by Dan | Feb 2, 2014 | Exercise, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health, Winter
I have been working out this Winter at Anytime Fitness due to the cold and ice. The staff there had a T-shirt printed out just for me after I came back from Orlando doing the Goofy Challenge. This is the front of the T-shirt.
…this is the back of the T-shirt. Total suprise, and it made my day! They just featured me with doing the Goofy Challenge on their most recent electronic newsletter, which also was quite the surprise. It is a great place to workout, and I can go whenever it is convenient for me, which I love! All of this was quite the surprise, and much appreciated. Be safe working out this Winter. Keep moving everybody.
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 2322
by kelsey | Jan 30, 2014 | Cooking Tips, Diabetes, Diet, Food, Weight Management
One of the most challenging aisles in the grocery store is the cereal and granola bar aisle as there are so many choices and it’s hard to know what’s good and what’s not! For those regular followers of our blog, you probably know by now that you should choose a whole grain cereal, but from there…how do you decipher which choice is better than another?! Well, let’s start with the basics…you want to avoid any of the real high sugar cereals such as Lucky Charms, Cocoa Pebbles, etc due to their high levels of white, refined sugars.
Here are some tips to help you make a healthy choices:
• 8 grams (g) of sugar or less/serving, if the cereal contains 3 g or less of fiber/serving
• 16 g or less of sugar/serving, if the cereal contains 5 g or more of fiber/serving
Note: raisin bran contains 20 g of sugar/serving and is the exception to the rule—still a great choice due to its higher fiber content)
• Instant hot cereals should contain no more than 100-150 milligrams (mg) of sodium/serving. A better choice is cooking oatmeal the old fashioned way on the stove from the canister as the instant packets have a lot of sodium.
In addition, be sure to fully read the nutrition facts label and not rely on the manufacturers marketing claims as they can often be misleading!
A way to make breakfast a more balanced meal is to add a source of protein and a serving of fruit to your meal. With the balance of protein, fiber found in your cereal, and some natural sugars, you are set to start your day off in a great way!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jan 29, 2014 | Wellness/Health
Yesterday I had the privilege to spend my morning at Lake Area Technical Institute as part of their Student for a Day program. The Student for a Day involves members from the community and the region and has them spend half the day with a LATI student to learn more about what the school and the programs they offer. Each community member was with one of LATI’s students in their 29 programs and had the opportunity to enjoy a great classroom experience. This event is designed to increase awareness about Lake Area Tech from a unique perspective.
I had a great time with Physical Therapist Assistant student Jaymi and learned more about ways to use proper form and posture when performing various activities such as shoveling snow, sweeping, making the bed, lifting a heavy suitcase out of a car, etc. Jaymi and her classmates will eventually be providing this type of therapy to people who have back pain or other issues that physical therapy could provide improvements with. We also received a great tour of the school from Tom Paulson. The school has grown and improved tremendously over the years and it was fun to be able to see every part of it while representing Brown Clinic. It was a fun opportunity that allowed me to learn more about the school and what they have to offer students and our community while also providing a chance to network with other community members. I know this post does not exactly relate to nutrition, but it can relate to wellness as it’s important to do things like this every once in awhile to add some spice to your life! Fellowship, networking, and friendship are important for overall wellness and promoting happiness, so be sure to take or should I say make the time for this in your life!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jan 23, 2014 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health, Winter
The weather is the “talk of the shop” lately as it seems like we have had blizzard conditions every day or every other day and the temperatures are bitter cold. This undesirable weather sure makes us cranky and crabby as we wait for warmer temps and spring to come. It’s very hard to get motivated to do anything on cold and blustery days as we’d rather just curl up in a blanket in our sweatpants and watch a movie. Even though we may feel like being a bum, it’s still a good time to get a little workout in which will help raise your body temperature and give you more energy throughout the day. The activity can also produce natural endorphins boosting your mood and improving the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder.
We also typically eat more soups, stews, and hot-dishes on days like this. If you are watching your waist line, it’s important to be careful of how much you consume of these foods as they can be high in calories, fat, and carbs… depending on how you prepare them. Broth based soups and stews are lower in calories and fat than cream based. In addition, if you’re making a hot dish, you may consider cutting calories by choosing fat free soups to add to your dish, such as fat free cream of chicken or mushroom soup. They also have low sodium varieties of these so if you’re watching your blood pressure or sodium intake, you may consider using this variety. And, as always, be sure to incorporate your lean proteins and plenty of fruits and veggies to your meal. You may consider doubling the veggies in your soups to make them a bit heartier and healthy. Two of my favorite cold weather meals are my mom’s beef stew that has carrots, peas, potatoes, onion, and roast meat and her chicken noodle soup that also has plenty of veggies with white meat chicken. Nothing beats either of these on a cold winter day!
Lastly, if you are not meeting the daily recommendations for health based on MyPlate, you may consider adding a multivitamin to ensure you are meeting your nutrient needs to help you stay healthy. Be sure to choose one with Vitamin D as most of us are low in D due to the lack of sunlight we see in the winter months.
Stay warm and safe!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jan 22, 2014 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
As I read Dr.Dan’s post about his success with the Goofy Challenge, I couldn’t help but think about the positive role model he and Dr.Sarah have been to their kids…and all of us at the clinic. All of their kids enjoy being active and their family participates in activities together. In addition, Dr.Dan’s team here at the clinic has made some incredible strides with improving their fitness and health. I think it is much easier to practice healthy living when you are surrounded by positive influences and you engage in the practices or healthy behaviors together! My family (pictured above!) is another good example of this. We certainly do not do all of the long distance runs like Dr. Dan does (some have though!), but we all enjoy being active and are conscious of our intake and practice healthy eating. In order to stick with healthy living, it’s key to make it a lifestyle and a way of life for everyone in your family. Engage your family into the process of selecting meals, grocery shopping, and cooking the meals. Pick an activity to do together every week and be sure to incorporate your own activities daily to get at least 30-60 minutes of activity/day. If your family isn’t too supportive yet, ask them for help! Sit down together and discuss your goals and aspirations for healthy living… and ask them for support and help. Don’t be afraid to discuss your weaknesses as it is helpful to have extra support on those extra challenging areas. An example of this would be portion control…if you struggle with eating just one helping ask them to help kindly remind you when you’re eating to slow down and mindfully think about how much you need and ask if you really need a second helping. Or maybe it’s exercise…can’t get motivated to get on that treadmill or go to the gym? Ask them to do it with you! Having a buddy or support system will always make you more successful! If you live alone, you can also ask your friends or coworkers to be your support system! If we surround ourselves with positive people who make a positive influence on us, we will be more apt to reach our goals and stick with them! They may push you a little bit beyond your comfort zone, but remember…they’re only trying to help you be better and healthier!
-Kelsey
