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!
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