If you really don't want to read this article, at least just do yourself a favor and watch this Gatorade commercial. It does a good job of highlighting at least one of my points.
This post is going to consist of a abstract look at sport beverages, what they're good for, along with some downsides for each. All three of these beverages plays a role for athletes; timing is what's key here.
Water
The standard. It does a great job of re-hydrating the system. We all know we lose water through sweat and that even a 2% sweat loss will effect performance level. So it's simple: drink liquids in order to keep performance high. Quick nutrition tip? Cold water can help curb appetite and it takes energy through burning calories to heat it up. Both these concepts can help in weight loss. On the flip side, cold water during a game is really only used for body temperature regulation, otherwise it can lead to an acidic response from the stomach.
Pros: super cheap, water fountains are everywhere, easy to drink (tasteless), no refrigeration needed
Cons: no fuel (literally its just water), no electrolytes
Gatorade (original)
Just like Peyton Manning just said above, gotta have some sweat. This beverage is meant for fueling during events, especially long events. It's true that Gatorade helps replace what you sweat out, that being electrolytes. Careful, electrolytes is just a fancy word for the salts you sweat out. Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Calcium...these are all other words for electrolytes too. What I appreciate with sport drinks like Gatorade is actually the sugar content. For drinks like this, sugar is not the enemy. This sugar goes right into the bloodstream quickly and is immediately available for use in exercise and competition. This can help elongate endurance and energy level. So pick this beverage when needing more energy in the middle of activity or in preparation for the next event shortly after the first. For those looking to drop some pounds, choose the low calorie or Propel versions to save the calories.
Pros: quick energy boost to sustain performance, electrolytes, flavors
Cons: expensive (relatively), sugary (only needed during exercise), no protein
Milk
Ah yes...one of my favorites. I've preached it before, this beverage was made for athletes. It's got protein, carbohydrate, calcium, potassium, vitamin D, B vitamins, and more! I love that it has all these great nutrients and it is naturally in this liquid form. The natural ratio of 3:1 carbohydrate:protein in milk makes it a perfect recovery beverage. Athletes need more than protein post work out, they need the fuel to, and that should come from carbohydrate. I see too many people buying whey protein mixing it with plain water...just buy milk! Cheaper, way tastier, plus a lot of other good stuff. Here's an easy one; pick skim, 1%, 2%, whole, or flavored depending on what your goals are! More skim for weight loss, more fat for those looking to increase calories. I know it's fat, but it's well balanced fat meant for athletes, not for big guts.
Pros: inexpensive (relatively), easy to drink, awesome balance of nutrients and vitamins/minerals, flavors, variety to choose from
Cons: needs refrigeration, gassy (lactose intolerant peoples), spoils, allergies
Coffee
Finally, real quick, I think coffee (or maybe I should just say caffeine) can be a great beverage for athletes. Lots of drink powders sold to work out fanatics that brag about increasing power and endurance and energy. Typically these powders have a lot of caffeine in them too. I challenge those who do these powders to just try doing a shot or two of espresso coffee before working out. You'll feel great. Obviously be careful with level of caffeine consumed, it can be considering doping in some sports. As a side note, don't be afraid that it will dehydrate you or make you need to use the bathroom. I takes a lot of caffeine to dehydrate you, like 4 cups of coffee.
Pros: energy boost with no calories, so many flavors, mostly available in coffee shops
Cons: typically expensive, tolerance level can lead to no effect, caffeine crash, must be prepared
In review, water for re-hydration alone, Gatorade for mid-game or practice needs, milk for recovery, and coffee for a nice natural boost in alertness and energy. Hopefully now it is easier to pick the beverage perfect for the situation. Happy drinking.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Eating When Injured
Sigh...
This fantasy football season is nuts...everyone is getting injured so fast! It's trying to ruin my fantasy football team and everyone else's (seriously...look at the injury report)! This made me think, I should do a post on how to eat when injured. So here we go.
The first thing to assess when injured is how severe the injury is. If it is going to limit your movement significantly, it's important to control calorie intake, because you are not burning as many calories, and focus on eating good protein sources. If it's a day-today injury, it's still important to focus on good protein sources, but it's also necessary to eat enough carbohydrate to have energy stores for the next practice. If it's a minor injury, like a sprain, charlie-horse, or pull, it's important to get some carbohydrate and rehydrate with a drink that contains electrolytes too.
Here's the real low-down: when your body takes a hit and needs to recover in any way, a general, healthy diet can only accelerate the healing process. Think about it this way, when I eat "junk food" and greasy munchies, I feel like complete crap after, and I expect that. When eating this kind of food in injury or recovery, you're adding fuel to the flames. Now the body has to digest the atrocity that you just ate and try to break it down into the constituents that will actually aid in the healing and nourishing effect of food.
Make this diet heavy on colors, with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and low-fat dairy, and that injury will be gone sooner. Provide the body with all the food groups it needs and you will find that it won't have to struggle to get you back on the field/court/track/etc. And get this: if you focus on fruits and vegetables, the diet should be lower in calories too making it effective in avoiding unwanted weight gain in a physically limited state.
It's always a bummer when getting injured, that's why you should attack that injury head on with nutrition in order to put it all behind you. Your body, and team, will thank you.
This fantasy football season is nuts...everyone is getting injured so fast! It's trying to ruin my fantasy football team and everyone else's (seriously...look at the injury report)! This made me think, I should do a post on how to eat when injured. So here we go.
