by kelsey | Dec 6, 2012 | Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Have you ever wondered what caffeine’s relationship with weight is? Caffeine is found in a variety of products, but typically we get it through drinks such as soda, coffee, tea, etc. Caffeine may boost weight loss or prevent weight gain, but there is really no concrete evidence indicating caffeine’s relationship with weight loss or gain.
Even though research is inconclusive, there are several theories or ideas as to how caffeine may affect weight. Caffeine may act as an appetite suppressant and reduce desire to eat for a short period of time; it may stimulate thermogenesis, which is the body’s mechanism for generating heat and energy and burning calories…however this is probably not substantial enough to produce significant weight loss; caffeine can also act as a diuretic, thus you may experience an increase in urine output, which can temporarily decrease your body weight, but it will not decrease body fat. Caffeine also acts as a stimulant to the brain and central nervous system, so the negative effects of excess consumption can affect your sleep, blood pressure, and wellness of your body.
Overall, the research is inconclusive, however since caffeine really doesn’t have any health or nutritional benefits, it’s best to avoid it or limit it as your body will be healthier without it!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Nov 29, 2012 | Weight Management
The holidays can bring out a variety of emotions and when food is at every holiday party or gathering, it can be challenging to practice portion control and make good choices. The first step in overcoming emotional eating is to recognize what emotions cause you to eat more. Keeping a food log that includes your feelings and emotions in relationship to your intake will help you increase your awareness. Once you know what is causing the urge to overeat, the next step is to figure out how to avoid or overcome that situation or feeling. Think about what needs to change in your life to break the pattern of emotional eating, how can you reduce your stress, and channel your energy in another direction that is away from food. If certain foods are more tempting to you, then do not buy them or keep them in your home. If you slip up from time to time, do not get down on yourself! Instead, overcome it and get back on track the next meal or snack and examine each fall back as a way to find out more about what is causing your emotional eating. Exercise is also helpful as it produces natural endorphins that boost mood, so next time you get the urge, get moving!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Oct 31, 2012 | Holidays, Weight Management
Happy Halloween! Today is always a fun-filled day for kids and families and of course involves a lot of candy. As a child I remember it was our goal to get our Halloween bags FILLED to the brim with goodies! I don’t remember ever actually eating it all, but there are many kids that would! Last week, I got a kick out of Wednesday night sitcom “The Middle” as Brick, their youngest son ate his entire bag of candy in one night and his parents were mortified! Halloween is a fun time, however it’s also the perfect time to talk to your kids about the importance of moderation. Before your kids leave for trick-or-treating tonight, set some ground rules about how and when the candy will be consumed. Spreading the candy out over a period of time and following a “Treat-Schedule” will allow them to enjoy it, but not over-do it. Encourage them to make piles of their favorite candy and not-so-favorites and consider donating the not-so-favorites to a local shelter or send to those serving our country overseas. And most of all, encourage your child to focus on the fun of the holiday which includes being with friends and family and dressing up, with less focus on the candy.
Enjoy the day!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Oct 30, 2012 | Diet, Eating Out, Food, Weight Management
One of my favorite activities we do in our STRIVE lectures is the label reading activity with nutrition information from restaurants. I find it’s hard to make a good choice if we don’t know what good choices are at those particular restaurants…thus taking the time to read and research the options will ensure a healthy choice is made. You can find the nutrition information online for most chain restaurants and alot of them are posting the calories right next to the choices as a result of new labeling laws. I also like using the Calorie King app on my phone to help me make good choices.
If you do not have the option to look at the nutrition facts, here are some tips to help you make healthy and smart choices when eating out:
- Watch your portions: choose a half portion, share your meal, or pack half or 2/3 of your meal to go before you start eating.
- Add to your meal: add more veggies and lean meats if you have the option.
- Eat consistently: eat balanced throughout the day, even though you know you’re going out to eat later. Skipping meals and snacks to save up calories for your night out, will only result in you over-eating and making poor choices because you are so hungry! Have a snack an hour or two before you go to stave off hunger.
