by kelsey | May 11, 2016 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, 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). 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. As of a just a few months ago, 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 10, 2016 | Etc.
Attention parents of school athletes! The process for completing sports physicals has changed.
Beginning with the 2017/2018 school year, athletic physicals will need to be scheduled with your provider and submitted to your insurance company for coverage.
* Most insurance companies will cover the exam, but you should check with your carrier if you’re not certain.
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The required History Form will need to be completed and signed by the athlete’s parent prior to seeing the physician. The form is available on the Brown Clinic website for your convenience: www.brownclinic.org
by Dan | May 8, 2016 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Mom’s come in all shapes, sizes, personalities, and characteristics…but they are are some of the most important people in our lives. Here is my mom, and my wife, Sarah…mother to my 3 kids. These 2 are incredibly special people to me…every day, not just today, you are the most important part of my life…and have helped me be a success in life! I gained another mom with my mother-in-law Twyla as well. These 3 ladies all share some of the same characteristics that are universal to moms:
They all have worked hard in their lives, and continue to work hard, for their families. Nothing else ranks higher that this. They are human just like everybody else. We all make mistakes, but we can learn by them. Nobody works harder at fixing those mistakes than mothers. There is nothing they would not do for their families. My mom and mother-in-law have been good role models to Sarah as well, and I love you Sarah more than anything!
Every day, not just today, I see what an incredible mother and wife you are. So today, and every day, I want to be sure that you know how much you mean to me, and how much I love you!
Yesterday, we were down in Sioux Falls to run the Avera Breast Cancer Run…where everybody is out to show their support for their moms, wives, sisters, female friends…all fighting breast cancer. It is a great event, and again, well over 5,000 people, all there to show support for those women that are important in their lives.
Just so you know, I will always be there for you as well. And your kids will be there for you as well!
You have helped them become a success in life! This next slide describes all you do for them, and for us! As my mom has done for me, and your mom has done for you…and all moms have done for their families!
Thanks to all of you, my mom, your mom, and you Sarah, for helping to make our family a success, and for us to be a success in life! And with that, there is nothing else to say on this day, this Mother’s Day, but to wish you, and all moms on not only this, but every day…
Keep moving everybody! Take care of yourselves…our moms out there care about us!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3145
by kelsey | May 5, 2016 | Diet, Etc., Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Have you ever thought about how your environment impacts your health, wellness, and choices you make? Believe it or not, our environment plays a huge role with our choices and impact our health positively or negatively. For example, take a look at your fridge and assess the following:
Do you have: a family photo near the door handle, precut fruit on the center shelf, precut veggies on the center shelf, cut up fruit or veggies are in a “see-through” container, salad and veggie leftovers are in transparent containers or plastic wrap, healthiest snacks are on the front middle shelf, less healthy snacks are in the back or lower sides, health snacks such as yogurt, string cheese, eggs, low fat milk, etc are available.
Do you see the theme here? Putting our healthiest items in the front and center of our fridge so that when we open the door, we see them first, will help us make healthier choices! Also- putting those healthy foods in easy to see containers will remind us that we have them available and make them easier to choose. I am sure you all have bought a healthy item such as carrots and they got shoved to the back of the fridge and didn’t get eaten before they expired. It’s that concept of “out of sight, out of mind”….if we aren’t seeing them, we aren’t going to choose them and the fruits and veggies are not prepped initially, we are less likely to choose them as well. This requires a little work, but once we get into the habit of making our environment healthier, it will be easier to make healthier choices!
If you want to learn more about this concept, go check out the book Slim by Design. It’s a good read!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | May 4, 2016 | Weight Management, Wellness/Health
There are many different kinds of multivitamins and it’s hard to know which one is best for you. We always prefer you to get the vitamins and minerals from real food over supplements, so striving for a well balanced diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low fat dairy, and lean proteins is the first step. If you are cutting calories to lose weight, you have a health condition that needs additional vitamins or minerals, or you just want to stay healthy and aid in disease prevention, a MVI may be for you. There are two types of vitamins: fat soluble and water soluble. Fat soluble vitamins include vitamins A, D, E, and K and can be stored in our bodies. Water soluble vitamins such as the B vitamins and vitamin C cannot be stored in the body, which means we can only store so much and when excess is consumed, they are excreted out. This concept is very important to understand as often times, you may be wasting your money on a supplement if you are already getting adequate amounts through your diet.
Deidra Van Gilder, Pharm D discusses vitamins in our STRIVE lectures and she talked again last week (it’s always a great and very educational session!) and here is her take on the various kinds:
- Basic: contains essential vitamins from vitamin A to Zinc
- Women’s- more Calcium and Vitamin D to help support breast and bone health
- Men’s- more Lycopene for prostate health
- Silver (50+)- Supports eye health, bone health, and B vitamins for energy…Deidra recommends the Centrum Silver as an excellent one for this population.
- Prenatal- More folic acid, iron, and DHA (omega-3) to help support child growth
- Performance/Energy/Metabolism- Contain some herbals thought to help increase energy as well as extra B vitamins…be sure to ask your health care team about these before taking them as they may interact with your meds or contain extra caffeine.
- Cholesterol/Cardio- Contain phytosterols to help lower cholesterol
** Vitamins vary in the levels of vitamins/minerals they contain
** Look at the amount of calcium and vitamin D in each vitamin
** Some multivitamins don’t contain iron
** Grocery store generic vitamins are ok to buy
As you can see there are many different types of vitamins. Overall, we recommend just a basic multivitamin such as One a Day or Centrum Silver to help fill the gaps that your diet is not fulfilling (a multivitamin should NEVER replace real food included in a well balanced diet!). If you have a specific health need such as a woman being pregnant or you are over the age of 50, then you can take that specific vitamin to fit your needs. The supplement industry is not regulated by the FDA like prescription drugs are…thus it is essential to consult your health care provider before taking supplements to ensure it is appropriate for you.
-Kelsey