The first thing to assess when injured is how severe the injury is. If it is going to limit your movement significantly, it's important to control calorie intake, because you are not burning as many calories, and focus on eating good protein sources. If it's a day-today injury, it's still important to focus on good protein sources, but it's also necessary to eat enough carbohydrate to have energy stores for the next practice. If it's a minor injury, like a sprain, charlie-horse, or pull, it's important to get some carbohydrate and rehydrate with a drink that contains electrolytes too.
Here's the real low-down: when your body takes a hit and needs to recover in any way, a general, healthy diet can only accelerate the healing process. Think about it this way, when I eat "junk food" and greasy munchies, I feel like complete crap after, and I expect that. When eating this kind of food in injury or recovery, you're adding fuel to the flames. Now the body has to digest the atrocity that you just ate and try to break it down into the constituents that will actually aid in the healing and nourishing effect of food.
Make this diet heavy on colors, with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and low-fat dairy, and that injury will be gone sooner. Provide the body with all the food groups it needs and you will find that it won't have to struggle to get you back on the field/court/track/etc. And get this: if you focus on fruits and vegetables, the diet should be lower in calories too making it effective in avoiding unwanted weight gain in a physically limited state.
It's always a bummer when getting injured, that's why you should attack that injury head on with nutrition in order to put it all behind you. Your body, and team, will thank you.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
LeBron's New Diet
So I need to talk about something: LeBron. Have you heard he is on a new diet? That's right, this offseason, LeBron decided to go low to zero carbohydrate to "slim down." LeBron has been seen on Twitter with a more slim physique and everyone in the sports world is now talking about how this will affect LeBron's game come the new season, also the new team. I'm going to tackle this commotion in two parts today: the diet and the reaction.
What's going on with LeBron's diet is not a new idea. It's essentially the Atkins diet. People have used this before, but this diet has been found to be based on shoddy scientific research and currently the Atkin's company is bankrupt. It's also very similar to the paleo diet which avoids processed foods, especially grains. The diet works as such: the body fuels off of carbohydrate which eventually metabolizes down to sugar. When this is decreased to very low levels, the body must switch its fuel source to the next best thing: fat. This fat, in the form of foods and fat stores on the body, starts to burn. For this reason, the body slims down and weight can be dropped somewhat quickly.
LeBron's desire to slim down isn't so bad. This is how athletes should think when in the off-season because it is too easy to put on weight when not practicing and performing as often. The problem here is in the teaching. LeBron wants to train the body to use fat as a fuel source so he can utilize it better during games. Basically, when the glycogen, or carbohydrates, run out mid-game, LeBron can switch to fat stores to keep on trucking.The idea really makes sense, but unfortunately this type of energy use really is better at impacting long term energy use for athletes like long distance runners and track stars in long distance events. Glycogen is needed for the power moves. So for this reason, it could be difficult for LeBron to keep his power jumping, shooting, rebounding, sprinting, and dunking prowess. Basically, his sport demands the carbohydrates. By the way, not being fueled correctly and going into heavy training or competition could result in extreme fatigue with the possibility of blacking out. Not good.
The reaction to his diet change is what upsets me a little more. I cannot stress this enough: you must pay attention to who you are listening to. Look for articles written by dietitians, not doctors, not nutritionists, not editors, not athletes. I hate to break it to you all, but dietitians are the ones who have gone through extensive schoolwork to actually understand what is going on. When I read this article, I was furious at the beginning with its highlighting of some MD on a power trip. I got excited when the dietitian for the Indiana Pacers chimed in with logical advice and making a point to how dangerous this diet can be in certain situations. Unfortunately the article finishes with just throwing that all away and jumping on LeBron's decision once again.
Do not blindly follow what the athletes do. In this world, everyone is individualized. Watch out with how easily a writer can make it look to try a new diet. And realize one of the greatest tips: even those at the top can make mistakes. Staying empowered with knowledge is always the best option.
Photo from LeBron's Instagram since starting his low carb diet.
What's going on with LeBron's diet is not a new idea. It's essentially the Atkins diet. People have used this before, but this diet has been found to be based on shoddy scientific research and currently the Atkin's company is bankrupt. It's also very similar to the paleo diet which avoids processed foods, especially grains. The diet works as such: the body fuels off of carbohydrate which eventually metabolizes down to sugar. When this is decreased to very low levels, the body must switch its fuel source to the next best thing: fat. This fat, in the form of foods and fat stores on the body, starts to burn. For this reason, the body slims down and weight can be dropped somewhat quickly.
LeBron's desire to slim down isn't so bad. This is how athletes should think when in the off-season because it is too easy to put on weight when not practicing and performing as often. The problem here is in the teaching. LeBron wants to train the body to use fat as a fuel source so he can utilize it better during games. Basically, when the glycogen, or carbohydrates, run out mid-game, LeBron can switch to fat stores to keep on trucking.The idea really makes sense, but unfortunately this type of energy use really is better at impacting long term energy use for athletes like long distance runners and track stars in long distance events. Glycogen is needed for the power moves. So for this reason, it could be difficult for LeBron to keep his power jumping, shooting, rebounding, sprinting, and dunking prowess. Basically, his sport demands the carbohydrates. By the way, not being fueled correctly and going into heavy training or competition could result in extreme fatigue with the possibility of blacking out. Not good.
This is why sports drinks exist or why halftime is a good time to have a quick recovery snack. It will help replace the glycogen stores you just lost.
