A Great Day for a Walk

by | Mar 11, 2012 | Exercise, Family, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health

Today was a great day to go out for a walk.  Little windy, but the temps were in the mid 50’s.  Roads are clearing, but not all of the bike trails yet.  You can still see the snow on the sides.  Buddy was ready to go!

It was a great weekend for weather, and supposed to be even better the rest of this week.  Get outside, get fired up, and go enjoy it.  Quit staying cooped up in the house.  Get moving!

Dr. Dan

Consecutive Exercise Day #:  1627

Watertown Area Running Club

by | Mar 10, 2012 | Exercise, Motivation, Weather, Wellness/Health

This AM, 3/10/12, we had the inaugural start of the Watertown Area Running Club.  The weather was great, calm winds.  Pictured from left to right are:  Jackie Burghardt, Sarah Reiffenberger, Tom Batta, and Tom Beaudry.  We will begin meeting each saturday morning at 8AM at the rec center.  When it starts getting even a little warmer, we will move this to 7AM. 

Tom and I switched places to we could get everybody in.  It was a good social run, and we got our workout in.  It is always a lot more fun running with other people. We will have runs that can range anywhere from 4 miles, to 15 miles+ depending on what individuals want to do.  It is not intended to be a race, but to get people together who enjoy running.  It was a great day for a run guys!  Keep passing the word around to others who may be interested.  Once we start building on this, then we can incorporate other days of the week.  Hope to see you out there with us.  Keep moving!

Dr. Dan

Consecutive Exercise Day #:  1626

Get your Plate in Shape with Wholesome Foods!

by | Mar 8, 2012 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Weight Management, Wellness/Health

Grocery store aisles are filled with foods high in sodium, fats, and sugars. It’s ok to treat yourself to these foods, such as a donut or cookie every once in awhile, however they should be considered occasional and not a regular habit. Try replacing these foods with more whole choices such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products. Packaged, frozen, and canned goods typically contain higher amounts of sodium and can also contain greater amounts of bad fats (saturated and trans) and excess sugars.  These processed foods are major contributors to high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes.

Here are a few tips to help get your plate in shape!

Choose foods and drinks with little or no added sugars.

  • Drink water throughout the day. For variety, add lemons, limes or cucumbers to your water or try carbonated water.
  • Choose low-fat or fat-free milk or 100-percent fruit juices.
  • Eat fresh fruit salad for dessert.

Eat fewer foods that are high in solid fats.

  • Instead of regular ground beef, opt for extra-lean ground beef. Ground turkey and chicken are also available in lean options.
  • Grill, broil, bake or steam your foods instead of frying.
  • Cook with healthy oils like olive, canola and sunflower oils in place of hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated oils.
  • Opt for fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese.

Cut back on sodium.

  • Instead of salt, use herbs and spices to season foods, and avoid salting food before tasting it.
  • Do not add salt when cooking pasta, rice and vegetables.
  • Read the Nutrition Facts Panel to compare sodium content of foods such as soups, broths, breads and frozen dinners, and choose the healthiest option.
  • Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh meats, poultry and fish, beans and peas, unsalted nuts, eggs and low-fat or fat-free milk and yogurt.

-Kelsey

Ger Your Plate In Shape!

by | Mar 6, 2012 | Diet

March is an exciting month for me…it’s National Nutrition Month!! It’s a great way to promote healthy eating and help spark interest in “getting your plate in shape”! Here are some tips to help you get your plate in shape:

Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.

  • Eat a variety of vegetables, especially dark-green, red and orange varieties, as well as beans and peas.
  • When buying canned vegetables, choose “reduced sodium” or “no salt added” whenever possible. Rinsing whole varieties like beans, corn and peas can also reduce sodium levels.
  • Dried and frozen fruits and those canned in water or their own juice are good options when fresh varieties are not available.
  • Make sure every meal and snack has at least one fruit or vegetable or both.

Make at least half your grains whole.

  • Choose brown rice, barley and oats and other whole grains for your sides and ingredients.
  • Switch to 100-percent whole-grain breads, cereals and crackers.
  • Check the ingredients list on food packages to find foods that are made with whole grains.

Switch to fat-free or low-fat milk.

  • Fat-free and low-fat milk have the same amount of calcium and other essential nutrients as whole milk, but less fat and fewer calories.
  • If you are lactose intolerant, try lactose-free milk or a calcium-fortified soy beverage.

Vary your protein choices.

  • Eat a variety of foods each week from the protein food group like seafood, nuts and beans, as well as lean meat, poultry and eggs.
  • Eat more plant-based proteins such as nuts, beans, whole grains and whole soy foods like tofu and edamame.
  • At least twice a week, make fish and seafood the protein on your plate.
  • Keep meat and poultry portions lean and limit to three ounces per meal.

Cut back on sodium and empty calories from solid fats and added sugars.

  • Drink water instead of sugary drinks like regular sodas, fruit-flavored drinks and sweetened teas and coffees. Choose 100-percent fruit juice.
  • Compare sodium in foods and choose those with the least amount listed on the Nutrition Facts Panel.
  • Season foods with spices or herbs instead of salt.
  • Select lean cuts of meat or poultry and fat-free or low-fat dairy products.
  • Use heart-healthy oils like olive, canola and sunflower oil in place of butter or shortening when cooking.

Besides nutrition, activity is also very important! Strive to get at least 30 min of aerobic activity in most days of the week.

As part of National Nutrition Month, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ National Nutrition Month website includes helpful tips, recipes, fun games, promotional tools and nutrition education resources, all designed to spread the message of good nutrition around the “Get Your Plate in Shape” theme.
(Reference: http://www.eatright.org/Media/content.aspx?id=6442467853)

-Kelsey

Time to get Fired Up!

by | Mar 4, 2012 | Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health, Winter

OK, so we have had some snow.  The temperature went down, and the winds picked up, and then we got some more snow.  But, it started melting already later today, and is supposed to be up in the 40’s the next couple of days.  That is the good thing about this being March already, it won’t be long, and the white stuff will be gone, and we can be outside more again.  Start getting fired up…nice weather is coming.  When it does come, get outside and enjoy it. 

We are not going to be having these piles of snow for much longer.  So start getting ready, and get rid of our “piles of excuses”, and start thinking about how we are going to be more active this Spring.  Make your plan now, and stick to it.  You will feel much better.  Keep moving!

Dr. Dan

Consecutive Exercise Day #:  1620