by kelsey | Sep 24, 2013 | Cooking Tips, Diabetes, Diet, Food, Weight Management
Sunday marked the first official day of fall. Fall is my favorite seasons and I am always excited when this time of the year comes around. One of my favorite things about fall is all of the tasty foods we get to enjoy thanks to harvest time. My parents have a big garden and I get to reap the benefits of their hard work with fresh garden produce as well as lots of really great apples from their trees. A lot of time and effort goes into harvesting the garden, but being able to enjoy home grown produce nearly year round makes it well worth it. If you do not have a garden of your own, I encourage you to check out the farmer’s market and take advantage of all of the great foods present there during this time of year! The are located in the Running’s parking lot every Saturday morning. One of my all time favorite foods of fall is apple crisp. I think I could eat this every day! Since this is one of my favorites and I struggle with portion control, I have adapted a recipe to make it a bit healthier. Give it a try!
Apple Crisp
Mix your sliced apples with cinnamon and sugar (I use Splenda/Splenda Blend as the sugar form). Mix to your liking of taste.
Layer the apples in the bottom of a pan (use a smaller pan if you like it thicker).
Topping: 1 c flour, 1 c brown sugar, 1 cup quick oats, 1 stick of butter.
My alterations for the topping include: You can use whole wheat flour in place of white flour, Splenda Brown Sugar (use the conversion guide on the back of the bag) in place of regular brown sugar, and in place of the butter, I use Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter All-Purpose stick—this kind is trans fat free and has lower saturated fats than regular butter.
Mix the topping together and crumble over the apples.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 min.
Enjoy!!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Sep 5, 2013 | Diet, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
According to the American Heart Association, one out of every three people in the United States is affected by heart-related diseases. There are many risk factors when it comes to heart disease including: excess weight, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure (to name a few). In addition to working with your doctor, you can minimize these risk factors by your dietary intake and physical activity.
For a healthy heart you want to consume a diet low in sodium, low in saturated and trans fat, and cholesterol. Challenge yourself to replace these with some of the foods and food components listed below:
- Fruits and Vegetables- Many fruits and vegetables contain fiber, which helps your body take in more nutrients, can lower cholesterol levels, aid in achieving a healthy weight. Fruits and vegetables not only contain fiber, but they also contain potassium and antioxidants. Potassium can help with blood pressure by blunting the effects of sodium on blood pressure. Antioxidants may help prevent disease and keep your body working properly.. At the grocery store, be sure to choose a variety of deeply colored fruits and vegetables like carrots, apricots, broccoli, beets, berries and kidney beans to maximize your intake of vitamins and minerals.
- Whole Grains-There are many components within whole grains which provide benefits. Whole grains provide fiber, vitamins and minerals, and antioxidants. To reap the benefits, aim for at least 3 daily servings of whole grains. On the label, look for the phrase “whole grain” or “whole” before the grain’s name. Some examples include: whole grain breads, cereals and pasta, brown rice, oatmeal and popcorn. Using a supplement such as ground flax seed (shown in the picture) is beneficial to improving total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. You can work up to using 2-3 Tbsps/day for improved levels. This is often mixed into cereal, oatmeal, or used like granola with yogurt…you can also bake with it.
- Heart Healthy Fats- A diet of moderate fat intake is beneficial to your health. You can enjoy the healthy benefits by choosing oils and spreads rich in unsaturated fat, such as olive, canola, safflower, sunflower, corn, or soybean oils. Salmon, sardines, herring, trout, and tuna are terrific sources of the omega-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which are types of polyunsaturated fats that may reduce the risk of heart disease. If you are unable to get fish into your diet, you should consider taking a fish oil supplement of 1-4g/day with at least 1g of DHA and EPA.
- Stanols and Sterols- These plant-based food components help block the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine, which has a beneficial effect on blood cholesterol. They are found in foods like corn, soy, wheat and some fortified foods like orange juice and yogurt. 1-3 grams of stanols or sterols are needed each day to see beneficial effects.