The reaction to his diet change is what upsets me a little more. I cannot stress this enough: you must pay attention to who you are listening to. Look for articles written by dietitians, not doctors, not nutritionists, not editors, not athletes. I hate to break it to you all, but dietitians are the ones who have gone through extensive schoolwork to actually understand what is going on. When I read this article, I was furious at the beginning with its highlighting of some MD on a power trip. I got excited when the dietitian for the Indiana Pacers chimed in with logical advice and making a point to how dangerous this diet can be in certain situations. Unfortunately the article finishes with just throwing that all away and jumping on LeBron's decision once again.
Do not blindly follow what the athletes do. In this world, everyone is individualized. Watch out with how easily a writer can make it look to try a new diet. And realize one of the greatest tips: even those at the top can make mistakes. Staying empowered with knowledge is always the best option.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
What Have I Learned? Part 2
I've taken to the twitterverse! Follow me @Smurrf30 to get more nutrition tips.
Let's continue my conversation from last weekend. Here's a couple more things I've learned since becoming a registered dietitian.
Sometimes people don't understand the rules.
We've all learned little tricks and beneficial nutrients that make our diet "better." What I noticed with some people is that they will completely miss the boat with how to take the advice and practice it. The best example I have is those who try to increase unsaturated fats in their diet, usually for heart healthy desires. These people will switch to olive oil, fatty fish, and snack on nuts. To this I say great! But the thing here, is the idea comes from replacing saturated fats in the diet with unsaturated ones. If the diet becomes a high fat diet, regardless of type of fat, other problems could arise (like weight problems!). Another thing that comes from this misunderstanding is the mixing of diet tips. Sometimes those looking to lose weight will mix ideas like snacking on nuts, thinking that "they must be healthy, they are always recommended by everyone for their heart!" In reality, nuts are pretty dang high in calories, the ultimate concern when concerning weight loss. My tips are as follows:
I had an awesome conversation with my trainer this week about media's influence on nutrition and the public's understanding between nutritionist and dietitian. In case you don't know, anyone can call them self a nutritionist, whereas a dietitian must earn their credentials through work hours and experience along with passing a registered exam. Basically, it matters whether articles or TV bits are given by a nutritionist or a dietitian! This being said, many people love to claim they've figured it out. The miracle answer is here, this single problem is to blame, yadda yadda yadda. We see a lot of this from nutritionists. The fact is, the answer has been with us all along, we just don't want to accept it. Healthy diet is all the "quips" you've heard before: 5 servings of fruit and vegetables daily, limit red meat, eat more fish, 3 servings of low fat dairy daily, whole grains over white, and regular exercise. Isn't it crazy how much we don't want to accept the simple truth, but we'll take the next crazy diet, which in some way usually follows these quips anyway? My advice here is to always remember this diet is research based and effective while most others are not whatsoever.
The best thing in nutrition is always eating real food.
Ah yes, real food. So tasty, so much to choose from. To me, real food always makes the most sense. We should be eating foods that make sense. When comparing US diets to other countries, two things really jump out to me: the percentage of income families spend on food (news flash, we don't spend much on it) and the types of food eaten (making foods vs buying made foods). I wish we as a population would spend more $$ on our body's fuel. I know produce and proteins are always expensive, but to me are always worth the money. These last two weeks, the girlfriend and I decided to start eating right, cooking dishes, lots of vegetables, getting creative, and limiting the junk. First off, the food tastes great, the only down side is possibly more dirty dishes. (wow I wish I had a dishwasher). Second, we feel better. Just positive feelings. My girlfriend wants to lose weight and I want to gain. The way we are accomplishing this is regular exercise and decreasing her portions and increasing mine. That's it. There's no tricks, and it can work just that way for you. By the way, been having awesome packaged lunches to take to work from all this.
There you have it. These posts were pretty difficult to write given all the things I was taught. I tried to keep things pretty broad in order to cover many bases! Honestly, I could get on a soap box and preach for hours on the last two posts, but I'll spare you.
Let's continue my conversation from last weekend. Here's a couple more things I've learned since becoming a registered dietitian.
Sometimes people don't understand the rules.
We've all learned little tricks and beneficial nutrients that make our diet "better." What I noticed with some people is that they will completely miss the boat with how to take the advice and practice it. The best example I have is those who try to increase unsaturated fats in their diet, usually for heart healthy desires. These people will switch to olive oil, fatty fish, and snack on nuts. To this I say great! But the thing here, is the idea comes from replacing saturated fats in the diet with unsaturated ones. If the diet becomes a high fat diet, regardless of type of fat, other problems could arise (like weight problems!). Another thing that comes from this misunderstanding is the mixing of diet tips. Sometimes those looking to lose weight will mix ideas like snacking on nuts, thinking that "they must be healthy, they are always recommended by everyone for their heart!" In reality, nuts are pretty dang high in calories, the ultimate concern when concerning weight loss. My tips are as follows:
- For weight loss, pay most attention to overall calories and increased physical activity.
- When anyone says to eliminate something (like wheat), think about what you will replace it with.
- Pay careful attention to the end goal. Your decisions should always revolve around this.
