by Dan | Aug 16, 2012 | Exercise, Family, Motivation, Wellness/Health
The first day we got to Alaska, in Anchorage, we rented bikes that afternoon and went explorer along the coast line. We could see the back on Mt Mckinley, which was 100 miles away. This was going to be our next stop the following day, to see up close. The girls had a ball because they got to ride a bike for 2. It was a great way to get out and explore, and see the sites, and get our exercise for the day. We all had a good time with this. Here are some of the views of Mt Mckinley from the bike perspective.
Keep moving everybody. Will continue with the Alaska exploration.
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1785
by Dan | Aug 12, 2012 | Exercise, Family, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Back from our 11 day trip to Alaska–land/cruise. It rained 9 of those 11 days, which apparently is typical. Still saw some great sights. Even though we were on vacation, we, me and the family, managed to exercise every day. Again, once it becomes a habit, you don’t think about it. I will show you over the next several posts what we did for exercise, and the sights we saw, and how it made doing the exercise that much more fun, and rewarding. These pictures are just a few of the great mountains scenes we saw.
Here is one where you can see the glacier in front. I will have some close up shots later. Absolutely amazine. Keep moving everybody! It is good to be back.
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1781
by kelsey | Aug 9, 2012 | Diet, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Have you been cheering Team USA on in the Olympic games? The Olympics are one of my favorite times as I really enjoy watching our top notch athletes perform, I enjoy watching the variety of sports, and it’s also fun to cheer them on and support the USA! Nutrition plays a key role in helping the athletes perform at their highest abilities. Many are genetically pre-disposed for their sports but they also have to put a lot of time and energy into training of which nutrition become very important. Most athletes work with a sports dietitian to help them figure out the best eating plan to help them perform. Nutrition needs vary depending on the activity, however they all have one main focus which is achieving and maintaining a lean body mass to give them the appropriate endurance, agility, energy, and skills they need.
You may have heard that the greatest Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps, eats around 8,000-10,000 calories a day. Swimming takes a lot of energy and in order for him to perform well, he must fuel his body with appropriate calories and nutrients. Carbohydrates are very important for energy as they are needed to maximize glycogen (storage form of glucose) stores before training and competition, and replenish the stores after exercise. In addition, protein intake is very important to help replenish muscle cells and help provide strength to the athlete. Since each sport and each athlete are different, a dietitian can help individualize their diet plans. Proper nutrition can turn a mediocre athlete into a great one, thus it’s really important for the athlete to have this a part of their training regime.
Even though we may not be Olympic athletes, this concept applies to us as well. If we provide ourselves with the appropriate energy needs and balance of nutrients, we will perform at our highest abilities and our body will be well fueled to prevent disease, aid in longevity, and allow us to enjoy a long and healthy life! Remember, food is fuel!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Aug 2, 2012 | Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day! Yes, you have probably heard this before, but are you a breakfast eater!? Having a good breakfast is a great way to start out the day. It’s not only important for our body, but our mind too. Many times we’ll have excuses such as I was running late, I didn’t feel like eating, I’m not hungry in the morning, and this actually accounts for about a 1/4 to a 1/3 of the population! Starting the day without breakfast is like driving your car on a low tank of gas. We know we can’t go on forever on a low tank of gas, so we shouldn’t do that to our bodies either! Those that skip breakfast tend to snack more on high fat and lower nutritious foods…and are more likely to overeat at lunch because they are over-hungry. Studies have also shown that those working on weight loss are more successful when they eat breakfast as this really jump starts their metabolism and starts their day off right.
