TOTD

Nutrition Tip of the Day
Eat More Frequently
Okay, don't get too excited! I didn't say to eat sweets and junk food more frequently, but studies have found that people who eat 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day have a healthier weight than those who only eat 2 or 3 large meals. The reason believed is that you keep your metabolism going throughout the day. It is just like gas mileage in a car. We all know that if we take a longer trip on the highway our gas mileage is much better than if we are driving around the city all day running errands. Our metabolism is much like this: the longer we keep it going the better.

But, it needs to be kept running with good fuel! Make sure that you are eating healthy snacks throughout the day: not potato chips, chocolate, and other processed foods. If you are craving that salty sweet combination, try an apple dipped in peanut butter (or, to reduce calories try almond butter). If you really need some chocolate, make sure it's dark chocolate, but eat it with a few almonds to give yourself some protein. Not only will eating more frequently help our metabolism, but it will boost our energy as well. And we all know that a mom who has more energy is a happier mom :)

Exercise Tip of the Day
If you only want to own one piece of workout equipment...
This is completely my personal opinion, but if you only own one piece of workout equipment, I think it should be a balance ball (aka Swiss Ball). I know they may seem scary at first, but they are such a versatile and incredible tool. Even if you only have 5 feet of space to allot to working out in your home, you can get a great workout in about 30 minutes. There are a lot of books and websites dedicated to using balance balls, and I would recommend that you find a few exercises to try at your level. Unlike dumbbells, which you have to keep buying as you progress, with a ball you can continually make the movements more difficult without buying more equipment.

I used to run balance ball classes, and we would do completely different hour long workouts three times a week! The balls provide so much variety, and they really do give a fantastic workout. Again, this is just my personal opinion, but if you are thinking about investing in just one piece of equipment I think it should be a balance ball!

How to Read a Food Label: Fiber

Quick: What is the first thing that comes to mind when fiber is mentioned? For me, it is that fiber keeps us regular! There are actually two types of fiber, and both aid in keeping us regular: dietary and functional. Dietary fiber is nondigestable carbohydrates that are naturally occurring in our food (what we will be discussing today), whereas functional fiber is nondigestable carbohydrates that have been either isolated or synthesized and are not naturally occurring (i.e. Metamucil).

Fiber is an extremely important part of our diet. Of the dietary fibers there are two different categories: Soluble (our bodies can process it and break it down) and Insoluble (our bodies are unable to break it down). Soluble fibers, like oat bran and legumes, slow down the movement of glucose in to the blood after eating a meal, and also reduce the absorption of cholesterol. Insoluble fiber, like wheat bran, increases fecal bulk, prevents constipation, hemorrhoids, and other intestinal disorders. Eating the recommended amount of fiber in our diets helps to reduce the risk of Type II Diabetes, and heart disease (because it lowers cholesterol), and improve GI (gastrointestinal) health. The recommended amount of fiber for men is 38 grams a day and for women is 25 grams a day.

When I found out all this information, I was determined to make sure I got in enough fiber, but how?? 25 grams is a lot of fiber...well, here are some numbers that make it a lot easier:
A small pear has 4 grams, a baked potato (with skin) has 5 grams, an orange has 3 grams, lentil soup has 11 grams, 3/4 cup of oatmeal has 3 grams, a bowl of Fiber One cereal has 13 grams, and a cup of brown rice with steamed veggies has approximately 11 grams.

At first, trying to get a lot of fiber may seem overwhelming, but by sticking with eating 6-9 servings of fruit and veggies a day, and substituting whole grains you will get there!

TOTD

Nutrition Tip of the Day
Take a Food Inventory
When I am stressed or have had a bad day, I have a horrible habit of turning to my pantry, where I find the most processed food available and scarf it down. To avoid the temptation to "scarf" things down, I have recently done a pantry overhaul. I went through my pantry and did an inventory of all the foods that were healthy, and those that often caused temptations in moments of weakness. I threw out some old Easter candy, M&M's from Christmas, and various other processed unhealthy foods. For me, this helps to insure that I will not fall prey to the temptations that the pantry will bring!

Exercise Tip of the Day
Take Consistent Baby Steps
I know that I have been giving a lot of information, and it may seem like what you are doing is not enough! But please remember that it is the small, consistent "baby" steps that matter. Since I know so much about exercise and physical fitness this is the hardest principle for me to put into action. No matter what level you are starting at, be proud of every step you accomplish! Don't compare yourself to anyone else because your body is going to respond differently to things than anyone else's body.