I had an awesome conversation with my trainer this week about media's influence on nutrition and the public's understanding between nutritionist and dietitian. In case you don't know, anyone can call them self a nutritionist, whereas a dietitian must earn their credentials through work hours and experience along with passing a registered exam. Basically, it matters whether articles or TV bits are given by a nutritionist or a dietitian! This being said, many people love to claim they've figured it out. The miracle answer is here, this single problem is to blame, yadda yadda yadda. We see a lot of this from nutritionists. The fact is, the answer has been with us all along, we just don't want to accept it. Healthy diet is all the "quips" you've heard before: 5 servings of fruit and vegetables daily, limit red meat, eat more fish, 3 servings of low fat dairy daily, whole grains over white, and regular exercise. Isn't it crazy how much we don't want to accept the simple truth, but we'll take the next crazy diet, which in some way usually follows these quips anyway? My advice here is to always remember this diet is research based and effective while most others are not whatsoever.
The best thing in nutrition is always eating real food.
Ah yes, real food. So tasty, so much to choose from. To me, real food always makes the most sense. We should be eating foods that make sense. When comparing US diets to other countries, two things really jump out to me: the percentage of income families spend on food (news flash, we don't spend much on it) and the types of food eaten (making foods vs buying made foods). I wish we as a population would spend more $$ on our body's fuel. I know produce and proteins are always expensive, but to me are always worth the money. These last two weeks, the girlfriend and I decided to start eating right, cooking dishes, lots of vegetables, getting creative, and limiting the junk. First off, the food tastes great, the only down side is possibly more dirty dishes. (wow I wish I had a dishwasher). Second, we feel better. Just positive feelings. My girlfriend wants to lose weight and I want to gain. The way we are accomplishing this is regular exercise and decreasing her portions and increasing mine. That's it. There's no tricks, and it can work just that way for you. By the way, been having awesome packaged lunches to take to work from all this.
There you have it. These posts were pretty difficult to write given all the things I was taught. I tried to keep things pretty broad in order to cover many bases! Honestly, I could get on a soap box and preach for hours on the last two posts, but I'll spare you.
Sunday, August 3, 2014
What Have I Learned? Part 1
So I've come a very long way to get my sweet new credentials. Along the way, I've gained new skills, new friends, and a helluva lot of new knowledge. In this two part series, I will share some of the great things I've learned over the last busy year.
Nutrition is easy
Hahahahahahaha, right? No one thinks this is easy. As a matter of fact, this is why I have a job! But truly, nutrition is as easy as it should be. Those who come to me asking about how to lose weight, bulk up, eat healthier, etc. can be asked the same questions right back to them. What do you think you need to do differently? Guaranteed, we all could be eating more fruit and vegetables daily. A lot of us probably eat out a little too often. A big one: not enough physical activity. So why ask me? So my advice to you, ask the questions back to you and see which ones you can answer. When it becomes another question, that's where the health professional (yours truly) can step in and help out! Don't know how to slice a mango? Ask! Don't know how to incorporate more olive oil and less butter into your diet? Ask! Wondering why you have plateaued in your weight loss success? Ask!
Question what you read
This may make you suspicious of even my articles, but you should really be careful what you buy into. Think about the articles you read on the internet. The newest buzz on Facebook may not be the best catalyst to changing your behaviors. I've ready plenty of articles that just spew shoddy science. Be careful! For example, I read an article about putting butter in your coffee...and it being healthy...and how it's perfect as the only item of your breakfast. I wanted to lose my mind looking at how many views it had! I don't see anything wrong with trying this, but trying to "swing it" so that it will be beneficial in every way? Please...so I've narrowed this problem down to asking two questions: does it sound to good to be true? and what would I be missing out on if I try this? If it sounds so amazing and fantastic or every uses words like "magic" or "revolutionary" or "secret" you should tread with caution. And anything that wants you to eliminate meals/foods/ingredients completely could lead to missing out on awesome nutrients and when done incorrectly will hurt more than help.
Share your successes, not your crankyness
Think this has nothing to do with nutrition? Think again. Plenty of mornings over the last year, i was complaining more than necessary for any human being. It doesn't help anything. So, instead of complaining about how awful you eat, how infrequently you exercise, and how much weight you've gained, start sharing what you are going to change. Recruit others on your path! I hate the phrase "misery loves company." I prefer "share the success." Once you recruit the partner, push each other, don't let the other fail by holding them (and yourself) accountable. Make this your roommate, loved one, child, or even a social media outlet like Reddit (here's a nice subreddit). This is one area that I think never looks like bragging when letting your friend know "I've lost 10 lbs!" or "I have been cooking fresh recently, and I had no clue it was so flavorful."
Stay tuned for part 2 of my learnings next weekend.
Nutrition is easy
Hahahahahahaha, right? No one thinks this is easy. As a matter of fact, this is why I have a job! But truly, nutrition is as easy as it should be. Those who come to me asking about how to lose weight, bulk up, eat healthier, etc. can be asked the same questions right back to them. What do you think you need to do differently? Guaranteed, we all could be eating more fruit and vegetables daily. A lot of us probably eat out a little too often. A big one: not enough physical activity. So why ask me? So my advice to you, ask the questions back to you and see which ones you can answer. When it becomes another question, that's where the health professional (yours truly) can step in and help out! Don't know how to slice a mango? Ask! Don't know how to incorporate more olive oil and less butter into your diet? Ask! Wondering why you have plateaued in your weight loss success? Ask!
