by kelsey | Jul 25, 2013 | Diet, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
There are no doubts about it….weight loss is tough….but even tougher is maintaining that weight loss. The majority of people who lose a large amount of weight, usually end up gaining it back. This yo-yo dieting or weight cycling results in a variety of issues including poor self esteem, lack of motivation, binge eating, etc. I like to compare this cycle to being stuck in a revolving door like you’d find at a hotel…you just keep going around and around and can’t seem to get out! To help you put a stop to weight cycling, follow these tips:
- Change your mindset: No one ever wants to go on a “diet” and being a diet is never any fun, so ditch the word. Diet usually has a time period to it, so instead think of this has a lifestyle improvement. Think of healthy eating as a lifelong commitment, not a short period of time. Fad diets never work as you can’t live that way forever, so instead focus on a well-balanced nutrition plan that incorporates whole foods and portion control.
- Get adequate sleep: sleep is often overlooked in the equation to success as we tend to put a large amount of focus on food and activity….but in reality, getting adequate sleep is just as important as your exercise and nutrition. You need to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep/night to allow your body to reset and repair itself. Lack of sleep or poor sleep habits typically result in poor eating habits, increasing cravings for junk foods, and a higher BMI.
- Destress: stress can cause an increase in the hormone cortisol and when this hormone is increased, you may experience a greater desire for junk foods or unhealthy foods. Examine your stress levels and think critically about ways you could improve the stress in your life. You may consider journaling, yoga, or meditation to help you. Engaging in regular activity also helps reduce stress as it gives your body natural endorphins that aid in mood boosting.
- Practice mindful eating: Slow the eating process down and think critically about your hunger and fullness factors. Think of food as fuel and you want to choose healthy foods to provide your body with the appropriate nutrients and energy. When we think of food as “good” or “bad” it tends to make us want those bad foods even more, so instead change your mindset about food and work on portion control and feeling confident about your decisions.
I don’t expect these tips to happen overnight, but I do encourage you to examine your life and look at each part of the equation to help you stop the weight cycling and get on a path of healthy living for the long run!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jul 16, 2013 | Diet, Exercise, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Like Dr. Dan, my Saturday included friends and fitness as well as I participated in the Beef & Eggs 5k along with many other South Dakota Team BEEF members and friends! “Team BEEF is a community of runners and health enthusiasts who recognize the nutrition benefits of lean beef and the vital role this high-quality protein plays in their training.” (http://www.sdbeef.org/teambeef.aspx). The Beef & Eggs 5k was one of our sponsored races this year and SD Team BEEF was well represented! It’s a great opportunity to do two things I love: exercise and promote the benefits of lean beef. Red meat tends to get a bad rap, but in reality, it’s an excellent source of protein and if you choose the lean cuts (there are 29!), it can truly be a part of a healthy and balanced diet.
Did you know that beef is 20% leaner than it was about 15 years ago? There are at least 29 cuts of lean beef which means they meet the government guidelines for lean, meaning each cut has less than 10g of total fat, less than 4.5 g of saturated fat, and less than 95mg of cholesterol (in a 3 oz serving). Here are some tips for you to make beef a part of your heart healthy meals:
- Look for key words such as “round” or “loin” …these are typically leaner cuts
- Choose 90% or greater lean beef. This means in a 3oz serving there is less than 5g of fat in it.
- Use healthy cooking methods such as grilling, broiling, baking, roasting, or braising. The less tender cuts can be marinated in a tenderizing marinade such as salsa or light Italian dressing.
- Trim the fat! Trimming the fat before cooking will help eliminate some of the fat from the cut.
- Cook with fresh ingredients such as lemon juice, peppers, onions, garlic, and herbs instead of adding extra fat to the cut.
- Practice portion control. Select the 3-5 oz serving over the 10oz.
Balance is key to a healthy diet, so be sure to include your fruits and veggies and whole grains along with your lean meat to create a healthy plate. As of a just a few months ago, all meat is required to have the nutrition content (label) posted by it in the grocery store. Be sure to use this when you’re selecting your cuts of meat and pay special attention to the total fat and saturated fat content. If you want to learn more about the benefits of beef and explore healthy recipes check out these websites: www.beefnutrition.org and www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com.
It was a hot and humid morning for a run (hence the red faces in the pictures!), but we had a blast together. My brother-in-law asked me why we chose to run 3 miles “for fun”…yes, it may sound weird that my friends and I met in Brookings to run together, but having something like this on my calendar keeps me motivated and helps me meet my fitness goals. Exercise has always been a part of my friendship with these girls as some of us competed on the SDSU equestrian team together, so it’s natural to run together! I also talked my co-worker and friend Lacey into running another 5k with me! Having some activities like this planned into your schedule is a good way to keep you on track with meeting your fitness goals and helping you stay fit. Don’t be afraid to try a fun run or 5k! There are all levels of runners and walkers!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jun 25, 2013 | Goals, Motivation, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
We have all heard the saying “stop and smell the roses” but do you practice it!?! Life is busy for everyone…you have your job, family, friends, social activities, etc…all things that are important and fill up your days…but are you taking or should I say making the time to take good care of yourself? Many of us put ourselves last on the list which is very un-selfish, however that often results in our own health being neglected. It’s important to take some time for reflection and self assessment and think about what’s really important and what you need to do daily to help you be healthy, to ensure you are in the best shape to be there for your family and friends and be able to fully enjoy what you like to do.