So keep everything in perspective. If you are just starting out, and have never worked out before, try walking 15 minutes a day, and then bump it up to 20 minutes, etc. If you are an avid exerciser your progression is going to look different. But, everyone can see great results if we stop comparing and start encouraging one another to get moving :)

How to Read Food Labels: Carbohydrates

Let's talk carbs...we always hear about how bad they are, but they are actually our body's first source of energy! Carbohydrates serve as an immediate energy source and are actually sugars. There are two types of carbs: simple and complex. The difference between simple and complex carbs is the number of sugar molecules in the carbohydrate. A simplex carbohydrate (aka simple sugar) is made of only a few sugar molecules (i.e. glucose, fructose, galactose, sucrose) whereas a complex carbohydrate is made of several simple sugars. Examples of simple sugars are table sugar (sucrose), and an example of a complex carb is glycogen (a chain of 100 glucose molecules).

Since carbs are our immediate energy source it is important that they stay in our diets in recommended amounts. The recommended daily intake for carbohydrates is approximately 130 grams (I say approximately, because 130 grams are for those who are not working out much). These carbohydrate grams should come from whole grain sources versus refined sources (see the TOTD discussing the importance of using whole grains on Friday, April 16th). Not only are carbohydrates an important energy source, but also an important source of fiber! Get excited...we are going to discuss fiber tomorrow!!!

One last thing that is important to remember is that diabetes is directly related to carbohydrates. Blood sugar is a count of the amount of glucose (glucose is the smallest molecule that a carbohydrate is broken down into) in the blood stream (high blood sugar means a high number of glucose in the blood). Diabetes is the condition in which there is high blood sugar levels and not enough insulin to use all the sugar. Type II Diabetes is an epidemic right now in the United States, so it is sooo important that we watch the types of carbohydrates that we are ingesting and giving to ourselves and our families.

TOTD

Nutrition Tip of the Day
Use a Salad Plate
Did you know that the average dinner plate 40 years ago was almost 50% smaller than it is today? When I read that statistic a few years ago, my husband and I started using salad plates to serve dinner on. It's great because the portions are smaller, but they look huge in proportion to the plate!

Exercise Tip of the Day
Set up Exercise Dates
Instead of doing the normal coffee date with friends, why not try a walking date? Grab your favorite coffee or iced tea (you know there has to be a Starbucks near a park!) and then take a few laps around the park! There are all kinds of fun "physical activity dates" that you can plan with family and friends. Have fun and think "outside" the box (LOL...no pun intended :)

Meal Plan for Next Week

So, my daughter woke up this morning at 4:45, and while she was feeding, my mind wondered to my "to-do" list and I realized I forgot to put the Blog on my list yesterday...and guess what...I forgot to do it! So sorry!

Here is our meal plan for the following week:

Sunday, 5/1
Asian Chicken Salad (from Eatingwell.com, I substitute the tofu for chicken, but it's great with the tofu too!) and Fruit Salad

Monday, 5/2
Garlic and Oil Spaghetti with Greens (from RachaelRay.com), Green Salad and Fruit

Tuesday, 5/3
Leftovers

Wednesday, 5/4
Chile Verde Pork Chops, Oven Baked Potato Wedges and Fruit

Thursday, 5/5
Swiss Chard and Tomatoe Fritatta (from Recipe Zaar) and Fruit

Friday, 5/6
Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breasts (from Eatingwell.com), Green Salad and Fruit

Saturday, 5/7
Chicken Enchilada Casserole, Spanish Rice, and Salad

Tomorrow, I WILL post How to Read Food Labels: Carbohydrates! It's already on my to-do list :)

TOTD

Nutrition Tip of the Day
Eat a Larger Lunch & Breakfast
I know many of us have heard that it is important to eat a small dinner and larger lunch and breakfast, but how many of us actually do it? I know, for me, it is tough! My husband gets home and is starving so I would make a big meal to fill him up, when in reality, a smaller meal would do. So, to try to change this, I am making his lunches bigger, and then keeping a larger dinner, but making it "larger" with fruit and salads. I am a Midwest girl at heart and love my meat and potatoes, but for the sake of our health, we are eating more fruits and vegetables and less meat and potatoes at dinner...and guess what...it's still filling!