Question what you read
This may make you suspicious of even my articles, but you should really be careful what you buy into. Think about the articles you read on the internet. The newest buzz on Facebook may not be the best catalyst to changing your behaviors. I've ready plenty of articles that just spew shoddy science. Be careful! For example, I read an article about putting butter in your coffee...and it being healthy...and how it's perfect as the only item of your breakfast. I wanted to lose my mind looking at how many views it had! I don't see anything wrong with trying this, but trying to "swing it" so that it will be beneficial in every way? Please...so I've narrowed this problem down to asking two questions: does it sound to good to be true? and what would I be missing out on if I try this? If it sounds so amazing and fantastic or every uses words like "magic" or "revolutionary" or "secret" you should tread with caution. And anything that wants you to eliminate meals/foods/ingredients completely could lead to missing out on awesome nutrients and when done incorrectly will hurt more than help.
Share your successes, not your crankyness
Think this has nothing to do with nutrition? Think again. Plenty of mornings over the last year, i was complaining more than necessary for any human being. It doesn't help anything. So, instead of complaining about how awful you eat, how infrequently you exercise, and how much weight you've gained, start sharing what you are going to change. Recruit others on your path! I hate the phrase "misery loves company." I prefer "share the success." Once you recruit the partner, push each other, don't let the other fail by holding them (and yourself) accountable. Make this your roommate, loved one, child, or even a social media outlet like Reddit (here's a nice subreddit). This is one area that I think never looks like bragging when letting your friend know "I've lost 10 lbs!" or "I have been cooking fresh recently, and I had no clue it was so flavorful."
Stay tuned for part 2 of my learnings next weekend.
Sunday, July 27, 2014
I Made It!
I am officially a registered dietitian!
I just passed the CDR exam on Saturday morning, officially letting me put a comma next to my name followed by RD.
It's been a crazy long road, and so many people helped me along the way. I'd like to send out a personal thank you to all my readers for making my blog feel so successful. It has helped me develop one of my true passions: writing. All the positive feed back in what I talk about here really improves my counseling and educating skills.
Currently I am working for WIC (Women, Infants, Children) in Chicago and loving it. With all this training and nutritional education I have discovered that I want a job that focuses on educating the people, much like how I always have with this blog! Hopefully this job and any volunteer experience I can find will help me target my end goal: nutrition for the athlete with disabilities. That being said, anyone who knows about opportunities in this area, you know who to contact!
I will continue to write for my blog, more regularly given I have no more "stresses" in my life. Plan to hear from me when I need to get on my soapbox, explain the poorly understood, debunk the popular fads, and share my now professional opinion. Like always, I appreciate feedback and encourage questions.
Here's to the start of my career and the amazing road that now follows!
I just passed the CDR exam on Saturday morning, officially letting me put a comma next to my name followed by RD.
It's been a crazy long road, and so many people helped me along the way. I'd like to send out a personal thank you to all my readers for making my blog feel so successful. It has helped me develop one of my true passions: writing. All the positive feed back in what I talk about here really improves my counseling and educating skills.
Currently I am working for WIC (Women, Infants, Children) in Chicago and loving it. With all this training and nutritional education I have discovered that I want a job that focuses on educating the people, much like how I always have with this blog! Hopefully this job and any volunteer experience I can find will help me target my end goal: nutrition for the athlete with disabilities. That being said, anyone who knows about opportunities in this area, you know who to contact!
I will continue to write for my blog, more regularly given I have no more "stresses" in my life. Plan to hear from me when I need to get on my soapbox, explain the poorly understood, debunk the popular fads, and share my now professional opinion. Like always, I appreciate feedback and encourage questions.
Here's to the start of my career and the amazing road that now follows!
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Things Dietitians Like To Say
I'm incredibly close to becoming a dietitian (just need to pass that registered exam!), and thought it would be appropriate to share "words of wisdom" many dietitians like to live by. The statements may seem broad, but you will find that the phrasing applies to many facets of eating well.
"Everything in moderation."
This phrase you've probably heard before. It really does apply to all foods. No dietitian really likes to say "you can't have that," or "don't eat that." If you want to have your cookies and candy bars and ice creams we like to say go for it, just eat it in moderation. Stick to a small bowl or one serving and also monitor how often you go after these foods. Some foods are big offenders as far as what you are trying to control (restaurant cheesecake and cookie skillets, etc.) and should be limited maybe by a monthly basis.
"Start your meal with the vegetable and build around it."
What's the point of this? Our meals should be more focused around the vegetable. If we first decide on what vegetable to have, then we can surely get more vegetables into our diet. This idea goes like this: I'm going to have salmon with my asparagus instead of asparagus with my salmon. Get it? Also, don't make it always a salad. Challenge yourself to include another vegetable if you do have a salad at meals (hint: it can go in the salad!). If half that plate is vegetables, you're really doing well for yourself...wow, that sounded like another dietitian phrase.
"It's not FDA regulated."
All those questions we get about supplements and the new craze (looking at you raspberry ketones) can be answered with that exact phrase. It's important that we realize supplements are not FDA regulated. Why? It means first of all, anything could be in the bottle; it is not regulated. For most of the supplements, there is not enough research evidence or human studies to determine the supplement as being effective, especially for how expensive they tend to be. Finally, we should strive to get all our vitamin/mineral/whatever needs out of food instead of pill. Our body utilizes food much better than a synthetic, man-made pill. Try to avoid any supplements besides a simple multivitamin...unless prescribed by a doctor.
"Exercise daily."