So what should you eat for breakfast? It’s important to get a balance at your meals and especially include a source of protein and a whole grain as these provide satiety. Here are some examples for you:
- Ready-to-eat cereal (>3g fiber, <2-3g fat, a ratio of greater than 4 g carbohydrate:1 g sugar)
- Hot cereal (oatmeal)
- Bagel with low-fat cream cheese or peanut butter
- Yogurt with sliced fruit
- Fruit and yogurt smoothie
- Peanut butter or hummus on whole-wheat toast (my favorite! I included a picture of my favorite PB toast with bananas and honey)
- Breakfast quesadilla with low-fat cream cheese and sliced fruit
- Breakfast burrito or taco
- Toasted whole-wheat English muffin with lean ham and low-fat cheese
- Toasted pita with scrambled egg and low-fat cheese
- Low-fat milk and 100% fruit
If you are one who is not a fan of breakfast but understands the importance of it, I encourage you to try a variety of these options and see which one works best for you. I also encourage you to plan ahead. You may need to wake up 5 minutes earlier to fit breakfast in or make your smoothie the night before so all you have to do it pull the bottle or container out of the freezer or fridge in the morning and drink it on your way to work. Starting your day with a full tank will provide long lasting benefits to you and your body!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Aug 1, 2012 | Etc., Exercise, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
I usually leave the activity talk on this blog up to Dr. Dan, however lately I have had a lot of questions and discussion regarding activity with my patients that I thought I’d discuss a little bit on here as well. As many of you know, it’s hard to tackle wellness with just diet or just activity, thus to be most successful you really need to work on both! Often times, people will tell me that they are super busy during the day and their job requires them to be on their feet so that counts as exercise. Having a job where you’re on your feet is better than a desk job as we naturally burn more calories standing than sitting, however that doesn’t necessarily mean it counts as moderate activity.
At least 150 minutes of moderate activity is recommended each week. We recommend it by week as it can be spread throughout your days (example 30 min Monday, 40 min Tuesday, 60 min Wednesday, etc)…and it just has to be 10 minutes at a time! Moderate activity has been shown to be beneficial for our cardiovascular health as well as aiding in disease prevention and weight management. The difference between moderate activity and your daily chores and work duties is that moderate activity gets your heart rate up high enough to result in these benefits. You can certainly check your heart rate and figure out your range, however the easiest way to determine you are reaching that moderate level is by using the talk test. Moderate activity involves getting your heart rate up high enough that you can talk (in between breaths), but you are unable to sing. If you are able to sing and talk as you normally would, then your heart rate is not at that moderate level.
Here are some examples of moderate activity:
- Gardening for 30-45 minutes
- Shoveling snow for 15 minutes
- Stair walking for 15 minutes
- Washing windows and floors for 45-60 minutes
- Walking 2 miles in 30 minutes (1 mile in 15 minutes)
- Dancing fast (social dancing) for 30 minutes
- Swimming laps for 20 minutes
- Jumping rope for 15 minutes
Just remember that every bit counts so if you are only able to do little bits of activity throughout your day, that’s better than nothing! The key is to keep moving!!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jul 31, 2012 | Exercise, Wellness/Health
I have discussed my involvement with South Dakota Team Beef in previous posts and my passion for promoting lean beef and physical activity. After the Beef and Eggs 5k race I had the opportunity to visit with Bruce Falk, editor for the Tri-State Neighbor. He is also a member of SD Team Beef and shares similar interests. He was interested in learning more about my job as a dietitian and being in a producer family in the beef industry. One of his questions inquired about my husband’s activity…which brought us to the very popular limitation for exercise: TIME! As a farmer and rancher, Adam spends most of the time when the sun is out working, which means in the summer the days start early and end later. Whether you’re a farmer, rancher, or a business man, we all have one thing in common: everyone is busy! When we’re busy, it’s easy to push off the exercise until you have more time.
Time management is key to success with health and wellness. First off, it’s important to make a commitment to exercising. Next, you’ll want to focus on ways to add exercise into your routine. I suggest looking at your calendar for each week and plan it into your daily schedule. If you think of it like a work meeting you have to attend, you’ll be less likely to skip it and it will eventually become second nature or a habit to do it. Most importantly, you want to schedule it into your day when it’s convenient for you. If you are not a morning person, setting your alarm to work out at 5am will not be ideal for you! You also want to consider engaging in an activity that you enjoy. I am not big into swimming (despite knowing how), so if I had to swim daily, I would dread every minute of it! Whereas my preferred activities are biking and running as I enjoy them. One other aspect to consider is if you like to exercise with a buddy or alone. Some may enjoy going alone as it can be a quiet time for them, but others may prefer a buddy to help them stay motivated. The key is finding a solution that works best for you!
Setting goals is a good tool to help with accountability. This is something we will do in our first lecture with STRIVE 2 Survive on September 4th.
Another concept we discuss regularly in my house and with my patients is the difference between being “busy” and aerobic activity…stay tuned to tomorrow’s post to learn more!
If you want to read more about the article I am featured in click the link below:
http://www.tristateneighbor.com/news/opinion/bruce_falk/article_a19c86b0-d766-11e1-9521-001a4bcf887a.html
-Kelsey
