by kelsey | Jan 25, 2018 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
It seems the latest diet craze I have been hearing about is the vegetarian/vegan way of eating where only plant foods are consumed. If done correctly, this way of eating can meet your nutrient needs, however it does take diligence and effort as animal foods do have excellent vitamins and minerals and especially protein to offer our body…. and we would be missing out on them if not consumed. This latest trend made me feel it was time to discuss proteins again on the blog. Let’s get back to the basics!
What is a Protein?
Proteins are the basic building blocks of the human body. They are made up of amino acids, and help build muscles, blood, skin, hair, nails and internal organs. Next to water, protein is the most plentiful substance in the body, and most of it (around 60% to 70%) is located in the skeletal muscles. Protein provides 4 calories per gram and is found in foods like meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, beans, nuts, and tofu.
What do proteins do?
- Supplies valuable enzymes that regulate bodily functions
- Provide for the transport of nutrients, oxygen and waste throughout the body.
- Key to muscle building and development
- Provide the structure and contracting capability of muscles.
- Provide collagen to connective tissues of the body and to the tissues of the skin, hair and nails.
What happens if I eat too many proteins?
A diet containing excess protein can have the following adverse effects:
- May put your other bodily systems under stress.
- Eating more protein and increasing total caloric intake while maintaining the same exercise level will build an equal amount of additional fat and muscle mass,
- Ketogenic diets can thrust your kidneys into overdrive in order to flush these ketones from your body. As your kidneys rid your body of these toxic ketones, you can lose a significant amount of water, which puts you at risk of dehydration, particularly if you exercise heavily
What happens if I eat too little proteins?
- An insufficient supply of protein the diet limits the amount of protein your body can use for daily cell function and building muscle.
How do proteins aid in weight loss?
- High-protein foods slow the movement of food from the stomach to the intestine. Slower stomach emptying means you feel full for longer and get hungrier later.
- Protein’s gentle, steady effect on blood sugar avoids the quick, steep rise in blood sugar and just as quick hunger-bell-ringing fall that occurs after eating a rapidly digested carbohydrate, like white bread or baked potato.
- The body uses more energy to digest protein than it does to digest fat or carbohydrate
What are the types of proteins to eat?
- Animal proteins – include meat, poultry, fish, dairy products and eggs and are of high biological value. These foods contain all the essential amino acids your body requires.
- Vegetable, Grain, Legume, Seed or Nut proteins – these are considered incomplete proteins, since each individual food does not contain all of the essential amino acids. To get all of the essential amino acids, simply choose foods from two or more sources.
If you have any questions about this topic, feel free to email me!
Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
strive2survive@brownclinic.org
by kelsey | Jan 24, 2018 | Diet, Food, Wellness/Health, Winter
Winter is here which means flu and illness are at it’s peak. Nutrition can play a key role in boosting your immune system to keep you healthy. A healthy and balanced diet not only helps your heart and your waist line, but it aids in a healthy immune system as well….especially a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C is helpful in boosting your immune system. Vitamin C is very rich in citrus fruits such as oranges. Sleep can also make a difference. If you aren’t getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep most nights of the week, your immune system can be weak and more susceptible to illness. Another essential method to ward off illness is proper hand washing. Thoroughly wash your hands for at least 20-30 seconds under warm, soapy water regularly throughout the day. Using hand sanitizer is also beneficial. Taking good care of yourself will help you live a longer and healthier life, but it will also keep your immune system strong to fight off infections and illness…which is ever more important right now during flu season!
Strive to get your 5 a day fruits and veggies, engage in regular activity, and practice good sleep habits, and your immune system will be in prime shape to keep you healthy!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jan 23, 2018 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Wellness/Health
I gave a talk last week and had several questions about probiotics so I thought it was fitting to repost this one!