I'm going to try and not get on my soapbox here. Listen: when it comes to weight loss and maintenance, it is very dependent on physical activity level. The lifestyle of people is evolving to be as physically inactive as possible: drive everywhere, here's a smartphone to answer any question, playing videogames instead of anything outside, pop food in the microwave instead of really grocery shopping and cooking. It's unfortunate that we have gotten to a point where we need to "force" ourselves to exercise daily when really if we did daily tasks in a more active manner, we may get the exercise we need.
I hope this post helped you step into the mind of a dietitian. These concepts can be applied to literally everyone, but sometimes further exploration is necessary, which is why you should utilize your local dietitian. Ask the questions and get the answers!
"Everything in moderation."
This phrase you've probably heard before. It really does apply to all foods. No dietitian really likes to say "you can't have that," or "don't eat that." If you want to have your cookies and candy bars and ice creams we like to say go for it, just eat it in moderation. Stick to a small bowl or one serving and also monitor how often you go after these foods. Some foods are big offenders as far as what you are trying to control (restaurant cheesecake and cookie skillets, etc.) and should be limited maybe by a monthly basis.
"Start your meal with the vegetable and build around it."
What's the point of this? Our meals should be more focused around the vegetable. If we first decide on what vegetable to have, then we can surely get more vegetables into our diet. This idea goes like this: I'm going to have salmon with my asparagus instead of asparagus with my salmon. Get it? Also, don't make it always a salad. Challenge yourself to include another vegetable if you do have a salad at meals (hint: it can go in the salad!). If half that plate is vegetables, you're really doing well for yourself...wow, that sounded like another dietitian phrase.
"It's not FDA regulated."
All those questions we get about supplements and the new craze (looking at you raspberry ketones) can be answered with that exact phrase. It's important that we realize supplements are not FDA regulated. Why? It means first of all, anything could be in the bottle; it is not regulated. For most of the supplements, there is not enough research evidence or human studies to determine the supplement as being effective, especially for how expensive they tend to be. Finally, we should strive to get all our vitamin/mineral/whatever needs out of food instead of pill. Our body utilizes food much better than a synthetic, man-made pill. Try to avoid any supplements besides a simple multivitamin...unless prescribed by a doctor.
"Exercise daily."
I'm going to try and not get on my soapbox here. Listen: when it comes to weight loss and maintenance, it is very dependent on physical activity level. The lifestyle of people is evolving to be as physically inactive as possible: drive everywhere, here's a smartphone to answer any question, playing videogames instead of anything outside, pop food in the microwave instead of really grocery shopping and cooking. It's unfortunate that we have gotten to a point where we need to "force" ourselves to exercise daily when really if we did daily tasks in a more active manner, we may get the exercise we need.
I hope this post helped you step into the mind of a dietitian. These concepts can be applied to literally everyone, but sometimes further exploration is necessary, which is why you should utilize your local dietitian. Ask the questions and get the answers!
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Juicing: Yay or Nay?
I've gotten a lot of questions from friends and family and had discussions with RDs about juicing. It's an incredibly hot topic these days with plenty of juicing machines coming on the market. But what of it? Is it worth your time? Let's see.
First of all, to understand juicing, let me define it. Juicing is when you use an industrial strength blender/juicer in order to pulverize/blend/juice fruit and vegetables to a liquid consistency that can be consumed as a drink. The contents of this juice depend widely on what you put in it. If there is a lot of fruit, we are talking about more sugar in the juice; if there is a lot of vegetables, we are talking about less calories and a more bitter taste.
When I answer people's questions on the benefits of juicing, I reply with a couple points:
It is expensive
This technique takes all these intact vegetables and fruits and condenses it down into a little juice. If anyone has been to the grocery store lately, produce can be very expensive! Supporting this way of eating gets even costlier if you decide to eat organic. Oh by the way, I didn't even mention yet the cost of the juicer. These can run quite costly, anywhere from $150-$300 for a juicer that can handle my definition for at least 1 year.
It is difficult to get used to
Juicing is very convenient after it is made as it technically can replace your breakfast for example, but it can also take a long time to prepare and make juice. The produce needs to be washed, and so does the machine. Having a good recipe that you like also takes time. It's not a matter of just throwing anything into the machine, and trust me, it's very easy to make disgusting juice. If the juice is mostly vegetables, it's going to be bitter, but most beneficial (less calories for weight loss) for some. This taste change takes time. Those who take juicing very seriously feel hungry often.
It does not support creating healthy eating habits
Let me explain. As a nutrition expert, I love to emphasize the importance of food. There is reason to eating food the way we do and respecting the food we eat. Here is an example: breakfast is a great meal that has a magical way of incorporating protein, dairy, and fruit into our daily consumption. If we replace this meal completely with a homemade juice, then we are missing out on foods. Also, we are missing out on chewing (yes chewing!) and should always consider brushing the pearly whites after a juice due to the high sugar content (usually). And fiber, oh boy the fiber. When we eat the whole food, we can let it fill us up thanks to the fiber. When we pulverize and condense it down, we run the risk of drinking more because we can and getting too much.
It has super amounts of vitamins and minerals
Obviously a plus here! But we still must be careful. First, it's always best to get vitamins and minerals from foods instead of from a pill. Our body is able to use the natural versions so much better. When we juice and condense a ton of vitamins and minerals into a little glass of juice, we run the risk of easily going over recommended allowances for the day. Stack this on top of a daily multivitamin, it could be even riskier. Anyone who has any kind of chronic disease (diabetes, afibrillation, kidney disease, liver disease, etc) should be oh-so-careful when deciding to do this and should consult with a physician or at least their pharmacist to ensure no drug interactions.
