pear, Peach, Kiwi, Pineapple, Cherries, Mango, Orange, Spinach, Kale, Beets, Carrots |
Dairy, Soy, Rice, or Almond Milk, Fruit Juice, Water, Iced Tea |
Peanut butter, Yogurt, Frozen yogurt, ice cubes, or oats. |
Honey, Cinnamon, Protein Powder, Mint, Figs, Dark Chocolate, Flaxseed. |
| Choose 2-3 |
Add 1-2 cups of liquid |
Pick your consistency |
Your preference |
Here are some examples:
Green Smoothie: Mango Chunks, Banana, Kale or Spinach, Apple Slices, Water, Plain low fat yogurt
Carrot Smoothie: Carrots, Orange, Pineapple, Low-sugar Apple Juice, Ice Cubes, Cinnamon
Desert Smoothie: Banana, Apple Slices, Low Fat/Skim Milk, Peanut Butter, Top with Dark Chocolate Shavings
Enjoy!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jul 20, 2016 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Looking to spice up your normal meal routine with some fun and healthy recipes but not sure where to start? Below is a list of online links you can access for healthy recipes. Sometimes we need to take a little time to check out some new options and give them a try! It’s also helpful to look at new recipes for exploring healthy ways of cooking and ways to make substitutions for making your foods healthier!
Healthy Recipe Websites
Helpful Nutrition Websites
