Fuel Your Workout Without Overdoing It

Working out provides many benefits, both physical and mental. When working out to lose weight, it is important to not prepare for your workout by consuming more calories than your burning off. For example, you burn about 100 calories per mile of walking or running and a 16-ounce fruit smoothie contains an average of 350-400 calories. Below are some tips for getting the most out of your exercise efforts. 

Morning Workout

A low-intensity morning workout can be fueled by a small carbohydrate-rich snack such as a mini bagel. Don’t forget to hydrate as well. Post workout, have a breakfast with both carbohydrate and protein for recovery. 

Evening Workout

If you prefer to get your workout in after work, try to eat a balanced lunch 3 to 4 hours beforehand. Then, for an energy boost right before exercise, grab a piece of fruit. Also, it is important to stay hydrated throughout the day. Choose water as much as possible for hydration.

Refueling

Anytime you participate in physical activity, rehydration is necessary. If you are having dinner or another meal shortly after your workout, there is not much of a need for a post-workout snack. If you are in need of a post-workout snack, go for low-fat Greek yogurt or a cheese stick with a few whole-grain crackers.

For more information, visit https://www.eatright.org/fitness/sports-and-performance/fueling-your-workout/3-easy-tips-for-fueling-your-workout-without-overdoing-it.

Vitamins, Minerals, AND Supplements?

With the huge selection of vitamin and mineral supplements available, it may lead us to think we need these extra amounts or that food alone isn’t providing enough nutrients. However, most healthy individuals consuming adequate calories daily are getting all the nutrients they need in foods, especially with the prevalence of fortified foods. Some common groups of people that may need supplemental nutrients include: elderly individuals, pregnant women, people who are food insecure, and anyone consuming less than 1,600 calories each day. For example, breast-fed infants and children who don’t consume much vitamin D fortified milk may not be getting enough vitamin D in their diet alone, so a supplement could be recommended. Some food allergies or medial conditions may also put someone at risk for various deficiencies. If you are concerned that you may be deficient in any vitamins or minerals, you can ask your doctor for some tests and speak with an RDN about how to address your nutrient needs through food.

For more information, go to https://www.eatright.org/food/vitamins-and-supplements/dietary-supplements/vitamins-minerals-and-supplements-do-you-need-to-take-them .

Help Prevent Cancer by Taking Control of Your Diet

Cancer has touched nearly all of us in some way and while this widespread, devastating illness has no known cure, there are some changes you can make in your diet to aid in prevention. 

Maintain a health weight

Obesity has been connected to many forms of cancer, especially endometrial cancer and esophageal adenocarcinoma. 

Reduce your calorie intake from solid fats and added sugars

The foods high in solid fats and added sugars cannot only cause weight gain, but also can take the place of the more nutrient dense, cancer-preventing foods.

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, including beans

These foods are known links to lower the risk of certain cancers. It is recommended to fill half of your plate at meals with fruits and vegetables rich in nutrients!

Limit alcohol

While the reason is unknown, alcoholic beverages may increase your risk of many different cancers, including mouth, throat, voice box, esophageal, liver, breast, colon, and rectal cancer. The current recommendation on alcohol consumption is a limit of one a day for women, and two a day for men. Also, combining drinking with smoking puts you at even greater risk.

For more information, visit: http://www.eatright.org/resource/food/planning-and-prep/cooking-tips-and-trends/help-prevent-cancer-by-taking-control-of-your-diet

Tips for Curbing Late-Night Snacking

Whether it’s due to stress, boredom, or tiredness, snacking after dinner and before bedtime can lead to consuming more calories than necessary. Use these tips to limit nightly snacking and pick more nutritious options if you do need a snack.

End Mealtime Madness

Planning and grocery shopping for nutritious meals and snacks for the week can help you avoid grabbing quick, unsatisfying foods. Eating a variety of balanced meals and snacks throughout the day can provide you with steady energy and limit nighttime hunger.

Increase Protein and Fiber

Both protein and fiber can help keep you feeling fuller longer. Many people get too much of their protein at dinner time due to large portions.  Instead, try to spread out your protein among meals and snacks while decreasing dinner portions.  Foods high in protein make good snacks and parts of meals, these include: tuna, black beans, and nut butter.  Other foods are high in fiber, such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and seeds, and can easily fit into your diet.

Get Sleep

Try to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Lack of sleep has been shown to disrupt glucose metabolism and hormones that control hunger and appetite. Also, lacking sleep can make it harder to distinguish between true hunger and tiredness. 

