by Dan | Apr 23, 2017 | Exercise, Goals, Heart Health, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health
We spend Saturday morning at Jackson Park as part of the Clean and Green activity picking up litter/trash. It was a great day out, warm, no wind. The Optimist Group was out as well cleaning up sections along the bike trail leading to Jackson Park. It is amazing how much garbage is out there each year, and how people cannot throw things into a garbage can, even when the garbage cans are right there for them! It was a great way to get an hour of walking in as well, and working on the legs doing squats and bending over while picking up the garbage. We had a good crew from the H2O Watertown Trail Committee.
We are doing good by picking up garbage and keeping the community clean, but we also got to get outside and enjoy the weather, and keep active. From Jackson Park you could look across at the other section of trail and see the Optimist group out cleaning up the section of trail that goes by it.
At the end of the hour, this is what we had collected, just in Jackson Park!
When you volunteer, you are not only doing good, but feeling good about what you do to help with the community. We all live here, and we all need to help take care of it…and we get some exercise as well!
By volunteering, you get to meet new people, take part in worthwhile activities, inspire others, be involved…and above all else…you get to make a difference!
Getting some activity out of it for our own benefit is just icing on the cake!
And then when you get done, you get to see how nice everything looks, the beauty in nature that is out there for all of us to enjoy. Just remember to do your part, and put garbage where it is supposed to go. If we all did this, we would not have to go out and pick it all up!
Make a difference…volunteer! Become a better you, and get exercise out of it as well! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3494
by kelsey | Mar 28, 2017 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
These nice warm temps have officially welcomed grilling season! Grilling is a great way to change up cooking techniques and try new flavors after a cold winter season. Spice up any cookout by adding fruits and vegetables to the menu. Beyond the benefits of adding color, variety and flavor, fruits and vegetables can also add a variety of vitamins and nutrients. Keep in mind the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend to fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables at each meal.
Kabobs are a great item to include marinated vegetables like red or yellow peppers, mushrooms, eggplant, cheery tomatoes, and onions. Simply brush your favorite vegetables with olive or canola oil and your favorite spices and grill over medium heat, turning until marked and tender.
When grilling meat, choose healthier options like lean cuts of beef, pork, chicken, or fish. Be sure to keep raw meat, poultry, and their juices separate from ready-to-eat foods avoiding cross contamination. This can be done by using separate plates, cooking utensils, and cutting boards. Frozen foods should be thawed in a refrigerator or the microwave, not on the countertop or by the grill. Also remember to use a food thermometer when cooking meat, poultry, or fish to ensure it reaches a safe minimum internal temperature, this is key to reducing risk of food poisoning. Steak should reach 145°F, hamburgers 160°F, and chicken and pork 165°F.
Vegetarian or an avid mat lover, a grilled marinated Portobello burger can be a tasty alternative. Marinate and grill mushrooms, gill sides up, over medium-low heat with the grill covered until they are marked and softened (about 15 minutes). Flip and grill until cooked through.
Not forgetting dessert, try fruit kabobs with pineapple slices, watermelon, or peach halves. Grilling on low heat until the fruit is hot and slightly golden. Serve them on top of low-fat frozen yogurt or angel food cake.
Most of all enjoy!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Mar 21, 2017 | Cooking Tips, Diabetes, Diet, Food, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
I had a patient ask me about eggs and thought that was a worthy blog topic since we haven’t discussed them in awhile! Here’s the scoop below!
These days eggs have been mis-perceived as a forbidden food, why is this? Eggs contain cholesterol, a type of fat made naturally in the body or found in animal produced foods, used by the body to keep us healthy. There are two types of cholesterol: “good” and “bad.” Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is known as “bad” cholesterol. High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, is known as “good” cholesterol. Too much of one type, or not enough of another can put you at risk for coronary heart disease, heart attack, or stroke. Depending on the size of the egg, one yolk contains about 185-215mg of cholesterol; the whites of the egg do not contain cholesterol. Today’s research shows that one egg yolk a day is fine for most healthy people, as long as their total cholesterol intake is 300 milligrams a day or less. For people at risk or diagnosed with heart disease, consuming less than 200 mg per day of cholesterol may be of further help to decrease significant health risks. The American Heart Association suggests for people with heart disease to consume no more than 2-3 eggs a week, substituting egg whites or cholesterol-free eggs as they choose.