We tend to think bacteria is a cause for disease, so the idea of tossing down a few billion a day for your health might seem a little hard to swallow. A Probiotic is a type of bacteria, but it is actually a GOOD bacterium that can help maintain the natural balance of organisms in our intestines. Its role is to reduce the growth of the harmful bacteria we do not want, which further promotes an overall healthy digestive system. There is convincing evidence that probiotics may help:
- Treat diarrhea (especially following treatment with antibiotics)
- Prevent and treat vaginal yeast infections and urinary tract infections
- Treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBD)
- Speed treatment of certain intestinal infections
- Prevent or reduce the severity of colds and flu
Yogurt is a natural source of probiotics. Make sure to look for yogurts with: “live and active cultures” stated somewhere on its label. A good example of this is Activia yogurt as this kind has more of the live and active cultures than the others. If you don’t like the taste of yogurt, you could always dress it up with a little granola and fruit such as the picture included of yogurt parfaits. Probiotics may also be taken as a dietary supplement. Ask your local pharmacist or physician for their recommendation.
-Kelsey
by Dan | Jan 21, 2018 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Heart Health, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Those early days seem a long time ago. I remember like yesterday the day my twin daughters were born. It was one of the happiest days of my life. My twins now are 23 years old…my how time flies! Those early days were so busy a lot of it is still a blur. These were our first kids, and we had no idea what we had gotten into. When people say they “fly by the seat of their pants”, how true this was. Every day was new. We also got a lot of attention wherever we went with them as well.
They were both always “hamming” it up for a camera, or other people. Much of this is still the same today! But one thing was for sure, Sarah and I still wanted to be active ourselves. The same was true then as it is today…we were going to stay as healthy as we could so we could spend more time with them. Many of those first days, one of us would run, or workout first, and then the other. But many of those times, we all went together. So we had to figure out how to have them included.
We bought a Burley at that time, and we could put them both in there, and then go running, walking, or biking with them. We all still got to spend time together, but we got to exercise as well. We set the tone right from the beginning…in this family, staying active was important, and we led by example…then, and now.
We would all spend time riding our bikes together. When we started the Hospital Hill run, now well over 20 years ago, the kids participated as well. They participated not only by running, or walking, but also setting up, and taking everything down. It became a family event every year.
The kids all went along to the marathons that I did as well. They were the top cheering section anybody could ever have!
They were there to support me, and cheer me on. I will never forget one of the marathons…Grandmas…when I was coming along mile 24, and just feeling like I had enough. I heard them cheering from the sideline, and I looked over, and almost lost it right there! I had no idea they had this planned out. Sarah had made T-shirts for the kids, and the front of them said one message, and the back said another. After I saw them, then they all turned around at the same time, and I will never forget it. This image is permanently burned into my brain. It remains today my favorite pictures, and memories!
They were cheering me on…being there for me. We tried to do this for them for all of their events as well when they were growing up. Next week I will have other pictures and a story about our recent half marathon we did together. Another event that will remain with me forever. A family that works out together, stays together…and hopefully has a lot of time that they get to spend together, making more memories. Keep moving everybody! Somebody out there wants you around a long time!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3770
by kelsey | Jan 17, 2018 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
With the big Vikings game this Sunday and Superbowl Sunday approaching quickly, many are getting their grocery lists ready and starting to prepare all those tasty snacks. Here are some tips to help you get through those football Sundays without busting the calorie bank:
- Be sure to eat consistently throughout the day and leading up to the party and game. If you fast all day to allow for extra eating during the game, you’re more likely to over-indulge as you’ll be extra hungry.
- Include fresh fruits and vegetables into the spread.
- Beware of the dips and sauces. They usually have a lot of extra calories, sugar, and fat. If you’re making your own, try using light or fat free to make your recipes healthier.
- Choose your beverages wisely. Liquid calories are hidden calories and we often times don’t realize how much they can add up. Opt for sugar free or calorie free beverages or limit your portions.
- Stay away from the fried and breaded items. Instead choose lean meats such as white meat chicken without the skin, lean hamburger, fish, or lean pork.
