by kelsey | Jan 10, 2017 | Cooking Tips, Diabetes, Diet, Food, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
One of the most challenging aisles in the grocery store is the cereal and granola bar aisle as there are so many choices and it’s hard to know what’s good and what’s not! For those regular followers of our blog, you probably know by now that you should choose a whole grain cereal, but from there…how do you decipher which choice is better than another?! Well, let’s start with the basics…you want to avoid any of the real high sugar cereals such as Lucky Charms, Cocoa Pebbles, etc due to their high levels of white, refined sugars.
Here are some tips to help you make a healthy choices:
• 8 grams (g) of sugar or less/serving, if the cereal contains 3 g or less of fiber/serving
• 16 g or less of sugar/serving, if the cereal contains 5 g or more of fiber/serving
Note: raisin bran contains 20 g of sugar/serving and is the exception to the rule—still a great choice due to its higher fiber content)
• Instant hot cereals should contain no more than 100-150 milligrams (mg) of sodium/serving
In addition, be sure to fully read the nutrition facts label and not rely on the manufacturers marketing claims as they can often be misleading!
A way to make breakfast a more balanced meal is to add a source of protein and a serving of fruit to your meal. With the balance of protein, fiber found in your cereal, and some natural sugars, you are set to start your day off in a great way!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jan 3, 2017 | Diet, Goals, Heart Health, Motivation, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Happy New Year! With the new year, you may have considered setting some of those famous New Year’s Resolutions. We confidently vow to shed pounds and inches to change our lives for the better but these resolutions tend to fail. We often set lofty goals like “ I will lose 15 pounds” which is a valid goal but could take several months-year to properly reach it. We tend to eat too little and exercise to vigorously during the first couple of days just to give up in frustration and hunger. I am not a big fan of resolutions, because they typically aren’t followed long term, I am however a big fan of lifestyle changes!
Here are some tips and guidelines to assist you in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight loss and lifestyle change:
¨ Set realistic, short-term goals such as “I will lose 1 pound/week.” After success with the first reasonable goal, the next goals will seem attainable.
¨ Do not keep junk food at the house. If unhealthy choices are in sight, you might be tempted to reach for them. Remember, out of sight, out of mind!
¨ Eat a serving of protein and whole grains to feel full longer which could curb hunger cues.
¨ Eat the majority of food during the earlier parts of your day. This can help end that bad habit of late night snacking.
¨ Pay attention to feelings like boredom, loneliness, stress, and fatigue, which can cause mindless eating. Only eat when you are actually hungry and think of food as fuel.
¨ Use smaller plates, bowls, etc. to help keep portions under control. This could help trick the mind into thinking you are eating a large portion.
¨ Eat slowly and away from distraction, if possible. This will allow you to pay attention to any cues of becoming full. Remember it takes 20 minutes for you to feel full.
¨ Try to get more active each day. By aiming to increase your exercise level by 10 minutes each day, you can build up strength and stamina gradually, which could help you from not quitting exercising in frustration.
These guidelines can help end the New Year’s resolution failures and hopefully create healthy, lifelong habits. If you would like individual help, please contact me…I would love to work with you!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Jan 1, 2017 | Exercise, Goals, Heart Health, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Time to celebrate! 2016 is done, and 2017 is starting. There may have been things that did not go so well this past year, but you can’t change it. Look upon all of the good things. Make things better for this year. A new year is a chance to bring about a new you!
Every year, people at this time decide upon New Year’s resolutions…only to start out of the blocks strong, and then not follow through with them. Don’t rely on just New Years to make those resolutions. Make daily resolutions, and continue to keep working on them!
Those resolutions can be what ever you want them to be. Remember, you are deciding them yourself. What may work for one, won’t work for another. That is truly what makes us all unique. Decide what is important to you, and then figure out how you continue to work on it to make daily improvements.
What is your wellness road consist of? Do you incorporate changes in your diet, and exercise both? What about taking time to rest, or change the intensity of things to allow your body time to recover. Then there is the ever important aspect of all of this: Taking time to think! Plan what you want, how you are going to do it, and remember you do not have to do this alone. We all need help at one time or another. We can help each other make those daily resolutions reality. But remember to have fun along the way!
Sarah is always along with me, helping to encourage me, inspire me, and spend time with me! Hopefully, I am doing the same for her. You can’t always look behind you though. You can’t change what has been. You can learn from it, and then move on. Keep going, and don’t look back!
The view is always better straight ahead! Take for example with your car…that is why the windshield is so big, and everything in the rear view mirror is so small! All of us have goals, and what we want to achieve. We also all get there a different way, and by different means. When it comes to exercise, there are always events going on… walks, runs, activities. When you participate in these, you are never alone!
It is always better to do things with a group! I admit, there are times when I really do want to run by myself. It is my time to think, process things, and just relax. But, there are times when I love working out, exercising, or running in a group. It is a social activity. What is going on in everybody else’s life? How are they dealing with it? Who do they lean on for support? We don’t have all the answers ourselves. To me, that is what I love about our run club. We may all meet to run, but it is not about running…it is about spending time with friends, doing an activity that we all love to do! It is a highlight of the week! Just remember, it is never too late to start…everybody can start from now and make a brand new ending!