-Written by Morgan McLain, SDSU Dietetic Student.
by kelsey | Sep 3, 2013 | Diet, Etc., Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Our fall STRIVE 2 Survive starts one week from today! We are really excited to work with another great group of people as we all work to become healthier. I have gotten several emails and questions about our program so I thought this would be the perfect time to give you some feedback from one of our previous participants. This participant “J” has lost about 40lbs by working with me individually and with the help of our 12 week wellness program STRIVE 2 Survive. We can always tell you what we think about the program, but I think it sometimes means more coming from an actual participant! Below is J’s feedback about STRIVE. If you’re trying to decide whether or not to join, I hope this helps you! There is still time to enroll and we do still have room, so if you have any questions and/or would like to enroll, be sure to contact us today! First lecture is next Tuesday, September 10th at 5:30pm at the County Fair Banquet Hall.
- What pushed you to join STRIVE?
- What pushed me to join Strive was because I was not only tired of being unhealthy (I was becoming pre-diabetic) but I was always in pain from all of the weight this was placing on my body, but it was also finally my time to take control of my life and to stop letting food be the one in control.
- What was your goal?
- My goal was for the healthy eating which helped with the weight loss.
- Have you met your goal?
- I feel I have met some of my first goals but I still have so many yet to do. I think I will always be a continued work in progress because when you reach one goal there are so many more to grab a hold of.
- What’s your motivation to continue?
- I am still very conscience of what I eat and the amounts of my calorie intake. I do allow myself to be naughty every so often instead of depriving myself because if I do this once a month then I do not become obsessed with the “Oh I can’t have that” mentality. I think if you totally cut yourself off you set yourself up for failure. At least for me this works. Say I decide to have a candy bar once a month then I take note of the calories and compensate with what I eat later or walk that extra 1/2 or 1 mile or so. I’m not super woman and I cannot cut myself off from everything and if I do have something I maybe should not have I do not think of myself as a failure. :)Strive has helped me alot. It has taught me about how to read labels on the food that I buy it has taught me about all the different kinds of food there are out there that are actually good for you (and they taste good also). I love the postings at County Fair that they have. I can take what I see there and shop at other stores. It has become such a habit with me now that when I go shopping I am always looking at the ingredients, calories, fats etc without even thinking about it. I take more time when I go shopping and not race through the store just grabbing whatever I see.
The Strive crew is pretty awesome also!!
- I love how I feel and how I look and just my all around mental change in how I look at life. I am so much happier now. I never want to go back to where I was. I read a quote that said: ” I may not be where I am going yet but I thank God I am not where I used to be”.
- If you could tell anyone about STRIVE 2 Survive what would you tell them?
- DO NOT WAIT IT WILL HELP YOU CHANGE YOUR LIFE!!!
- Do you want to share your personal story?
Yes by all means you can share my story. ” I am a 57 year old woman who in life made food my friend instead of making myself my friend.” So because of this I became a fat person. Yes I can say I was a fat person. I had tried so many times to lose weight and nothing ever stuck. Mostly this was because I was doing this for all of the wrong reasons. I was not doing this for me I was doing this for everyone else. After several attempts and several years of being overweight it was like a light finally went off in my head and it was finally my time. We tend to drown our emotions in food and I was very guilty of this. I am still considered fat by my BMI count but I am also so much smaller than when I started.
- Do you feel the program has a lifetime change for you?
- Strive will have a forever effect on my life, and all the teachers will have a forever effect on my life.
- Have you been in any other programs? How do you feel they compare?
- The only other program I have been on was with a different Nutritionist and even though she was a very, very nice person, I always seem to walk away so confused and because of this I ended up not staying on the program she had put me on. This was not her fault this was my issue because I just was not ready to make a change.
- With Kelsey I never left your office confused on anything and if I was not sure you took the time to explain everything to me. With you Kelsey you actually do care and you can see that in you and you can feel that in you.
- What do you think the highlight of the program is?
- I don’t know if I could single out just one thing that was the biggest high point. There were just so many. I enjoyed all the information you gave us and still give us, the show of care on all your faces on helping us do this. The fact that all of you are there to actually talk to us if we have any questions and you take the time to listen to all of our concerns and questions has meant alot to me.
