Hope you had a wonderful weekend!
I didn't get the chance to post on Friday because the boy and I were headed up to New York City for the weekend! The boy has never been to NYC so I surprised him with a trip for his birthday. The weekend after Thanksgiving sounded like a crazy time, but also the perfect time because most of the holiday decorations would be up! We had the chance to see all the must-sees like Rockefeller Center, Central Park, The Statue of Liberty and were even able to sneak in some others like the Cornell versus Boston University Hockey Game in Madison Square Garden! I of course ate my fair share of cannolis in Little Italy, cupcakes at Magnolia and cookies from Levain. All our walking should have counteracted all that...right?! We had a fantastic time and now the boy can officially check 'the city that never sleeps' off his list!
Hope you had a wonderful weekend!
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To celebrate Thanksgiving, why not sneak in a quick workout that represents the history of the holiday. The history of Thanksgiving: The Pilgrims 'landed' at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620. The First Thanksgiving was in November of 1621. In 1941, President Roosevelt made Thanksgiving a National Holiday. Let's split up the dates and work it out! 12 Lunges 11 Burpees 16 Pushups 20 Squats 11 Burpees 16 Pushups 21 Squats 19 Lunges 41 Jumping Jacks Lots to be thankful for this year! Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving is typically known for rich, delicious dishes and overeating multiple times per day and week! However, Thanksgiving dinner can be just as delicious with some healthier substitutions as well. Now this doesn't mean that you can't overindulge "in moderation", but for those of us looking for a less bloated belly this year, give these dishes a try! Skinny Ms-Mashed Cauliflower do it delicious-Green Beans with Almonds *you can even add a little lemon juice for a zest of flavor The Pioneer Woman-Roasted Veggies Wellness Mama-Cranberry Sauce *this is still high sugar, but is a different twist on an old favorite She Knows-Quinoa Stuffing *very different than the typical stuffing, but can be used as a side dish as well! What's your favorite healthy Thanksgiving dish?
I get the Skimm in my mailbox every morning and I absolutely love that I can read up on a lot of the country and world happenings in one e-mail. I decided to treat this Friday like that by giving you all links to some of the important health changes over the past week! Take a look: 1. Genetically Engineered Salmon is Approved by the FDA. On Thursday, the FDA approved the production of a Genetically Engineered Salmon that is able to grow to market size in about half the time of non-modified salmon. The FDA even stated that this salmon will not need to be labeled. Many scientists, consumers and salmon farmers are concerned at how this will affect our health and the potential threat on the environment. 2. The National Institute of Health has ended the use of chimps for biomedical research. 3. The Danger of Sleeping In. A study by the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism has shown that a change in sleep schedule on the weekends can lead to lower HDL or good cholesterol, higher triglycerides and higher insulin resistance. 4. The FDA finalized a set of standards for how fruits and vegetables are produced. What are your thoughts on the Health News of the Week?
The concept of healthy eating for the rest of our lives or 150 minutes of exercise per week can seem daunting and nearly impossible at first. However, many times when things are broken apart we are better able to understand the big picture, and this is no different. The concept of what you can, when you can is from a book I received at my Fitbloggin' conference last year. The book breaks down a healthy lifestyle into smaller daily activities. These smaller bits add up over time to create healthy habits. I feel as though this concept is very important year round, but especially during the holidays. The holidays are a difficult time where we are often thrown off our normal routine. This can many times lead to weight gain and/or loss of motivation. To keep our overall goal of a healthy lifestyle over the holidays, let's look at some small ways that we can do "what we can, when we can": 1. Park further away when going shopping (heck, use those cans or gallon jugs as your weights for a few bicep curls during shopping ;) ). 2. When out to eat, replace a higher fat side like fries or onion rings with a side salad. Look for ways to make healthier substitutes in your favorite holiday dishes (Greek yogurt in place of sour cream?). 3. Go for a short walk with family after dinner (walk around your neighborhood to look at the christmas lights). 4. Wait 20 minutes after eating your first helping before going back for seconds (after 20 minutes you may realize that your body doesn't need it!). 5. Make an exercise game out of your favorite Christmas movie (10 jumping jacks every time Santa is mentioned or seen). These little activities don't mean that we shouldn't include regular exercise and healthy choices during the holidays, but they are the little things that can add up to make us feel healthier and more in control of our health during this wonderful time of year!