Other benefits of eggs include: one large egg has just 70 calories; it is a good source of protein and vitamins A and D, B complex vitamins, and phosphorus. Eggs also supply lutein and zeaxanthin, which can help promote good eyesight.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Feb 16, 2017 | Diet, Heart Health, Wellness/Health
In celebration of National Heart Month, I think it’s fitting to discuss the significance diet and activity play in promoting a healthy heart. Heart disease is the number one killer of Americans and affects both men and women. Genetics do play a role, however a heart healthy diet and and regular activity can help minimize the effects and complications of heart disease. Whether you have heart disease in your family or not, it’s still good to follow a heart healthy eating plan. Highlights of the diet include:
- Lots of fruits and veggies! I’m sure you already knew this one, but the benefits of getting your 5 a day servings of fruits and veggies are worth reminding you again. Most of us know this, the hard part is doing it. Try adding them to your meals, have fruit as a snack, get a double serving to help you reach this goal.
- Fiber! Fiber is very beneficial in combating heart disease. Incorporating more whole grains (and fruits, veggies, and beans/lentils) into your diet will increase your fiber and aid in heart health. Oatmeal, brown rice, wild rice, whole grain noodles, whole grain breads, and even popcorn are considered whole grains. Aim to get at least 25-35 g/day.
- Choose lean proteins. Decreasing the amount of saturated fat in your diet will help reduce plaque buildup. Choose white meat poultry without the skin, 90% or greater lean hamburger, fish, beans, etc….stay away from processed meats! Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, herring, and trout offer additional benefits as they are loaded with healthy omega 3 fatty acids.
- Choose healthy fats. Incorporating more plant fats such as canola oil and olive oil into your diet and reducing your intake of saturated and trans fats has been shown to improve heart health. You want to choose foods that are lower than 5-8g of total fat per serving and <3g saturated and trans fat per serving. Choosing low fat dairy products will help reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet as well.
- Hold the salt! Excess sodium can increase blood pressure and cause heart failure. Aim to keep your sodium intake below 2400mg/day. You can do this by doing more home cooking, avoiding boxed or packaged goods, cooking with salt free seasonings, and not using table salt.
- Exercise! At least 30 minutes of exercise a day has been shown to improve heart health. If you can do more, the better!
Making small changes or substitutions will help you have a healthier heart and reduce risk for disease. Reading labels is really essential to help you make good choices, so take some time in the grocery store and really examine the products to ensure you’re making healthy choices!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Jan 29, 2017 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Heart Health, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health
How many times do you hear somebody say, “if you want it, you need to take a chance!” Exercise, just like life, is the same way. You never know what you are truly made of until you take a chance. Here Sarah is showing her muscles, getting ready to take on another race. She has done many half marathons, but never a marathon. She has always said she is only “half stupid”. Well, come October this year, she is going to be doing her first ever marathon…26.2 miles! She is taking the plunge. I have no doubt she will finish, but she is nervous. She has never done one before. Just like for everyone else, we don’t know what our body is capable of, until we “take a chance”. People don’t take a chance because they think it is impossible, too risky, or even pointless.
Those who have heart say, “Give it a try”. Only by going too far can you truly know how far you can go. We take chances every day in our lives. We take risks, we worry, we may even think some of the things we do are “stupid”. But if you have heart, the sky is the limit. Who knows what you are capable of achieving. We even surprise ourselves many times.
But you have to start. You have to start somewhere. You have to start sometime. The time is now. 5 minutes, then 10 minutes, then you are doing a mile, then a 5k. What is your end point? Who knows! We ourselves don’t know what are limits are…and then most of those limits are created in our heads. We don’t believe we can do them, so we don’t even try. Unless you start, you will never know!