- Would you tell a friend about us?
- I tell everyone! I wear your Strive t-shirt. I have talked to several coworkers about your program when they ask how I have lost all of the weight so far.
- How did you learn about STRIVE 2 Survive?
- My Doctor originally sent me to Kelsey to set up a weight loss program and through Kelsey I found out about the Strive program.
- As you know our ads for the program are on the radio, what could you tell the people listening if they are in doubt it could help them?
- Give Strive a chance. They will teach you how to read labels on the food you buy. They will teach you what is healthy for you. They will teach you so very much, and they are the real deal and care about you. What do you have to lose other than your bad health and weight. 🙂
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Aug 29, 2013 | Diet, Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
One of my favorite parts of my job is that I get to help people. I have always been a people person and grew up in a household where I learned the joy you can receive from helping others at a young age (thanks Mom and Dad!). Weight loss and improved nutrition is a tough thing. I have personally struggled with it at times and know from personal experience and helping others…it’s never easy. Changing your lifestyle is truly challenging and it’s even more challenging with all of the temptations we have in our society to encourage us to over-indulge! Throughout our 12 week wellness program, we tell our participants that we never expect all of our recommendations to happen overnight that instead we encourage you to work on a few things at one time and gradually those baby steps will add up to big steps and big successes. Honestly, I would rather see a slow and steady weight loss that takes longer than the participant would probably like, than a quick weight loss that is eventually gained back.
My day was made yesterday when I got an email from Denise Hoff. Denise was in our winter STRIVE 2 Survive program last year and has made some pretty incredible improvements in her health. Denise gave me permission to share her success with you all as in her own words “maybe it will motivate someone else who thinks they are too big or too old to start.” 🙂
Denise has now lost about 17lbs and dropped 12.5″ total (waist, hips, bust, thighs, arms)…4 of the 12.5″ are off her waist! She was never a runner, but thanks to our team’s inspiration, she ran her first 5k with her daughter last weekend (see the picture!). She said they had a great mother/daughter time and as she ran, she was proud to say she was able to keep a stride and actually pass others! 🙂 Denise started to run one block at a time. Her initial goal was a half of a mile, then one mile, then 1 1/2 miles, etc. She broke it down so it didn’t seem so overwhelming and set a goal of running a 5k with the encouragement and support of us and her family…she accomplished it successfully and is now looking forward to doing more 5ks! In addition to the improvement in her weight and waist circumference, her lab values have also improved as she dropped her total cholesterol about 50points, which is now well into the normal range and has kept her blood sugar and blood pressure in normal ranges also. As you can see from the timeline, these changes didn’t happen overnight, but she slowly worked at it and has achieved great success in the last 6-8 months and looks forward to continuing to work on her health and wellness goals. In Denise’s words “Thanks for being so supportive and encouraging. I hope the next time you see me, you will have to take a double look as I am hoping to look smaller and more fit.”
As we approach the start of our fall session of STRIVE 2 Survive, I hope Denise’s testimony shows you the benefits you can receive from our wellness program and our team’s education, support, and encouragement. If you see Denise on the street, be sure to congratulate her on her success! We are very proud of her!
Fall STRIVE starts September 10th…contact us today to get enrolled!!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Aug 13, 2013 | Diet, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
I am excited to have another dietetics student from South Dakota State University with me this week. Morgan is finishing up her last semester at SDSU and will be applying for dietetic internships soon. This week Morgan is in charge of my blog posts…enjoy! -Kelsey
Have a Sweet Tooth?
Here are some of my tips to get through those cravings….
1) Realize they are ONLY cravings—and if you can distract yourself for awhile the craving will go away! Mind over matter!