Eating healthy and exercise are parts of a healthy lifestyle, but so is your mental health and spiritual health and it’s important to take time to foster healthy behaviors with all of these aspects of wellness. It seems like we (me and my family) are always going 100 mph and I’m sure we are not alone with this lifestyle! Sometimes you just need to “stop and smell the roses” and think about all of the great things you have in your life and refocus on your goals and ways to achieve them. Sunday night, my husband and I were out checking our cows and calves in the pasture that my family has owned for many years. As were checking the cows, we experienced a beautiful sunset and the rise of the “super moon”, which was an amazingly beautiful full and bright moon. I stopped on my 4-wheeler (for those who know me, yes I wish I was riding a horse instead ;)) and just took it all in and “stopped and smelled the roses”…the sunset, the moon, the beautiful landscape, and the cattle grazing on the land once ran by grandparents and Dad when he was younger….all awesome things to be thankful for and enjoy. It’s hard to take time to stop and smell the roses, but when you do I will guarantee you will feel refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to concur your next set of goals or ambitions….and those little things that have been bothering you will seem minimal now. There is a lot of beauty and great things happening around us, we just need to re-focus and recognize these things and appreciate them! Once you do, the world is yours!
I could watch the the cattle graze all day long….it’s calming and peaceful to watch nature at it’s finest.
The “super moon” rising above the rolling plains. A beautiful site.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jun 18, 2013 | Diet, Family, Food, Holidays, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
This last weekend, my family had a great Father’s Day celebration all weekend complete with boating, fishing, good food, campfires, and fellowship. My brother Lincoln and his family came from Wisconsin and it’s always a treat to get to be with their two little girls. We had an awesome supper Saturday night to celebrate the great dads and I have to say I was quite proud of our family! We grilled our own Raml Cattle lean steaks, had potatoes on the grills, and a bunch of really great fruits and veggies. As I dished up my plate, I noticed it mirrored the USDA’s MyPlate’s icon and I couldn’t resist taking a picture of it! I think it’s very important to practice what you preach and if I am giving you recommendations on healthy eating, I feel it’s essential for me to practice those recommendations as well! This meal was fairly simple to prepare and was thoroughly enjoyed without the feeling of being too full. Things to have on hand to make a healthy plate include: lean proteins (in this case we used sirloin), plenty of fruits and veggies to complete half of your plate, and a quarter starch or grains (we grilled red potatoes with a little olive oil). When you eat a balanced, portion controlled plate like this, you will feel content and the need to snack and over-eat is greatly decreased. I hope all of you Fathers out there enjoyed your day and got extra special treatment! I know I sure enjoyed the weekend with my family as we celebrated!
My Dad helping me grill.
“BEEF, it’s what’s for dinner.” Our delicious Raml Cattle steaks were perfect for our Father’s Day celebration!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jun 12, 2013 | Diet, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Wouldn’t it be awesome if there was this magical pill that helped us lose weight and we didn’t have to make any efforts to get it to work!?! Dr. Oz advertises many products that claim to aid in weight loss and there are uncountable fad diets out there….which keeps us dietitians on our toes as we constantly are educating and de-bunking the myths of these programs and products. Between raspberry ketones, green coffee bean, etc, etc etc, we often wonder if there really is a magical pill. Despite the desire for this, the fact of the matter is that there is no such thing and there never will be! Healthy weight loss and weight maintenance do require effort, hard work, dedication, and motivation…and it takes time to change our lifestyle, behaviors, and choices so it will take time for that weight to come off and stay off. You didn’t put it on in one day so don’t expect to lose it one day! It not only requires you to examine the choices you’re making, but it’s also essential for you to take a closer look at your consistency of intake (or lack there of) and your behaviors and emotions about food. Looking at the big picture will help you be mores successful in the long run and help you avoid that trap of yo-yo dieting and negative feelings towards food and yourself. Next time you hear a claim about a product or program, consider a few things: is it safe?…has it been tested or approved by credible agencies? ….what is the population of the people who trialed it? (small studies are not credible or reliable)…..does it sound too good to be true? ….do you cut out several food groups? …..is exercise NOT advised? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it’s most likely too good to be true. Stay focused and be patient, you really can do this and be successful at it by working on improving your lifestyle and behaviors one at a time. Positive thinking and determination will help you be successful!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jun 6, 2013 | Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
June is National Dairy Month 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
