by kelsey | Oct 17, 2013 | Cooking Tips, Diabetes, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
You have probably heard that breakfast is the best meal of the day. A healthy breakfast provides energy to your body and especially your brain to start the day off right. It also gives your metabolism a boost and aids in blood sugar control. Despite these recommendations and great benefits, many people skip breakfast because they don’t have time or should I say, they didn’t make time! I know it’s hard to sit down and eat breakfast when you’re on the run and need to get work, drop the kids off at school, etc., so here are some ideas to give you that great nourishment in the morning while your’e on the go.
- English Muffin Sandwich: Toast an english muffin and add low fat cheese and a few slices of lean turkey, ham, or canadian bacon and melt it in the microwave quick. Add a piece of fruit to it to create a balanced meal.
- Yogurt Parfait: add some low-fat granola and mixed berries to low fat yogurt to make a parfait.
- Peanut Butter Sandwich: pair a banana with it too (this is one of my favorites!…see the picture)
- Low Fat Cream Cheese on Whole Grain Bread
- Meal Replacement Shake: such as Special K Protein, Ensure, Boost, Slim Fast
- Protein Bar
It may take a little planning to have these options available, but planning is truly key to a successful and healthy diet. Give it a try!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Oct 15, 2013 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
If you’re a parent with school age children, you have probably witnessed this scenario many times: your child comes home from school and they are starving! They rummage through the cupboards and try to find something “good” to snack on until supper is ready. Snacks in between meals help provide the body with energy and aid in metabolism and blood sugar control, but the key is making a healthy snack as junk foods will only provide empty calories, leaving you hungry and looking for more later on.
Below are some healthy snacks for kids. This is just a glimpse of what we will be reviewing in our STRIVE Kids program. We invite you to contact us today to learn more!
Healthy Snacks for Kids
Inside-Out Sandwich: Spread mustard on a slice of deli turkey. Wrap around a sesame breadstick.
Rocky Road: Break a graham cracker into bite-size pieces. Add to low-fat chocolate pudding along with a few miniature marshmallows.
Mini Pizza: Toast a whole-wheat English muffin, drizzle with pizza sauce and sprinkle with low-fat mozzarella cheese.
Spread mustard on a flour tortilla. Top with a slice of turkey or ham, low-fat cheese and lettuce. Then roll it up.
Sandwich Cut-Outs: Make a sandwich on whole grain bread. Cut out your favorite shape using a big cookie cutter. Eat the fun shape and the edges, too!
Banana Split: Top a banana with low-fat vanilla and strawberry frozen yogurt. Sprinkle with your favorite whole-grain cereal.
Apple Pie Oatmeal: Make one packet of microwave oatmeal with low-fat milk. Mix in 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce. Sprinkle with apple pie spice or cinnamon.
Mix together peanut butter and cornflakes in a bowl. Shape into balls and roll in crushed graham crackers.
Microwave a cup of tomato or vegetable soup and enjoy with whole-grain crackers.
Fill a waffle cone with cut-up fruit and top with low-fat vanilla yogurt.
Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on hot popcorn.
Peel a banana and dip it in yogurt. Roll in crushed cereal and freeze.
Spread celery sticks with peanut butter or low-fat cream cheese. Top with raisins.
Stuff a whole-grain pita pocket with ricotta cheese and Granny Smith apple slices. Add a dash of cinnamon.
Mix together ready-to-eat cereal, dried fruit and nuts in a sandwich bag for an on-the-go snack.
Smear a scoop of frozen yogurt on two graham crackers and add sliced banana to make a yummy sandwich.
Microwave a small baked potato. Top with reduced-fat cheddar cheese and salsa.
Make snack kabobs. Put cubes of low-fat cheese and grapes on pretzel sticks.
Toast a whole-grain waffle and top with low-fat yogurt and peaches.
Mix together low-fat cream cheese, mixed dried fruit bits and shelled sunflower seeds. Spread on a toasted English muffin.
Blend low-fat milk, frozen strawberries and a banana for thirty seconds for a delicious smoothie.
Make a mini-sandwich with tuna or egg salad on a whole-grain dinner roll.
Sprinkle grated Monterey Jack cheese over a corn tortilla; fold in half and microwave for twenty seconds. Top with salsa.
Spread peanut butter on apple slices.
Reference: Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Oct 10, 2013 | Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Many of us know of someone who has been affected by breast cancer as it is the most common cancer in women and more than 230,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the United States as stated by the American Cancer Society.
It is important to recognize some symptoms of breast cancer. The most common symptom is the presence of a painless lump in the breast area. Less common symptoms include swelling, tenderness, skin irritation, redness, or nipple abnormalities which may include ulceration or discharge.
Factors that increase the risk of developing breast cancer include the onset of menstruation before age 12, menopause after the age of 55, not breastfeeding for at least one year, not having children, or having children after 30 years of age, and having a high body mass index.
Increased body weight in postmenopausal women who are not taking hormones increases the risk for developing breast cancer. The more fat cells you have, the higher your levels of estrogen in the postmenopausal period, when your ovaries are no longer producing estrogen. Moreover, overweight women have higher insulin levels, and insulin may promote breast tumors.
Nutrition Tips for Cancer Prevention:
Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are great sources of antioxidants and phytochemicals. Antioxidants and phytochemicals play a role in cancer prevention. Carotenoids is a type of antioxidant that is found in red and yellow produce. Some examples of foods that contain carotenoids are carrots, pumpkin, winter squash, tomatoes, citrus fruits, and red sweet peppers. All dark green vegetables contain nutrients that protect against cancer. Good sources of dark green vegetables include spinach, asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, brussels sprouts and kale. An additional benefit to eating a well balanced diet that includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is that it promotes a healthy weight. Maintaining a healthy weight will help you to decrease your risk of developing cancer. A helpful tip to remember is that the more colorful the fruit or vegetable, the more nutrients it contains; so pack your plate with colorful choices!