It is never a question of can you, but will you? A quote by James Robson sums things up well: “You can’t be given a mile, you can’t win a mile, you can’t buy or steal a mile. You must earn it, and when you do, it’s yours and only yours!” It means so much more this way! Nobody ever said it was easy, but nobody ever said it could not be fun either! You choose…the decision is yours. Make 2017 a year for a new you!
Happy New Year everybody, and keep moving!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3383
by kelsey | Dec 1, 2016 | Etc., Exercise, Family, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
We had a fun afternoon at the Boys and Girls Club yesterday! We were able to be a part of a great event that promoted wellness and activity to the children of the Club! Dr.Dan Reiffenberger and Dr.Jon McAreavey talked to the kids about activity and wellness and then we had a jump rope challenge! The kids received some goodies to take home and we donated about 200 jumpropes for the club to use with their kids. What a fun way to promote activity and wellness to the kids in our community! You can read more below from KXLG’s press release and if you click the link, it will bring you to their website where the audio links from Dr.Dan’s and Dr.Jon’s talks can be found. Keep moving everyone!!
“Brown Clinic’s Jump Start Your Health Promotion came alive at the Watertown Boys and Girls Club Wednesday afternoon where more than 200 backpacks with wellness books and jump ropes were handed out to the kids at the club to help jumpstart their wellness. Among the gifts in the backpacks were Subway coupons for all the boys and girls. Among the nearly one-dozen employees from Brown Clinic who were at the event was Dr. Jon McAreavey who is a family physician at the clinic and Boys and Girls Club Board member.” http://www.mykxlg.com/40252-2/
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Dr.Jon giving his talk.
Dr.Dan giving his talk.
Great presentation and talk to the kiddos.
Jump rope challenge!
Practice what you preach!! Dr.Jon and Dr.Dan jumping rope with the kids!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Oct 2, 2016 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Heart Health, Motivation, Wellness/Health
It is time to begin a new series, one that I have titled “Becoming a better you”. Remember, over time, our goals change. We need to keep updating our goals to help us to live our dreams and our visions. We should never lose site of these dreams and visions. When you keep looking back at your goals, this overall becomes much easier to do. My family is always part of my vision and dreams…my goals. I am thankful that Sarah is with me along the way to help with all of this too. The exercise and running over the years has also been a great escape…a time to think. It helps give me a purpose, and I found this quote which helps sum things up well.
When we have a purpose, things in life are much easier to accomplish. One thing to remember as well, we have all been given our own personal gifts, talents, and abilities…and a short amount of time in which to put it all together to live our lives to the fullest. Don’t waste time…it already goes by too fast.
The exercise has created a bond like no other…it has allowed me to make adventures I never would have experienced otherwise; to meet people I would have never met otherwise; to achieve goals and accomplishments that I thought would have never been possible. It has helped me become a better me, and it can help you “become a better you”.
The activities that you can do as a family are memories to have forever. Nobody can take them away. Yes, you work, but that does not mean you can’t have fun, and enjoy life better as a result. You also get to have different ways in which to spend time with your own family more! But…the running, exercise, activity…teaches you more about yourself than you could have ever imagined. When it comes to trying to achieve something good in your life, it takes time, energy, and interest. You have to work at it! It will not just fall in your lap…you have to earn it. You have to work for it. All good things in life worth having are worth working for. The lessons it teaches you can be unlimited. Give it a try!
So, as I begin on this series, I will cover topics that can help you become a better you. What you can do in your life that can benefit you in many ways, both physically and mentally. In short, how to better know yourself! I will still continue on my “adventure” posts when different events, races, etc come up. The Twin Cities Marathon is next weekend…I am sure this will have new adventure stories in store! We are in charge of our own happiness. Just get going!
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3292
by kelsey | Sep 15, 2016 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
This week’s weather felt more like fall and with the change of season, we tend to change our pattern of eating to more soups, stews, and casseroles. These selections are a great way to pack a variety of nutrients into one dish. In addition, they can be very cost effective due to the excess garden produce present in our grocery stores and farmer’s market lately. Here are a few nutrition tips to consider when you’re prepping your favorite meal:
- When using store bought broths or soup mixes such as cream of chicken, choose the low-sodium or reduced fat varieties.
- Use herbs and spices to season rather than salt.
- Add more vegetables and lean meat to the recipe to give you more nutrition.
- Thicken with pureed beans, potatoes, or vegetables.
- Sprinkle your soups or stews with low fat cheese for added flavor and nutrients, without too many calories.
- Think about balance: incorporate something from each food group into your meal to provide your body with a top notch quality and nutritious meal.
- Practice portion control: it’s easy to dish up your plate with casserole or fill up a big bowl of stew and not realize how much you’re eating, so measure out your foods and eat mindfully to ensure appropriate portion control.
- Batch cook: soups are a great way to practice batch cooking. Make up a pot of soup and portion it out into smaller containers and freeze. They are easy to take out and unthaw when you need a healthy meal in a pinch!
-Kelsey