Exercise Tip of the Day
Try a Pedometer
When I was working in a rehab hospital, I often found that at the end of the day I was so tired from running around all over (I know busy moms can relate!), that I really did not want to work out at night. One thing that experts recommend for those of us who have limited time to workout is to walk 5-6 miles a day (at least 10,000 steps).
I know that starting a workout program can seem really overwhelming, one thing that might be good to try is buying a pedometer and tracking your steps. Make a simple chart that tracks your steps each day and try to increase your steps by 500 every day. Park a little farther away in the parking lot, take the stairs, walk on your work break...each of these activities can add tons of steps! You can even make a little contest out of it with co-workers, friends and families! Have fun with it :)

My Progress...A day late (but not a dollar short :)

okay, so yesterday I totally forgot to update you on my progress! So sorry about that..we will pick up How To Read Food Labels: Carbohydrates. Well, last week, my working out went really well. But again, I struggled with my eating :) It has always been a fight!!

I worked out Tuesday and Saturday with Coach K. We did Workout A again on Saturday and realized that it is by far our least favorite workout, but then we did workout B today and realized that our least favorite workout is always the workout we are doing :) LOL! Then, I took a walk on Friday and Sunday...so pretty good last week :)

Now, nutrition wise, I am still struggling with craving sweets. I did a good job on keeping my free days though, but it is just not getting any easier! Hopefully, this week....

TOTD

Nutrition Tip of the Day
Sneak in the Whole Grains!
Now, I have to admit this was not my idea! I had Rachael Ray on today (it was her "Tip" day, I love those days!), and she was mentioning some different ideas on how to add whole grains to your day. I absolutely loved these tips so I wanted to share them with you:
1) Add millet to macaroni and cheese: I have never tried this, but I bet it's great!
2) Substitute barley for risotto: it adds a nuttier flavor!
3) Try brown rice instead of white rice. Let me tell you that if my husband (who is Asian) can switch to brown rice you can too :)

Exercise Tip of the Day
Work Opposite Muscle Groups
Most of our muscles are grouped in pairs where one is the agonist and the other is the antagonist, and when you work these muscle pairs together you get great benefits. For instance, when doing bicep curls, try doing a set of bicep curls and then immediately do a set of triceps extensions. This will not only give your biceps a rest, but also extend them and give them a stretch. And the same is true when you go back to the bicep curls--the triceps will get a rest and a nice stretch!

How to Read a Food Label: Fats

I hope everyone had a great day of rest yesterday :) It's such a great reminder for me to be writing these particular Blogs on how to read food labels because oftentimes I get so stuck in my routine and only buy certain products that when I look at new products I have to remember all these things! I hope you are enjoying this as much as I am :)

Fats--we always hear about fats: unsaturated, saturated, cholesterol,trans fatty acids, glycerol...what do all these mean? Well, let's start with what a fat is. Fats are made of a glycerol molecule that is attached to fatty acid chains. These chains are long chains of carbon bonded to hydrogen molecules. The difference between saturated and unsaturated fats is found in the way that the carbons and hydrogens bond together.

Remember those little molecule models that were used in Chemistry class in high school? Some models were triangles, some were flat, etc. Well, in a saturated fat, all the carbon molecules are bonded to four hydrogens in "single" bonds. These single bonds lay flat. Whereas, unsaturated fats are composed of some carbons along the chain only bonded to two hydrogens using double bonds. These double bonds cause kinks in the chain.

So, if we think about what saturated fats look like, we realize they are all the fats that (at room temperature) lay flat on top of each other (i.e. butter, animal fats, etc.). Unsaturated fats are not solid at room temperature (due to the kinks in the chain) and are oils and other plant fats.

Okay, what about those trans fatty acids we are always hearing about? Well, a trans fatty acid is made through hydrogenation. Hydrogenation is just a fancy word for adding hydrogen. Since unsaturated fats have room for more hydrogen (remember, some of the carbons are only bonded to two hydrogens), more hydrogens are added causing the chains to lay flat! This makes an unsaturated fat have the same composition of saturated fats--these "special" (and very unhealthy fats) are called "trans fatty acids." These trans fatty acids, and saturated fats increase LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), whereas unsaturated fats increase HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol).

Now, fats are not all bad! In fact, we need fats. They provide us with energy storage (that is why animals who hibernate keep fat stores!), and insulation. The recommended fat intake is 20-35% of total calorie intake.