by kelsey | May 22, 2018 | Diet, Food, Holidays, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
The official kick off to summer and picnic season is this weekend: Memorial Day Holiday! This time of year always bring great cookouts and picnics. Typical picnic foods consist of burgers, brats, hotdogs, chips, and high calorie salads such as macaroni and potato salads. These are all very tasty foods, but they are also all very high in calories, fat, and sodium. Cookouts don’t have to bust the calorie bank. Choose your foods wisely and plan your menus to include a few healthy options and make substitutions like the meal examples below to help you fully enjoy each cookout while aiding in a healthy heart and waistline.
Eat This
90% lean hamburger with whole wheat thin bun
Grilled chicken breast
Grilled shrimp
Tossed Salad with light dressing
Fresh veggies with light ranch dip
Baked chips
Fruit salad
Angel food cake with light cool whip and strawberries
Unsweetened Tea with Lemon
Not That
80% lean hamburger with white bun
Hot dogs
Brats
Excess portions of: macaroni salad, potato salad, baked beans
Brownies
Kool-Aid
Regular pop
-Kelsey
by kelsey | May 17, 2018 | Diet, Weight Management
The ketogenic diet has become a hot topic in today’s dieting world, but is it safe? The ketogenic is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet that in medicine is used primarily to treat difficult-to-control epilepsy in children. The diet forces the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates. It is said to have many benefits for weight loss and health performance. On a ketogenic diet, your entire body switches its fuel supply to run almost entirely on fat. Insulin levels become very low and fat burning dramatically increases, forcing the body into a state of ketosis.
There are some benefits to a ketogenic diet, such that one may end up eating healthier fats, and stray away from sugar and processed foods. On the other hand, there are also some drawbacks. This strict diet can be difficult to follow and many people end up eating fats that are not the healthiest. The diet may help lose weight right away because most of the weight that is lost is water weight, but it may not be ideal for long-term use because not many people will be able to sustain this kind of lifestyle for very long. Once your body enters ketosis, you begin to lose muscle, become extremely fatigued, and eventually enter the starvation mode. It actually becomes more difficult to lose weight once you have entered the starvation mode because your body is trying to hold on to fat that is left in order to survive. In addition, the keto diet can be harmful on your kidneys, liver, and heart.
Overall, yes, there are some benefits to following a ketogenic diet, but a healthier and more sustainable option would be changing your overall lifestyle to eat a healthy, balanced intake instead of completely cutting out food groups that contain important vitamins and minerals that the body needs.
Angel Rasmussen, SDSU Dietetic Student
by kelsey | May 16, 2018 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
The weather is getting warmer, days are getting longer, and school is almost out. Summer! This is the perfect time to improve your wellbeing and enjoy the season. Here are a few simple steps to boost your personal health this summer:
- Berries
- Add a cup of mixed
- fresh berries to your day – blackberries, blueberries, or strawberries. They will help you load up on antioxidants, which may help prevent damage to tissues and reduce the risks of age-related illnesses. Berries are also rich in fiber, which helps keep cholesterol low and may even help prevent some cancers.
- Fruit-Infused Water
- Tired of plain old water? Add some extra flavor by throwing in some fruit with your water! This is a healthier option than juices or energy drinks and adds tons of nutrients to staying hydrated in the summer heat. Some ideas:
- Orange-kiwi
- Raspberry-mint
- Blueberry-lime
- Lemon-cucumber
- Strawberry-basil
- Get Outside
- To improve your stress level, get outside and plant a small garden, cultivate a flower box, or plant a few flower pots. Being outdoors can help create a positive attitude and boost your mental health.
- Take advantage of the nice weather and pick an outdoor activity – going on a hike, taking a walk, playing games with your children – to get some physical activity.
Angel Rasmussen, SDSU Dietetic Student
by kelsey | May 8, 2018 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
May is beef month so I thought it’d be fitting to talk about this powerhouse lean protein!
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). Lean beef is also a great source of multiple vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B12, selenium, zinc, niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorus, iron, and choline. 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. 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.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | May 3, 2018 | Exercise, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
It’s that time of year again!! Start keeping track of your mileage on the trail for the annual trail challenge with the Watertown Park and Rec!!
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.
by kelsey | May 2, 2018 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
We all know we are supposed to eat fruits and veggies…and more of them, but the actually doing it part we struggle with. Today’s post gives you some ideas on ways to get your 5 servings a day of fruits and veggies. Remember one serving is equal to 1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked. Fruits and veggies are loaded with vitamins and minerals and aid in disease prevention. Including more fruits and veggies in your diet doesn’t have to be a challenging task! Here are some suggestions to help you boost your intake.
1. Variety abounds when using vegetables as pizza topping. Try broccoli, spinach, green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and zucchini.
2. Mix up a breakfast smoothie made with low-fat milk, frozen strawberries and a banana.
3. Make a veggie wrap with roasted vegetables and low-fat cheese rolled in a whole-wheat tortilla.
4. Try crunchy vegetables instead of chips with your favorite low-fat salad dressing for dipping.
5. Grill colorful vegetable kabobs packed with tomatoes, green and red peppers, mushrooms and onions.
6. Add color to salads with baby carrots, grape tomatoes, spinach leaves or mandarin oranges.*
7. Keep cut vegetables handy for mid-afternoon snacks, side dishes, lunch box additions or a quick nibble while waiting for dinner. Ready-to-eat favorites: red, green or yellow peppers, broccoli or cauliflower florets, carrots, celery sticks, cucumbers, snap peas or whole radishes.
8. Place colorful fruit where everyone can easily grab something for a snack-on-the-run. Keep a bowl of fresh, just ripe whole fruit in the center of your kitchen or dining table.
9. Get saucy with fruit. Puree apples, berries, peaches or pears in a blender for a thick, sweet sauce on grilled or broiled seafood or poultry, or on pancakes, French toast or waffles.
10. Stuff an omelet with vegetables. Turn any omelet into a hearty meal with broccoli, squash, carrots, peppers, tomatoes or onions with low-fat sharp cheddar cheese.
11. “Sandwich” in fruits and vegetables. Add pizzazz to sandwiches with sliced pineapple, apple, peppers, cucumber and tomato as fillings.
12. Wake up to fruit. Make a habit of adding fruit to your morning oatmeal, ready-to-eat cereal, yogurt or toaster waffle.
13. Top a baked potato with beans and salsa or broccoli and low-fat cheese.
14. Microwave a cup of vegetable soup as a snack or with a sandwich for lunch.
15. Add grated, shredded or chopped vegetables such as zucchini, spinach and carrots to lasagna, meat loaf, mashed potatoes, pasta sauce and rice dishes.
16. Make fruit your dessert: Slice a banana lengthwise and top with a scoop of low-fat frozen yogurt. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of chopped nuts.
17. Stock your freezer with frozen vegetables to steam or stir-fry for a quick side dish.
18. Make your main dish a salad of dark, leafy greens and other colorful vegetables. Add chickpeas or edamame (fresh soybeans). Top with low-fat dressing.*
19. Fruit on the grill: Make kabobs with pineapple, peaches and banana. Grill on low heat until fruit is hot and slightly golden.
20. Dip: Whole wheat pita wedges in hummus, baked tortilla chips in salsa, strawberries or apple slices in low-fat yogurt, or graham crackers in applesauce.
Source: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: www.eatright.org.
http://www.eatright.org/nnm/handoutsandtipsheets/#.UyHnjs47Bw0
-Kelsey