And remember that the food doesn’t always have to be the focus of the event, instead really take in and enjoy the fun and fellowship with friends and family!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Jan 14, 2018 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
It was a busy week last week, but a very fun one, and one that will go down in the books as a memory forever. Our family, except for Nick who had to stay back for school, and our second family, Steve and Carletta Hauck, and 2 of their kids, went to Orlando last week to take part in their Run Disney events. 4 days, 4 races, beginning with a 5K, then the second day a 10k, third day a half marathon, and the final day, a full marathon. You can pick and choose one or more, or all of them. Steve and I signed up for what is called the “Dopey Challenge”…you run all 4 events over the 4 days. The last time we did anything of this was 5 years ago, and we did the “Goofy Challenge”, which is the half marathon, followed by the marathon.
Steve and I were signed up to do the Dopey, but he hurt his knee and was unable to do this. He was able to “gut” it out, and he ran the 5k with me.
The weather was kind of a shock…28 degrees at the beginning of the 5k. The tough part of all of this was getting up at 2:15 AM every day, getting bused out to Epcot, which is where the start and finish of all of the races took place. Start time for the race was 5:30, and you are all assigned a corral to be in for the start. Between 20-25,000 people were in each race, and my daughters had never run a half marathon before, so we were assigned the last corral for all of the races. By being in the last corral, that meant we did not start the race until approx. 6:30 every day, so we had to stand outside for over 3 hours every day! That was harder than the run. Steve and I had a ball for the 5k, then I did the 10k myself the next day, and on Saturday, Sarah, my girls Molly and Megan, and our neighbors son Noah Hauck, all did the half marathon. Megan and Noah ran with me, and Molly ran with Sarah. It was a thrill! We got to run together, go through the them parks, high five all of the characters out on the route, and lots of pictures to be taken. Here are several:
We all had fun! I have always wanted to run races with my kids!!! Then, Sunday, it was time for the marathon…26.2 miles. I did not know how much I had left. I had already put in 22.4 miles in 3 days! Carissa Hauck, Steve and Carletta’s daughter, ran the marathon with me. She was very reluctant to do this, and her longest run had been 8 miles, done several months before this. She had never come close to running 26.2 miles at one time. She is in the military, stationed at Fort Bragg. She may not have been in running shape, but this kid is in incredible shape otherwise. If anybody was going to be able to do this, it was her. She ran with me from start to finish, and we picked up the pace as we went. Our second half was 10 minutes faster than the first half. We were on fire! So many people, so many things to do…I had not felt this good in a marathon ever! Here we are coming across the finish!
The medals were amazing. They all got one as they each ran one race. I got 6 medals! One for each of the 4 races, one for completing the Goofy, which was the half and full marathon, and one for the Dopey…doing all 4 races! People have asked me if I was crazy! How could I do this much at one time? What possessed me to do this? Why would anybody want to do this? It was called the Dopey Challenge…it was a challenge! It was a goal! I had never done this before. You never know as an individual what you are capable of doing. Several quotes stand out to me with this event: “It’s up to you how far you’ll go. If you don’t try, you’ll never know”. “You will never know your limits until you push yourself to them”. How true! The biggest thing out of all of this…I got to run with my kids, and my second family, and their kids. I have memories for a life time!
We all have memories for a lifetime! Bottom line, your only limitations are those you set for yourselves. If you think you can’t, you won’t. And if you think you can, anything is possible. The sky truly is not the limit…but your mind is! You can do this. No matter what your goal is, sometimes we all have to go out on a limb, and be a little “Dopey”…we don’t know what we are capable of until we try. Focus on your potential, not your limitations! Now Megan has told me she can’t wait to do another race with me. Nick is running in college, so when he gets done with school, I hope to run a race with him as well. If anything, my kids, and future grandkids, are going to know the importance of staying active, and living life to the fullest. Living life with adventures, challenges, setting goals…and they are even better when you have someone to do them with! This 4 days has to rank right up with some of the toughest I have ever done…and with the memories I have out of them, the run we had, I would not trade them for anything. Yes, I may be a little “Dopey”, but it was worth it. Find the “Dopey” that is hidden in all of us, and find out what you are really capable of doing. If you don’t start, you will never know. Put one foot in front of the other, and go! Strive to Survive! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan (aka “Dopey”)
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3763