Avoid Eating in Front of a Screen    

Watching TV, surfing the Internet, or playing video games while eating can distract you from noticing when you are starting to feel full and should stop eating. It can also cause you to feel less satisfied by your meal.

If you’re still hungry...

If you are still hungry after eating a balanced dinner and you are not just sad, bored, or hungry, try having a light snack and sticking with sources of protein and/or fiber. Some good options may be yogurt, nuts, or veggies with hummus. If you are really craving dessert, make sure to keep your portions small and eat slowly to savor the flavor.

For the full article, go to: http://www.eatright.org/resource/health/weight-loss/tips-for-weight-loss/5-tips-to-curb-your-late-night-snacking .

Benefits Associated with Swapping Animal Proteins for Plant Proteins

A new study suggests that swapping one to two servings of animal proteins for plant proteins a day could lower three key cholesterol markers which may help in cardiovascular disease prevention. The three cholesterol markers studied here are low-density lipoprotein, which contributes to fatty buildups in arteries, non-high density lipoprotein, which is the total cholesterol minus high-density lipoprotein, and apolipoprotein B, which is the protein within low-density lipoprotein that contributes to clogged arteries. Some good sources of plant proteins include soy, nuts, beans, and lentils. Cholesterol lowering effects may be even greater if these plant proteins are combined with other cholesterol-lowering foods such as oats, barley, and plant sterols. People in North America typically consume little plant protein, so, based on this study, there is great potential for preventing some cardiovascular disease occurrences. 

For more information, visit: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/12/171220091720.htm .

Fighting Iron Deficiency

Iron is essential to transporting oxygen from the lungs throughout the body as well as taking carbon dioxide out of the body via red blood cells. Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the US. However, symptoms only show up if the deficiency has reached the point of iron deficiency anemia. Anemia is a condition in which there is not enough iron available for the body to make enough normal red blood cells to efficiently transport oxygen. Some symptoms of iron deficiency anemia include: fatigue, pale skin and nails, weakness, dizziness, headache, and inflamed tongue. Iron can be consumed through both plant and animal sources, but we absorb two to three times more iron from animal sources. Some excellent sources of iron include: lean beef, turkey, fish, beans, dark leafy vegetables, and whole-grain breads. 

Pregnant or breastfeeding women, young children, adolescent girls, and women of childbearing years are at a greater risk for developing an iron deficiency. To prevent a developing iron deficiency, focus on consuming a balanced diet inclusive of the aforementioned sources of iron. Another method to increase iron absorption, especially if on a vegetarian diet, is to combine plant sources of iron with a source of vitamin C, such as berries or lemon juice. It is not recommended to add an iron supplement without first consulting a doctor or registered dietitian nutritionist!

Find this information and more at: http://www.eatright.org/resource/health/wellness/preventing-illness/iron-deficiency

Sugar and Heart Disease

A recent study has shown that a high sugar diet can increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Two groups of men, with either low levels of liver fat or with high levels of liver fat diagnosed as Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, were put on either a low or high sugar diet for 12 weeks. The low sugar diet consisted of 140 kcals from sugar (equivalent to 35 grams of sugar) a day and the high sugar diet had 650 kcals from sugar (equivalent to about 160 grams of sugar) each day. In both groups on the high sugar diet, fat metabolism was altered in a way that increased risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack, and stroke. Keep in mind that a single 12 oz can of coke contains 39 grams of sugar and 8 oz of apple juice contains about 26 grams of sugar!

For the full article, go to https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/10/171004202008.htm .

You are What You Think You Eat

A recent study was conducted to observe how the perception of amount of food consumed effects subsequent hunger and calories consumed in following meals. Participants were given a three egg omelet for breakfast but told it was made with either two or four eggs. When told their omelet was made with two eggs, participants reported greater hunger sooner after breakfast and consumed more food throughout the rest of the day. The opposite was observed when participants were told the omelet was made with four eggs. Researchers were also able to collect blood samples of participants and found that the difference in hunger and calories was not due to ghrelin, an appetite stimulating hormone. Although more research is being done, it may have you thinking a little more about how much food you have actually eaten to better judge future choices!

For more on this study, go to https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170907104304.htm .

