by kelsey | Jun 21, 2018 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
The summer season is the perfect time to eat more fruits and vegetables because they are so fresh! There are countless ways to incorporate them into your meals and even try something new. Whether you have your own garden or make your way to the farmers market for your fresh produce, today is the perfect day to add more fruits and vegetables into your diet!
Ways to use fresh fruit and vegetables with links to delicious recipes:
- Cut them up and make a morning smoothie.
- Click HERE for a smoothie recipe.
- Add them to your oatmeal or top off a pancake!
- Click HERE for a an oatmeal recipe.
- Click HERE for a pancake recipe.
- Grill them (Pineapple and peaches are great for this!)
- Click HERE for a grilled fruit recipe.
- Prepare fruit parfaits with yogurt and granola.
- Click HERE for a fruit parfait recipe.
- Have you ever tried fruit salsa? It’s delish!
- Click HERE for a fruit salsa recipe.
Ways to use fresh vegetables with links to delicious recipes:
- Switch it up with a green smoothie!
- Click HERE for a green smoothie recipe.
- Nothing better than some fresh garden salsa.
- Click HERE for a fresh salsa recipe.
- Throw them on the grill!
- Click HERE for a grilled vegetable recipe.
- Top off your burgers or make a burger bowl!
- Click HERE for a burger bowl recipe.
- Chop them up and make a fresh salad.
- Click HERE for a fresh salad recipe.
These are just a few of the many ways that you can add fresh fruits and vegetables into the food that you eat! Let the recipes inspire you to add more colorful foods onto your plate and into your bowls!
Kylie Serie, SDSU Dietetic Student
by kelsey | Jun 20, 2018 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Fat can sometimes get a bad reputation from the general public. However, fat is good for us and we should actually be getting 20-35% of our calories from fat sources. Fat helps regulate certain hormones within the body as well as keeping the body insulated. It also serves as a backup source of energy and is used for the absorption of fat soluble vitamins. There are different kinds of fat so we want to be choosing healthier sources. These sources include monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The kinds of fat that we want to eat less of include saturated and trans fats which are found mostly in processed foods.
Sources of monounsaturated fats:
- Avocado
- Peanut Butter
- Olive Oil
- Safflower Oil
- Canola Oil
- Nuts
Sources of polyunsaturated Fats:
- Walnuts
- Flax seeds
- Fish (salmon, tuna, trout)
- Sunflower seeds
- Safflower Oil
- Soybean Oil
All of these food sources can be easily added into your daily meals. Remember that eating fat is actually good for you and supports your overall health and wellbeing!
-Kylie Serie, SDSU Dietetic Student
by kelsey | Jun 19, 2018 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Eating healthy on the go can seem difficult at times, however there are many things you can do to make it a little easier! Here are 4 tips that will save you time while still eating healthy nutritious food!
- Plan Ahead: On Saturday or Sunday, take a look at what your week ahead is going to be like. It can be very helpful to write out your schedule so you can see the times in your week where you may be on the go and extra busy. From there, decide on a few meals that would be easy to prep and that will provide you with energy for those busy days. Also, decide on some easy to grab snacks that you can keep with you.
- Meal Prep: If you have looked at your week and you know you will not have time to cook for yourself, meal prep a few staple items that you can easily grab out of the fridge on your way out the door. This can be something as simple as brown rice, baked chicken, and a side of vegetables. A few breakfast ideas include overnight oats, protein balls, hardboiled eggs, and precut fruit that you can throw in a blender and make a smoothie with. Whatever your food choice may be, meal prepping can be a helpful way to prepare meals for a few days at a time.
- Prepare Extra Food: If meal prepping isn’t really your thing, it’s okay! Another easy way to save time is to prepare extra food when you do cook. If you have time to prepare a healthy dinner, make a few extra servings that you can save for lunch the next day.
- Snack Up: Having healthy snacks on hand will keep you from purchasing quick and unhealthy choices when life gets a little busy. A few good ideas include fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts, trail mix, cheese, pretzels and hummus, yogurt, and peanut butter on whole wheat bread.
- Hydrate: This last tip is so important! The last thing you want to happen when your busy is to become dehydrated. Keep water with you at all times and drink it throughout the day. You can always spice your water up by adding in fresh fruit or sipping on unsweetened iced tea.
Utilize a few of these tips to make healthy eating a little bit easier when you have a busy schedule or when you are on the go! Eating healthy and staying hydrated will provide you with the energy that you need to get through your day!
-Kylie Serie, SDSU Dietetic Student
by kelsey | Jun 14, 2018 | Diet, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Metabolism is the body’s process of breaking down what we eat to use as energy. This process is the key to maintaining healthy weight and to stay feeling your best. Metabolism mainly stays stable; however, your body’s metabolism gradually decreases with age.