Our run club has been going on for over 4 years now. We started our very small…so small that for much of that first year it was the “Dan and Sarah club”. It keeps growing every year. People start to see that it is more than just running. It is about socializing, making friendships, …laughing. It is about taking a chance. Taking a chance on becoming a better you! Everyone starts out slow, and then you keep building. Quality takes time! Overcoming our fears, and our minds, tend to be the biggest obstacles.
When my daughter Megan was home over the Christmas break from school, she came running with our run club on Sundays a couple times. It was much colder here than it was back at school. She had to overcome her resistance to the cold, but once she got going, she ended up going 6 miles with us! That is the furthest she has run! Now she has been talking about doing a half marathon sometime in the future. This is a swimmer talking about running! We need to get out of our comfort zones, and if no exercise is our comfort zone, then we just need to get moving!
In life, you have to take chances. If you don’t take chances, life gets pretty boring. Be adventurous, take a chance…you will surprise yourself with what you are capable of achieving. This whole process will help you become a better you in every aspect of your life!
If you get a chance, take it! If it changes you, let it! I have said many times things worth having or doing are never easy. That is why accomplishing them makes them so much better! Don’t go through life having regrets, wishing you had done this, or done that. Go do it! What is stopping you? Yourself! Believe in you! The return on the investment of you is incredible. You are priceless…you only get one life. Live it to the fullest!
What are you waiting for? Tomorrow? Next week? Next year? How about today! Today is a great day to become a better you…so take a chance on you! I have a feeling you are worth it!
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3411
by kelsey | Jan 11, 2017 | Diet, Food, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Today is National Milk Day… so I decided today would be a good day to discuss the benefits of dairy…and let me tell you, there are many!! Cow’s milk is the richest source of well-absorbed calcium and is actually absorbed better (about 25%) than the calcium in soy milk. There is about 300 mg of calcium in an 8 oz serving of milk and we recommend getting at least 3 servings of dairy a day. A serving is equal to an 8oz (1 cup) serving of milk, 6 oz tub of yogurt, 1 oz cheese, 1/2 c cottage cheese. In addition to calcium, cow’s milk is an excellent source of phosphorus, vitamin B12, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin A, vitamin D, protein, and niacin…totalling 9 nutrients compared to only 4-5 nutrients found in soy and almond milk.
There are many other types of “milks” out there such as almond, rice, coconut, and soy, however these drinks are not the same as cow’s milk in regards to the nutritional qualities. Many of these milks use fortification (adding nutrients), whereas the nutrients are found naturally in cow’s milk. Below is a list from the Midwest Dairy Association about these beverage’s nutrient sources and nutrition quality (http://www.midwestdairy.com/0p335/dairy-imitators/)
- “Soy beverages are made from soybeans and are a good source of protein. However, according to the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS), soy protein is a lower quality protein than the whey protein found in dairy products.
- Rice-based beverages are generally processed from brown rice and are fortified with nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D. Rice beverages typically contain only one gram of protein compared to eight grams in cow’s milk.
- Nut-based beverages can be ground from any nut and the most popular is almond. Almond beverages only supply one gram of protein per serving and lack many of the natural benefits found in almonds.
- Seed-based beverages, such as hemp, are newer to the marketplace. Their nutritional benefit is touted to be their omega fatty acid content. Similar to the other beverages, they also fall short on protein.”
Often times, these other “milks” contain higher sugar content, less calcium, less protein, and are absorbed less than those benefits in cow’s milk. Now if you have a lactose intolerance or milk allergy, these are certainly options for you, however if you do not have an allergy or intolerance, I highly encourage you to work towards getting your 3 a day servings of dairy and preferably low fat dairy. It will not only provide you with excellent vitamins and minerals to keep your bones and muscles healthy and strong, it will also provide you with an excellent source of protein.
For more information on the benefits of dairy, you can visit www.midwestdairy.com or contact my good friend and fellow Registered Dietitian Whitney Jerman at wjerman@midwestdairy.com.
I know I will enjoy a nice glass of cold milk tonight with supper, I hope you do too!
-Kelsey