Support the South Dakota Affiliate and South Dakota businesses and schools this month:
October 1st– October 15th: Annual Women’s Cancer Network Symposium, Pierre
October 11th – Partners in Survival Workshop: Men against Breast Cancer. Hosted by the Avera Cancer Institute and paid in part by a Susan G Komen South Dakota grant
For more information call 1-877-282-8372
October 12th – Think Pink Cheer Camp- Chester Area School
October 14th – Hamilton Hy-Vee will be hosting a special fundraiser to support the local Siouxland Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure called Think Pink: Breast Cancer Awareness & Fundraiser.
October 15th – Women’s Health Forum- Yankton Medical Clinic, Minerva’s in Yankton
October 17th – 100 Cup Salute- Sisseton Flower Shop
October 18th – Southeast Tech Walk for Breast Cancer
October 19th and 20th – Expo for Her- Sioux Falls Convention Center
October 27- University of Sioux Falls Football Pink Game
Submitted by Megan Oleson, USD Dietetic Intern
-Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
by kelsey | Oct 2, 2013 | Weight Management, Wellness/Health
To all you parents out there: have you ever struggled with getting your child to eat more fruits and vegetables? Had trouble finding time amidst busy schedules to prepare healthy meals? Do you have a child that would rather sit in front of the TV, computer or video games instead of getting outside and running around? We understand that it’s not always easy to get your child to eat healthy or be active. You want your kids to live a healthy life and learn those habits at an early age. But it’s not always easy. And unfortunately unhealthy habits can lead to childhood obesity and other health concerns.
All of us at Brown Clinic are are concerned about childhood obesity. It has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the last 30 years. Weight management and obesity prevention are very important. Our physicians, pharmacist, and myself understand weight problems and we work together to help patients – including kids – improve their health and wellness while achieving a healthier weight.
Thus it is with great excitement, that we are proud to announce a new program for kids. It’s called STRIVE Kids and it aims at teaching healthy lifestyle habits and eating, and ways to increase physical activity. Here are some specifics about the program:
What:
- 12 month program focused on teaching the child, parents, and family healthy lifestyle habits, healthy eating, and ways to increase physical activity.
- Two visits (minimum) with their physician.
- Eight visits with me, Kelsey Raml, Registered Dietitian. Visits will be monthly for the first 6 months, then at 9 months, and at 12 months.
- Referrals can be made to other health care professionals such as our pharmacist, Deidra, physical therapists, or counselors, if needed.
- All visits and services will be applied their insurance. If parents do not want to bill their insurance for this, there is a cash option available for the nutrition visits.
Why:
- Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the last 30 years.
- Children and adolescents who are obese are more likely to become obese adults.
- Those youth whose weight is in the overweight or obese categories are more likely to have risk of factors for health problems in the future, such as heart disease or diabetes.
Where:
- Appointments with their physician will occur at the doctor’s location (Main or NR).
- Appointments with Kelsey will occur at Northridge.
If you’re interested in learning more about STRIVE Kids, we’re here to answer your questions. Give me a call at 605-884-4226 or email strive2survive@brownclinic.org.
We are really looking forward to helping children strive for healthy habits that will last a lifetime!
Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
Registered Dietitan
by kelsey | Oct 1, 2013 | Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
The aging process is not a real fun one, so most of us want to do everything we can to make the process go well. One common concern as we get older is forgetfulness. Staying active and keeping your brain engaged with regular tasks are good practices, but it’s also important to eat healthy as certain foods promote brain function and memory. As always, eating a colorful diet will help you, but here are some more specifics!
Eat your veggies: strive to get a variety of vegetables in your diet (each color offers specific nutrients!). The cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage and dark leafy greens are especially benefecial.
Berries: eat more berries, especially dark ones like blackberries, blueberries and cherries are a rich source of anthocyanins and other flavonoids that may boost memory function.
Omega-3 fatty acids: Omega-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in particular, may also help improve memory. Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines and herring are great sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Aim to get at least 2 servings (3 oz) of fatty fish a week and choose healthy cooking methods such as grilling, baking, or broiling over frying. You may also consider taking a fish oil supplement, but be sure to visit with your doctor about proper dosing before taking it.
As you probably noticed, these foods are foods I have discussed before, so eating a healthy and well balanced intake, will not only aid in a healthy weight and heart, but a healthy and active brain!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Sep 26, 2013 | Cooking Tips, Diabetes, Diet, Food, Weight Management
As I have stated before, one of my favorite parts of our STRIVE 2 Survive lectures is getting to taste and enjoy the new and healthy recipes County Fair Foods provides. This last Tuesday they had two really great ones and I can’t resist sharing the recipes with you!
Creamy Spinach and Feta Dip (pictured above)
Ingredients:
6 oz nonfat Greek yogurt3/4 c crumbled feta cheese
2 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 c low-fat/fat free sour cream
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 1/2 cups finely crushed fresh spinach
1 Tbsp fresh dill
1/8 tsp black pepper
Preparation: place yogurt, feta cheese, cream cheese, sour cream and crushed garlic clove in a food processor; process until smooth. Spoon yogurt into a medium bowl, stir in spinach, fresh dill, and black pepper. Cover and chill. Enjoy with whole grain pita chips or whole grain crackers such as Wheat Thins or Triscuits. For 1/4 cup serving this gives you 75 calories.
Healthy Cookies (pictured above)
Ingredients
3 ripe bananas
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup dates, pitted, and chopped
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Stir in oats, dates, oil, and vanilla. Mix well, and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cooked sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven or until lightly brown.
1 cookie has about 50 calories.
Enjoy!
-Kelsey