What are your tricks of the trade for staying healthy over the holidays? This weekend I had a little extra time and wanted to create something to 1. Get the mail off the kitchen counter and 2. Use some blank wall space. After checking out Pinterest I decided to make a shutter mail sorter. I took a quick trip to Restore to try to find a wood shutter. Most shutters these days are plastic so I had no such luck, but I did find a closet door that once cut would do the trick. I added a few extra pieces of wood to make a quick and easy mail sorter on the bottom. A quick coat of black paint and we were done! We haven't put it up on the wall yet, but I can't wait for it to get some use! I plan to put Christmas cards in the slots to display them this time of year. A very easy DIY, but I think it will make a huge difference.
Happy Monday! Sorry i've been MIA this week. We have been moving offices at work, so we've been busy busy bees! I had the opportunity to write an article on exercise for ObesityHelp. ObesityHelp is a peer support community with information and resources for all those affected by obesity. Many of my clients use this site and it has great information even if you personally are not affected by obesity. Check out my article here! Happy Friday! Here's to a wonderful, productive and restful weekend!
You all know my love for crockpots, since coming home to dinner being ready is one of the best feelings. I whipped up this quick and easy crockpot meal and really enjoyed it. Let me know what you think Have a fantastic weekend!
November is National Diabetes Month! It is important during not only this month, but throughout the whole year to bring awareness to this disease and the individuals affected by it. One way we can do this is by learning new information about how to decrease our risk factors for diabetes. Carbohydrates and how the body reacts to carbohydrate intake is vital to understand. One form of carbohydrates is sugar. Sugar comes in multiple different forms and takes on a variety of names. Take a look at the ingredient lists of some products you usually eat and see if you notice any of the following terms: high fructose corn syrup, brown sugar, rice syrup, glucose, fructose, maltose, cane juice, molasses. There are many other terms for sugar, but those are some of the most recognizable. Ultimately, we want to decrease our sugar intake, regardless of it's name or type. Sugar isn't necessarily bad, but we often get more than our body needs, creating an issue. The World Health Organization recommends that less than 5% of calories come from sugar. That works out to be ~25-35g of sugar per day for the average adult. One teaspoon of sugar is 4 grams. To put that in perspective, one can of Pepsi has about 41g of sugar or ~10 teaspoons, far exceeding our necessary intake for the day. In order to decrease sugar intake, start to look at some of the foods you are regularly consuming. Cut down on processed food as it often adds sugar for taste. Low-fat and fat-free foods are also laden with sugar to compensate for the lack of fat. When cooking, decrease sugar content and increases spices and seasonings. Spices/seasonings can bring lots of flavor without the added sugar. Overall, look for ways that you can decrease your sugar intake and become more aware of the sugar you are consuming.
Happy Wednesday and Happy Diabetes Month! It's the start of a new month and we're getting further into the Fall season. The weather continues to get chillier and that means different fruits and vegetables are starting to flourish. Remember that in-season produce is typically very fresh and less expensive than out of season produce. Here is a list of some great fruits and vegetables to include at your next meal! Happy Monday!
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AuthorKatie is a Registered Dietitian in the Greenville, SC area. She currently works as a surgical weight loss dietitian. In her spare time she enjoys playing volleyball, cooking and hiking. Archives
January 2016
CategoriesDisclaimer: I am a Registered Dietitian and Personal Trainer, but I am not a Medical Doctor. Please check with your doctor before changing your activity level or making changes in nutrition based on medical conditions. My recommendations are generalizations and may not be appropriate for all individuals.
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