Is there a way to raise your metabolism back up to a healthy rate to promote weight loss or keep weight off? Here are a few tips that help with boosting your body’s metabolism back to a faster rate—the healthy way.
- Eat regularly: Spacing the time you eat to every 3-4 hours (about 3 meals + 2 snacks per day) helps your metabolism stay on track and running properly. Skipping meals causes your body to slow down to conserve calories. This also causes the body to store fat due to thinking it’s in a famine. Storing fat and conserving the calories your eating will cause weight gain rather than weight loss.
- Eat well balanced meals: The type of food that you consume plays a huge role with your mood along with the energy you receive. Eating foods high in saturated fat and added sugar (i.e. desserts, fast food, chips) may cause you to feel more tired and will not give your body the proper nutrients it needs. Try eating smaller, more balanced meals with whole wheat/whole grains, vegetables, lean meats, and fresh fruit.
- Exercise: Exercising helps your body build muscle, which then helps your body burn calories more efficiently. The faster you burn calories, the easier to have weight loss. People with more muscle can consume more calories because of the rate they burn them, compared to someone with more body fat. Try switching up your exercises regularly to make sure your body doesn’t get used to the same routine to promote the best results.
- Be patient: Building your metabolism back up may take time, so being patient is important to getting results.
- Persistence: Boosting metabolism takes consistency. Following a regular diet and a stable eating pattern will help with this. Make a schedule with eating and exercising that you are comfortable with and keep it a routine.
Ways that will NOT boost your metabolism consistently:
- Eating hot peppers or drinking green tea: These MIGHT boost your metabolism for a few hours, but are not an effective way to keep your body producing enough energy to burn your calories in a day. Instead, stick to eating healthy grains, vegetables, and lean meats which will impact your metabolism more effectively and better over time.
- Consuming very little calorie diets: This will cause your body to go into starvation mode which leads to conserving calories and burning them more slowly. Therefore, will cause you to keep weight on. Instead, keep a well-balanced diet and eat throughout the day.
Following these tips will help make you feel better, have more energy, and will give your metabolism an extra boost.
Sources: http://www.eatright.org
Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
by kelsey | Jun 12, 2018 | Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
June is national dairy month, thus it’s a great time to recognize and discuss the benefits we can get from dairy in our diets.
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.
I know I will enjoy a nice glass of cold milk tonight with supper, I hope you do too!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jun 7, 2018 | Exercise, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
The Watertown Park and Rec have two great programs that feature and encourage activity on the trail. Our trail system is an great part of Watertown and is an excellent way to be active! Check out the details below:
Outdoor Walking Club
The summer hit is back for another season of walking fun. The group will walk for up to an hour each Friday throughout the summer. This is free for all ages who enjoy walking and also the social aspect of getting outside with friends and getting some exercise. We walk at a slow pace to accommodate everyone and take multiple breaks. Through the course of the summer we will walk all over the city of Watertown. Meet by 9:00am sharp each week to walk with the group at the various locations listed below. No commitment, Just show up to walk when you can. The walks are free and we encourage everyone to attend.
Dates and schedule of where we will be meeting each week.
June 8: Stokes-Thomas City Park (by the Veterans Memorial)
June 15: Mt. Hope Cemetery (by the front entrance)
June 22: Redlin Art Center (by the front entrance)
June 29: Memorial Park (parking lot by the boat ramp)
July 6: Joy Ranch (parking lot near SE side of Main St.)
July 13: Jackson Park (in the parking lot across from Cattail Crossing)
July 20: Bramble Park Zoo (by the picnic shelter)
July 27: Eastwoods Park (by the playground)
August 3: Slumberland Disc Golf Course (in the parking lot)
August 10: Stokes-Thomas City Park (by the Veterans Memorial)
August 17: Senior Activities Center (In the park area)
August 31: Joy Ranch (parking lot near SE side of Main St.)
September 7: Mother of God Monastery
September 14: Memorial Park (parking lot by the boat ramp)
September 21: Pelican Lake (entrance fee required for park)
September 28: Slumberland Disc Golf Course (in the parking lot)
Annual Trail Challenge
Info: If you are into running, walking, or biking the beautiful trails of Watertown, then the Recreational Trail Challenge is for you! From May 1-September 28, keep track of your miles on the trails, and prizes will be given to our top finishers in each category! Make sure to visit our website www.watertownsd.us to get your Rec Trail Challenge tracking sheet or stop into the Park and Rec Fieldhouse located at 1900 West Kemp to pick one up!
Thank you to our sponsors Watertown D.A.S.H, Strive Brown Clinic, and Dan and Sarah Reiffenberger.