2) Have a sugar free substitution–always have on hand sugar-free or fat-free hot chocolate, sugar-free gum, or sugar free/fat free vanilla yogurt
3) As weird as it way sound, take some cottage cheese and put a packet of sweetener in it (I like stevia best)
4) I drink Green Tea with no sweetener—the bitter taste and it puts a stop to the sweet craving
5) The same with kosher pickles
6) Brush your teeth! It really helps. The combination of the mint tooth paste plus the time it takes to do it, kicks the craving!
7) OR I just give in and let my self have one or two small dove dark chocolates. Dark chocolate actually has tons of antioxidants and doesn’t have effects on LDL cholesterol like your normal sweets have!!
-Morgan McLain
by kelsey | Jul 30, 2013 | Cooking Tips, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Cooking for 1-2 can be challenging…if you let it be. Not knowing how to cook for 1-2 and in turn eating eat out more or eating more packaged/boxed foods is just an excuse! You can cook healthy when it’s just for 1-2…it just takes a little planning and scheming to make it work right! It’s just myself and husband Adam and right now Adam is in Russia for work, so it’s just me and as I was making supper last night I was thinking this would be a perfect blog topic! If you’re like me, you probably don’t feel like making a new meal every night, so try out batch cooking. Instead of just making one chicken breast for supper last night, I made 3 and I also made a double batch of vegetables on the grill. I only ate my portion of this for last night’s supper and separated the rest in Tupperware containers. I brought one for lunch today and will eat the other for supper another night. It didn’t take any extra time to make 3 chicken breasts compared to one and now I’m set for the next few meals.
Here are some other tips for you:
Plan your meals
Planning can help you can get the most meals out of your time in the kitchen. For instance, cook chicken once a week, but use it in two or three dishes over the next few days (like I did!). You can even freeze some of the cooked chicken for use at another time. I feel this tip is the most important. Lack of planning always results in going for convenience foods, so get our your calendar or planner on Saturday or Sunday and look at your week’s schedule and plan accordingly. Take meat out of the freezer to prepare or pre-prep some of your food items to lessen time and efforts later. Another example of this would be browning 2 lbs of hamburger and using it in several meals. Your first step is done (browning) so the next steps to complete your meal will take less time and less effort.
Purchase individually frozen foods
Look for foods that are individually frozen, so that you only need to thaw out the portion that you are going to use. If you thaw a whole chicken, you only have a few days to eat it. If you buy chicken breasts that are individually frozen, you can thaw them one at a time if you want. You also can break up some packages of food as soon as you get home from the store. Place each portion into an individual freezer bag to save time in the future.
Rethink cooking full meals
Many people who live alone cook themselves meals, promising that they will eat the leftovers during the next few days. Then they find that they do not want to eat this food again when tomorrow comes. This is a big waste of time and money. Either freeze your leftovers in individual containers or consider switching to easily prepared “small meals” throughout the day. You can easily half your recipe to reduce the amount of food as well.
Search for recipes
Many cookbooks feature recipes for one or two people. Look for them at your local library or search on the Internet. Web sites such as www.allrecipes.com allow you to alter the number of servings that a recipe will serve.
Use a Crock-Pot®
Discover all of the things that you can make in a Crock-Pot. You can make stew, a casserole, bread, or fruit cobbler and have it waiting for you when you get home. I like to slow cook chicken breasts and use them in a variety of meals. I also like to make roasts in the crockpot and then make them into BBQ beef sandwiches, beef stew, etc.
Practice FIFO
Remember to practice the FIFO principle in your kitchen—first in, first out. Make sure to use the products that expire the soonest first. This seems elementary, but many people do not practice this. Also make sure to eat your most perishable produce first (ie, berries before apples). Many charts are available that describe how long different fruits and vegetables will last after you purchase them.
Shop the deli and salad bar
Use the deli and salad bar to your advantage. Go ahead and buy ¼ pound of sliced turkey or a ½ cup of broccoli. You might pay a higher price than you would if you purchased a larger amount, but think about how much money you waste when you throw out spoiled food that you do not eat.
There are ways to eat healthy when you’re cooking for 1-2…give these suggestions a try…I am sure you’ll be surprised how much better you feel when you eat a well-balanced meal versus convenience foods or toast for supper!
-Kelsey