The jury is out!
Final say on juicing? I say nay. I find it unnecessary, expensive, ultimately a great marketing ploy. Save money, get all the benefits and buy the same produce and eat it naturally. This being said, I find this idea to be a good way to incorporate vitamins and minerals in a concentrated form. Just please, please don't replace a meal with juice! Have just a small glass with breakfast or as a snack. Also, go for more veggies over fruit.
Always ask yourself, am I having fun with food? If you're not then something isn't right! Eating should always be fun, tasty, and beneficial.
First of all, to understand juicing, let me define it. Juicing is when you use an industrial strength blender/juicer in order to pulverize/blend/juice fruit and vegetables to a liquid consistency that can be consumed as a drink. The contents of this juice depend widely on what you put in it. If there is a lot of fruit, we are talking about more sugar in the juice; if there is a lot of vegetables, we are talking about less calories and a more bitter taste.
When I answer people's questions on the benefits of juicing, I reply with a couple points:
- It is expensive
- It is difficult to get used to
- It does not support creating healthy eating habits
- It has super amounts of vitamins and minerals
It is expensive
This technique takes all these intact vegetables and fruits and condenses it down into a little juice. If anyone has been to the grocery store lately, produce can be very expensive! Supporting this way of eating gets even costlier if you decide to eat organic. Oh by the way, I didn't even mention yet the cost of the juicer. These can run quite costly, anywhere from $150-$300 for a juicer that can handle my definition for at least 1 year.
It is difficult to get used to
Juicing is very convenient after it is made as it technically can replace your breakfast for example, but it can also take a long time to prepare and make juice. The produce needs to be washed, and so does the machine. Having a good recipe that you like also takes time. It's not a matter of just throwing anything into the machine, and trust me, it's very easy to make disgusting juice. If the juice is mostly vegetables, it's going to be bitter, but most beneficial (less calories for weight loss) for some. This taste change takes time. Those who take juicing very seriously feel hungry often.
It does not support creating healthy eating habits
Let me explain. As a nutrition expert, I love to emphasize the importance of food. There is reason to eating food the way we do and respecting the food we eat. Here is an example: breakfast is a great meal that has a magical way of incorporating protein, dairy, and fruit into our daily consumption. If we replace this meal completely with a homemade juice, then we are missing out on foods. Also, we are missing out on chewing (yes chewing!) and should always consider brushing the pearly whites after a juice due to the high sugar content (usually). And fiber, oh boy the fiber. When we eat the whole food, we can let it fill us up thanks to the fiber. When we pulverize and condense it down, we run the risk of drinking more because we can and getting too much.
It has super amounts of vitamins and minerals
Obviously a plus here! But we still must be careful. First, it's always best to get vitamins and minerals from foods instead of from a pill. Our body is able to use the natural versions so much better. When we juice and condense a ton of vitamins and minerals into a little glass of juice, we run the risk of easily going over recommended allowances for the day. Stack this on top of a daily multivitamin, it could be even riskier. Anyone who has any kind of chronic disease (diabetes, afibrillation, kidney disease, liver disease, etc) should be oh-so-careful when deciding to do this and should consult with a physician or at least their pharmacist to ensure no drug interactions.
The jury is out!
Final say on juicing? I say nay. I find it unnecessary, expensive, ultimately a great marketing ploy. Save money, get all the benefits and buy the same produce and eat it naturally. This being said, I find this idea to be a good way to incorporate vitamins and minerals in a concentrated form. Just please, please don't replace a meal with juice! Have just a small glass with breakfast or as a snack. Also, go for more veggies over fruit.
Always ask yourself, am I having fun with food? If you're not then something isn't right! Eating should always be fun, tasty, and beneficial.
Sunday, June 1, 2014
I Graduated!
The wild ride has come to an end. I just graduated from my dietetic internship on Thursday, and I can't believe I made it! It's been an absolute trip with so many ups and so many downs but in the end I feel so relieved, intelligent, confident, and (most importantly) ready for my new future ahead. I have discovered my strengths and weaknesses and realized my passions in nutrition. I now know that education and counseling needs to be a part of my career as I truly enjoy this facet of nutrition and know that I can excel doing this. For this reason, I have been looking mostly for outpatient, pediatric, and education-based careers.
If any of my loyal readers have been wondering why I haven't written on my blog in a while, it's because I was hard at work spending most of my time getting projects and studying done while fitting in enough relax time to be ready for the next week. Unfortunately, I took a break from my blog in order to focus, and for that I am sorry for leaving you all hanging! Rest assured, I will get back into the writing business as I love it so much.
So what's next? I still must pass the registered exam in order to get my license. It's the last step to go! Hopefully I can take the test ASAP and get the lovely RD credentialing next to my name. In the mean time, I will be studying, writing, relaxing, and applying to jobs around the Chicago area. As an RD "eligible" applicant, it can be difficult to find a career that not only understands this "in-between" stage but will hire students straight out of the internship. I know I can market myself to be incredibly beneficial to any team.
Finally, a thank you. First to my amazing girlfriend who helped me keep my sanity Second, to my parents who helped get me to where I am. And third, to all my friends, family, fellow interns, internship staff, and readers for instilling confidence in me through positive comments, real-life talks, and true friendships. I am the product of being surrounded by a great life! Thank you!
