Feed Your Inner Athlete

Calling all athletes and other active folks!  We wanted to share some healthy tips to support your activity.  Here are a few simple ideas you can try if you aren't already doing so.

Oatmeal - Combine this slow-release carbohydrate with maple syrup for a boost of energy at least 2 hours before your workout.  For added benefit top it with almonds or chia seeds for omega-3s.

Raisins - Eating just 1/4 cup of this sweet treat during an hour of activity works just as well as those popular energy chews.  Additionally, raisins have potassium and magnesium. For each additional hour of activity add a 1/4 cup.   

Coconut Water - Worried about losing electrolytes?  No problem, just drink unsweetened coconut water.  Studies have shown that it as effective at keeping you hydrated as other sports drinks, minus the added sugar.  If you're working out longer than an hour try adding this to your routine and drink during your activity.

We hope these tips help keep you strong!

Reference:  Eating Well, July/August, Fuel Up Naturally (p. 22).

Keep Active to Help Your Brain

A Wooded Walking Path

Keep Active to Help Your Brain

Did you know that exercise may be an asset to your brain's health?  It can even preserve gray matter.  In addition, physical activity may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, as well as other forms of cognitive decline.  In one study participants who were the most active displayed the least decline, which was significant because it is the equivalent to 10 years of mental aging! Another study found that the most active older adults had the largest volume of gray matter, which is the area of the brain typically affected by Alzheimer's.

So just how intense does this activity need to be?  A group of 876 older adults were studied. 90% said they did not exercise, while 10% reported moderate to high-intensity exercise.  After about 7 years each participant was given tests for memory and thinking skills, as well as a brain MRI.  And, 5 years after that they took the memory and thinking tests again.  The results showed that of those people in the low-activity group showed a greater decline on tests of how fast they could perform simple tasks and how many words they could remember from a list.  However, those in the higher-activity group performed much better and their mental aging put them 10 years ahead of their non-active counterparts.

The Cardiovascular Health Study analyzed data from 900 participants, both men and women, who were at least 65 years old when the study began.  This group completed medical and cognitive tests, answered questionnaires about their physical activity, and had MRI scans of their brains. The questionnaires were used to estimate how many calories were being expended in exercise. It turns out that the most active one-quarter of participants had significantly more gray matter in parts of the brain that correlates with memory and higher-level thinking.

The Bottom Line:  If you are not already active now is a good time to start.  It can be as simple as walk.

Reference:  Health & Nutrition Letter, Tufts University, July 2016, Vol. 34, NO.5, Keep Active to Protect Your Brain (p. 1&3).

Plateauing?

Plateauing

Heidi here to talk about what brings some clients into our office.  What's that you may ask?  Plateauing.  We have spoken to many people who have done well already by cleaning up their diets and incorporating healthy habits.  That's excellent!  However, at some point these people stop making progress and don't know why.  They reason that they are choosing healthy foods, but don't understand why they aren't losing more weight.  That's where we come in and do a little detective work.  In most cases we find that although healthy habits have been formed without the knowledge of professional in our field plateauing tends to occur.  Usually it take just a few tweaks and then the weight continues to come off.  Some of these tweaks may be levels of activity, types and amounts of food eaten, and food combinations, among others. If you or someone you know if having difficulty losing weight contact us.  We are here to help!

Keeping Your Food Safe This Summer

Keeping Your Food Safe This Summer

Along with your tasty favorite summer foods comes something we may forget about - foodborne pathogens!  We wanted to take a moment to provide you with some timely information to keep your food safe this summer.

Did you know it only takes a couple of hours for dangerous bacteria to grow?  That said, here are some things to keep in mind.  First, at your next picnic or cookout keep foods out of the "danger zone", that is between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.  Otherwise, bacteria such as salmonella, campylobacter and E. coli can double in as little as 20 minutes.  Second, be sure to thaw frozen meat or poultry before grilling.  The best place is in the refrigerator.  You can also thaw foods safely under cold water. Third, never leave food out in the open for longer than two hours, and no more than one hour if the temperature is higher than 90 degrees Fahrenheit.  Be sure to keep extra ice for leftovers

Fourth, let's talk about cross contamination.  Be sure to use different utensils and platters for grilling raw and cooked food.

Some popular foods this time of year are also likely to be prone to pathogens.  Ground meats for example pose a greater risk than steaks because the bacteria on the surface get ground into the center.  This is why ground beef must be cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit.  Your best bet is to use a meat thermometer. Potato Salad is another summertime favorite!  The problem with this dish is its moisture content and lack of refrigeration.  Be sure to keep it chilled and out no longer than 2 hours before returning to the fridge.  Otherwise, discard it!

Chicken is another staple and a prime candidate for salmonella and other bacteria.  Be sure to keep it separate from other food you are preparing and wash cooking utensils thoroughly in hot water.  Don't rinse chicken before grilling.  It actually risks contaminating other surfaces.  Only heat will destroy the bacteria.  It's recommended to use a meat thermometer that is inserted into the thickest part of the breast to be sure it is at a minimum of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Last but not least is produce.  Believe it or not fruits and vegetables can become contaminated by bacteria where they are grown or after harvesting.  Washing helps, but here are some other things you can do:

• Bag fresh fruits and vegetables separately from meat, poultry and seafood.
• Avoid produce that is bruised or damaged.
• Pick only refrigerated fresh-cut produce.
• Store perishable produce like berries, lettuce, herbs, and mushrooms, as well as pre-cut or peeled produce at 40 degrees or below.
• Wash your produce under running water just before eating, cutting or cooking.
• You can wipe washed produce with a clean cloth or paper towel to reduce bacteria.