- Read wisely: choose dishes that are grilled, broiled, steamed, baked, or roasted. Stay away from dishes that are fried, breaded, crispy, crunchy, or creamy as they typically have more calories, fat, and sodium.
- Ask for help: it’s ok to ask for substitutions or ways to make your meal healthier.
Eating out it part of our social life, so it’s important to be mindful and smart about your choices to ensure you stay on track with your goals!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Oct 25, 2012 | Diet, Holidays, Weight Management
It’s that time of year again. Not only are the aisles of Wal-Mart strewn with witch hats, zombie make-up and fairy wings, but of course there is the looming aisle of Halloween candy. It can be easy to over indulge on treats this time of year. Most of the candy passed out to trick-or-treaters comes in “fun size” or “mini” portions. However, looks can be deceiving; people often believe that since they are smaller in size, more can be consumed. Calories from Halloween candy can quickly add up. For example; 3 mini snickers bars pack 300 calories. To burn off that many calories you would have to walk at a brisk pace for 1.5 hours or run for 40 minutes.
Fortunately the 31st of October doesn’t have to mean automatic weight gain. Try waiting until the day before to buy treats to pass out. You will be less likely to feel the need to nibble if you don’t buy it a month ahead of time. Keeping it out of site, such as up in a closet you rarely use, can help you forget that it’s even in the house. The biggest challenge with Halloween candy is the leftovers. After the trick-or-treaters have come and gone we are often left with the reality that we stocked up for 400 doorbell ringers, and only got 15. Buying candy that you don’t like is an easy way to keep you from eating it both before and after the holiday.
Halloween Treats to Try
Sugar-free gum
Boxes of raisins
Animal crackers
Pretzels
Trail mix
Fruit snacks
Lollipops
Non-Candy choices: stickers, small toys, erasers, etc.
Halloween Tricks to Avoid
Candy bars
Caramels
Fudge
Skittles
M&M’s
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Oct 18, 2012 | Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
As many have you heard, there continues to be frustrations with the recent changes to school menus. The National School Lunch nutrition guidelines were updated this year to now include more fruits and vegetables, more whole grains, low fat dairy, and restrictions on total fat, trans and saturated fat, and sodium. As a dietitian, I think these changes are a great improvement in the nutrition content of the meals and will make a positive impact in our children’s health, long term. Change is never easy and most of us don’t like change, which is partly why we have heard more negative feedback than positive right now.
In the last few weeks, I have had the opportunity to visit with Kaitlyn Hemmingson, SDSU Nutrition Graduate Student who has been assisting Brookings School District with their menu updates as well as the Watertown Coordinated School Health group. From what I’ve gathered from these visits, is that the feedback is really individualized for each district. Some schools have been prepping to make these changes in the last few years so those districts have already gotten their students accustomed to these changes whereas, other district’s are struggling a bit more with student’s appeal and satisfaction to the changes. It will also take some time for the foodservice folks to figure out which foods students like and which need some revising, as well as learning to cook and prepare the foods in a manner students will enjoy. The last update for school menus was 15 years ago and as many know, the health of our nation has greatly changed in the last 15 years as we now have about 66% of Americans in the overweight-obese BMI categories, leaving only about a third of Americans at a healthy weight.
I feel these changes are a step in the right direction and it’s just going to take some time for students to adjust and get used to the changes. In addition, it’s going to take some time for our foodservice workers to adapt the menus and learn how to prepare the new foods in an appetizing manner for students to enjoy. A main complaint is that students are still hungry, so what both Kaitlyn and the Watertown Coordinated School Health groups are recommending is that parents take initiative and pack their child some extra snacks in their bookbag for afterschool or in between sports and we recommend these snacks to be healthy ones to help fuel their bodies. Healthy snacks include whole grain granola bars, fruit, trail mix, half a turkey sandwich, whole grain crackers and cheese, etc. The long term effects of these menu improvements will make a tremendous and positive impact on the health of our nation, so be patient and give it some time to work!
To view the full report you can click this link: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-01-26/pdf/2012-1010.pdf. Page 24-25 lists the chart of recommendations for each food group according to age groups and the sodium restrictions.
If you have any questions about these changes, don’t hesitate to contact me!
-Kelsey