Look forward to weekly posting; if you ever have a question or idea that you'd like me to comment on, please share! I've gotten pocketfuls of ideas over this internship, but I prefer answering to my audience. Let's keep the wheels moving!
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Things to Remember: Losing Weight
It’s becoming beach season and everyone is getting excited
about being outside. As my friends always say, “sun’s out, guns out!” or “sky’s
out, thighs out!”
It’s pretty popular to start losing weight at this point in
the year. Coming off of a pretty brutal winter can make starting a new diet
much more difficult. This post aims to prepare you to properly make decisions
on how you want to feel, eat, look, and be this Summer.
The first component to losing weight (no surprise here) is
the diet. Most will change the contents of their grocery carts while others
will simply cut back on what they are eating. My honest opinion to diet’s role
in weight loss is that it is used best when it is a maintenance tool. Having a
healthy diet that incorporates fruits and vegetables whenever possible (it’s
not hard to eat fruit for breakfast and incorporate a salad into lunch or
dinner!) is what I’d recommend. Without question, this diet will have more
fiber and less calories just by incorporating as many fruits and veggies as
possible. Technically, eating less calories, regardless of source, can lead to
weight loss. I’ve talked to enough friends and family to understand that diet alone
can only get weight down to a certain point. It can become really difficult to
lose weight without an exercise component.
So exercise, how do you balance it with diet? The biggest
mistake I see with those who are ready to make habitual changes to lose weight
is that they feel great about their exercising and reward it with…more food.
The excess calories consumed, even though you exercised and got all sweaty,
could still cancel out all the calories burned and still lead to weight gains. It’s
smart to eat after exercise because your body will need to refuel, but make
that food you eat post-work out a well portioned, protein and carbohydrate
containing food (like a PB&J or glass of milk).
The gimmicks out on the internet and the pills that claim to
help weight loss need to be questioned. What do I mean by that? Ask questions!
Do not just read their product or listen to their spokespeople and determine if
the product will work. Here’s an example: many “lose weight fast” pills contain
a multitude of interesting vitamins, minerals, oils, or anything else they feel
(raspberry ketones?!?). Wouldn’t it make sense for a pill like this to also
have something like caffeine in it? That caffeine gives you a nice bolt in mood
and energy but with all these other things you don’t need driving up the price.
So why not try having a cup of coffee before throwing non-regulated marketing
schemes down the throat? Always remember, a regular diet including fruits,
vegetables, proteins, and grains in proper proportions will provide you with
all the nutrients you need at the cheapest cost.
So remember, losing weight is simple, make the little changes you know you need to make and pretty soon you'll be seeing results!
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Battling Early Satiety
Can't finish more than 50% of your meals at a time? Does eating food cause frequent indigestion? Do you find it hard to eat after a long run? You may be experiencing early satiety or feeling full sooner than you'd like.
Many people deal with early satiety for different reasons. For some, their stomach hurts after a good exercise. For others, they battle having an upset stomach due to conditions like GERD or acid reflux that leads to a poor appetite at meals. There are even more reasons, like gastric motility disorders and acute illnesses and infections, but I don't think I need to explain anymore that some people get full sooner than others!
In order to get the required energy and nutrients we need in one day, dietitians recommend eating 3 moderate sized meals with variation in food items. When eating three meals is so traditional in eating patterns around the world, it can be difficult to arrange comfortable eating times when they are different from the usual breakfast, lunch, and dinner times. Instead of changing timing of meals, change the size of meals and spread them out.
Eating 5-6 small meals per day can be very beneficial to an appetite that struggles to get enough food. At the normal meals, make less food, or purchase less food, and plan to eat more in 2-3 hours. These smaller meals do not need to attempt to cover all food groups. For example, a lunch that consists of a grilled chicken breast, a side of half a cup of steamed green beans, and a glass of milk could be a perfect small meal. Another smaller meal in about 2-3 hours could be a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and an apple. The key here is to spread out the meals, or split them in half, in order to still obtain a balanced day of food intake.
Eating more spread out can take some practice. It helps to have non-perishable foods on hand often. Put a bunch of bananas in the car and have one as a snack. Putting trail mix or granola bars in your backpack or work bag can work perfectly, just take a handful out and only go for another handful if your appetite allows. Packing work lunches to be accessible throughout the day at any time is very beneficial. Try packing things like individual bags of chips, single serving yogurts, sandwiches cut in half, and baby carrots. Packing things like microwavable meals can be too much at once and cannot be saved for later.
There are some foods to avoid when early satiety is a problem. These include greasy, fried, or rich foods. These foods take longer to digest and can feel like a lump in your stomach. Fiber can become problematic too as this can slow down digestion as well. The plethora of fruits and vegetables contain not only beneficial vitamins and minerals, but are typically high in fiber. I don’t want you to miss out on these foods! Just be careful in having too many at one time. Don’t eat a salad, an apple, and lentil soup for lunch; the very high fiber content could result in bloating, long term satiety, and uncomfortable gas. Some of the worst offenders in the fiber category are broccoli, cauliflower and beans as these vegetables tend to create more gas than others in digestion.
So try it out! Spreading out meals and eating food throughout the day can be very beneficial to those fighting consistent poor appetite at meals and problems feeling full quickly. By using 5-6 small meals per day, carrying around snacks, and avoiding greasy and fibrous, gassy foods, you’ll be able to get your nutrition needs and avoid early satiety.
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