We hope these tips help keep you healthy this summer!

Reference: Health & Nutrition Letter, Tufts University, July 2016, Vol 34, NO 5, Keep Your Summer Picnic Food Safe (p.6).

SMART Goals

Do you need some tips to help you get motivated?  We are here to help!  Take a peek below for some helpful tips, and remember we are always here to support you!

Set a SMART goal. Experts say efforts to change are more successful if they are SMART— that is, specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-based. So as you’re deciding on a change, make sure it can pass the SMART test:

☑S- Set a very specific goal. I will add one fruit serving—that’s half a cup, chopped—to my current daily diet.
☑M- Find a way to measure progress. I will log my efforts each day on my calendar.
☑A- Make sure it’s achievable. Be sure you’re physically capable of safely accomplishing your goal. If not, aim for a smaller goal.
☑R-Be sure it’s realistic. It may seem counterintuitive, but choosing the change you most need to make—let’s say, quitting smoking or losing weight—isn’t as successful as choosing the change you’re most confident you’ll be able to make. Focus on sure bets, such as eating an additional serving of fruit every day rather than overhauling your diet at once: if you picture a 10-point scale of confidence in achieving your goal, where 1 equals no confidence and 10 equals 100% certainty, you should land in the 7-to-10 zone.
☑T- Set time commitments. Pick a date and time to start—Wednesday at breakfast, I’ll add frozen blueberries to cereal—and regular check-in dates: I’ll check my log every week and decide if I should make any changes in my routines to succeed. When setting commitments, outside deadlines can be really helpful. Signing up for a charity run or spring triathlon on a certain date prods you to get a training program under way.

Reference: www.health.harvard.edu • 101 TIPS FOR TIP-TOP HEALTH

What Made Me Buy That - Eating Out

What Made Me Buy That – Eating Out?

Heidi back again with more information about how our food choices are influenced.  This time we’re going to focus on eating out.  Have you ever wondered what makes you eat more when you’re out?  For one, the portions are larger.  I’m sure you already know that restaurants serve up portions that are so large that there’s no way we can burn all of those calories. When you combine that with people dining our more frequently that’s a recipe for disaster.  And, a recent study showed that if you serve more, we eat more.  Plus, we don’t even notice that we’re eating more.  This is because we’re eating while were talking with a companion, watching TV, or driving.  Being distracted causes us to eat more.

Maybe you’re thinking we should be relying on our hunger or our own recall of what we’ve already eaten.  Well, we tend not to do that either unless someone asks us to remember.  In which case, remembering what we’ve eaten will help us avoid eating more.

You’ve heard of Combo Meals, right?  People order them because it’s one less decision they have to make.  However, the downside of that is that we may be ordering items we don’t actually want.  One study even found that if people were asked to order items separately in most cases they’d only order a couple of the items in a combo meal, which also saved them money.

Watch out for that menu, it may trick you into ordering something you may not really want.  For example, did you know that the upper right-hand corner is known as the “sweet spot”? Newspapers put their big news there because it’s what people see first.  Menus may also put an expensive item next to another dish that’s even more expensive to make the first item appear more reasonable.  Last but not least, restaurants also know that we like to choose things that are listed first and last in sections.  And, foods that are highlighted or put in a box often get ordered.

Did you know that we’re also mimics?  It turns out that we like to copy one another.  On study had researchers show people a video where the experimenter was eating Goldfish or animal crackers, and when bowls were put in front of them of each item that these people were more likely to choose the same item as the experimenter.  We don’t even know we’re doing this.

Let’s not forget that food is everywhere.  Remember when you went to the gas station just for gas?  Now most have markets included.  Also, places like libraries now have cafes.  And, dining halls on college campuses seem to be open to all hours.  This makes food constantly accessible.  The worst part is that most of this food is highly processed, non-perishable, and unfortunately not great for our health.

 

Bottom Line:  You can choose healthy items when you’re out, you just need to have a goal in mind to help you avoid these traps.

 

 

Reference:  Nutrition Action Newsletter, March 2016, Under The Radar (p.4 & 5).

What Made Me Buy That - The Supermarket

What Made Me Buy That – The Supermarket?

 

Heidi here to talk about what makes us choose the foods we do.  I will be talking about three different topics – The Supermarket, Eating Out, and Advertising.  Today, we are going to focus on the supermarket.  So, just what does influence us in the store?  I’m sure you’re familiar with time-limited specials, or suggestions to buy say three items for the price of two, or 10 items for $10.  All in all, those techniques encourage us to purchase more!  Also, we tend to pay more attention to food at the end of the aisles, which may or may not be on sale.  And, you probably already know that food at eye level sells better than food on a high or low shelf.

Did you also know that we have a limited thinking capacity?  Essentially, as we use our brains over and over our ability to think carefully gets worn down.  When that happens we make snappy decisions based on superficial characteristics of food.  We wind up buying foods based on appearance and convenience.  Supermarkets are aware of this brain fatigue and purposely place candy and chips near the register, which is just one impulse marketing technique.  Along with brain fatigue, our self-control can get tired.  When our mental energy gets used up during the day our self-control lessens too.

Last, but not least is variety. For example, simply changing the name or flavors or even shapes of items makes us think they are different.  It’s that difference that makes those items attractive to us!  Think about all of those flavors of your favorite chip.  We wouldn’t recommend a boring diet as it’s important to eat a variety of foods so we can consume different nutrients.  Just think about where those nutrients are coming from – eating different vegetables serves us much better as opposed to eating a variety of chips.

Bottom Line:  Go to the store with a list to help avoid these supermarket traps.

 

Reference:  Nutrition Action Newsletter, March 2016, Under The Radar (p.4).