Sugary Drinks at Mealtime

Recent studies looking at the effects of consuming sugary drinks with meals are finding that doing so may be “priming” the body to store more fat, especially with meals high in protein. There are a couple mechanisms responsible for this impact. For one, not all of the additional calories from the beverage are expended for energy. In addition, these extra calories in the beverage did not make participants feel more satisfied. Also, fat oxidation is reduced and less energy is required to metabolize the meals.  Finally, the combination of sugary drinks with high-protein meals was found to increase cravings for salty and savory foods in the hours following the meal, which can lead to even more calories being consumed.  Thus, if you want to have a sugary drink, try having it between meals as a snack rather than at mealtime to attempt to alleviate some of the fat storing effects.

Find this and more at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/07/170721101314.htm

Eat for Energy!

With busy and often stressful schedules, it is easy to feel like you’re dragging. Energy comes from food, so here are some tips for eating to feel more energized throughout the day!

Eat Often

It is recommended to eat every three to four hours for a more efficient metabolism and to keep you from making poor food choices.

Be Mindful of Your Hunger and Fullness

It is important to listen to your body and feed it when you feel hungry, but try not to eat to feel super full. Rather, simply eat until you’re no longer hungry by consuming smaller portions.

Balance Your Plate

When putting together a meal, include a variety of foods such as whole grains, lean protein, fruits, and vegetables. And don’t leave out the more beneficial fats like olive oil!

Snacking

Snacks can be used as a source of energy between meals. When choosing a snack, grab protein and fiber pairs, such as a piece of fruit with a handful of nuts.

Skip the Energy “Zappers”

Sugary drinks and energy drinks may have you feeling full of energy for a short period of time, but often leave you crashing. Do your best to keep your thirst quenched with water.

For more information, go to http://www.eatright.org/resource/food/nutrition/healthy-eating/eating-to-boost-energy .

Does it really matter when you eat?

A recent study at the University of Pennsylvania looked at the impact that eating later in the day has on weight, cholesterol, hormones, and metabolism.  The results may have you shifting your meals to earlier in the day!

A group of healthy-weight individuals was studied through two different, long-term eating conditions: a daytime condition, in which three meals and two snacks were eaten between the hours of 8am and 7pm, and a delayed condition, in which three meals and two snacks were eaten between the hours of 12pm and 11pm. In the delayed condition, weight increased, respiratory quotient rose (indicating fewer lipids and more carbohydrates were metabolized), and increases in insulin, fasting glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides were observed. 

In addition, the appetite-stimulating hormone, ghrelin, peaked earlier in the day while the appetite-inhibiting hormone, leptin, peaked later in the daytime condition. These hormone alterations suggest that eating earlier may help to prevent overeating in the evening and night. 

For more information, go to https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170602143816.htm .

Weight Gain Due to Lack of Sleep

A lack of sleep does more than leave you feeling tired. Studies show that people who get less sleep are at a greater risk of weight gain for a couple of reasons: they tend to consume larger portions of food, choose higher calorie foods, make impulse food choices, get more pleasure from food, and expend less energy. One explanation for these appetite changes is that sleep loss causes a change in the hormones that control appetite. 

According to the National Sleep Foundation, the recommended amount of sleep for 18-25 year olds is 7-9 hours. Although it may seem hard to get more sleep, whether you’re in school or enjoying summer nights, you may find it is worth going to bed an hour or two earlier when you feel better and make healthier choices! 

The full article can be found at

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170522081109.htm .

Tips for Grilling this Summer

Summertime is upon us, and so are delicious grilled foods! However, grilling can come with some health concerns to watch out for. These tips can help you maintain better health when grilling:

·      Cook at a lower heat – Cancer-causing agents, called carcinogens, form on foods where charring occurs. To avoid as much charring from taking place, try cooking your foods at a lower temperature for a longer period of time.

·      Trim off fat – Not only is removing excess fat from pieces of meat a great way to limit the saturated fat in your diet, but it will also help to limit the charring. As fat melts, it drips into the flames causing them to flare up and smoke, which promotes charring. 

·      Marinate – Try marinating meat for at least 30 minutes in some acidic ingredients such as vinegar, lemon juice, or beer. Marinating can help reduce carcinogen formation as well as tenderize and add flavor!

·      Look beyond meat – Adding other fruits and vegetables to the grill, such as squash, peppers, or pineapple, is a great way too add flavor and variety to your grilled meal.

·      Maintain a clean grill – It is important to keep your grill space clean by discarding any unused marinade, cleaning utensils, and using a brush free from loose bristles before you grill again. Taking these precautions will help to keep cooking out safe and sanitary. 

The full article can be found at http://www.eatright.org/resource/homefoodsafety/safety-tips/outdoor-dining/healthy-grilling .