Fundraising

I'm doing some shameless self promotion here. My last post mentioned that I'm training for a marathon with Team in Training and therefore raising money for blood cancer research and treatment. One way I'm going about this is surveysavvy.com I take surveys and earn money, plus if I refer others I get a portion of their surveys as well. Of you'd like to help me out link to them here: surveysavvy.com/?m=2659003 . I'm doing some reading up on sports nutrition so expect a post on that soon.

Running for a cause

I've taken some time off of blog writing for some personal reasons.  In the meantime I've signed up to run the Nike Women's marathon with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  Team in Training is the largest endurance sports charity training program. Since 1988 Team in Training participants have raised over $1 billion to support blood cancer research and patient services. In exchange for coaching you through an endurance event you pledge to raise money for blood cancer research.  When I first signed up for Team in Training 5 years ago I didn't know how the disease would impact my family. I just wanted to run a marathon.  I ran two half marathons that years and raised $3,000+.  There are many benefits to training for an endurance event in connect with an organization such as Team in Training.  The coaching staff is incredible and there to answer your questions.  Local running stores have come out to discuss gear, tape running sessions so runner can review form and provide a discount to get you started off right.  On course knowing that there are other racers on your "team"  is an incredible mental boost.  And when you need It most as you are struggling up a hill or gasping on your last mile out comes coach to talk you through it.  Sports nutrition has always been an interest of mine so I'll add some handy tips as I study up on the subject.  Check out my fundraising page for updates and to leave your support: http://pages.teamintraining.org/SJ/nikesf13/shousman . I'm also partnering with Pampered Chef 10% of the total show earnings will go directly to the cause. 

To place an order, follow these directions:
1. Go to www. pamperedchef.biz/jessicamedina
2. Click on "Shop Online"
3. Type in "Sara" as the host and choose her name.
4. Start shopping! 
*You may have your items shipped to Sara (in Salinas) for a flat rate shipping of $5.25, or you can have them directly shipped to you for a rate based on how much you spend. Many thanks and much love to all of you.

Abs were made in the kitchen not in the gym

True but, that six pack isn't going to make itself. Exercise is incredibly important to a healthy life. From age 40 on we begin to lose 1 to 2% of our muscle every year so we tend to lose strength. Think about how critical strength is healthy aging. The more weight and strength you put on bone the more it grows. physical activity is a tremendous way to maintain bone strength additionally exercise helps lower anxiety and stress levels it's a good treatment for depression that helps you feel energized and pressure sleep also maybe one of the important thing for preventing dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Exercise is not a cure-all for weight loss, in order to lose weight you have to eat less and exercise more however there is something about physical activity that almost preferentially makes belly fat disappear that's why you may notice that your clothes fit differently but your scale hasn't changed.
Try to get 150 minutes week of brisk walking or if you like to run about 75 minutes per week on top of that try to do two days week of strength training in addition to that you should probably try to do some sort of stretching like yoga.
But if you're like me it's hard to fit it in. I try to workout in the morning because by the end of the day I just don't want to. And I've tried it all: set the alarm extra early, slept in my running clothes, called a buddy... And it's all failed. I gnash my teeth at running and strength training and have too short of an attention span for yoga and yet I do it. The first 5-10 minutes of running I make deals with myself: run to the tree, to the next bush then to the fence. But by the time I get halfway thru I'm ok, I'm warmed up and my endorphins are moving and then I struggle thru the required stretching. My body has a painful way of reminding when I'm not keeping up with my strength training. So I make it a priority and continually recommitted to my health and my body. So you can feel sore tomorrow or you can feel sorry tomorrow but only one of is going to get your those abs.

Breakfast: The Most Important Meal of the Day

Breakfast is one of the reasons I get out of bed in the morning. It is considered the most important meal of the day for many reasons.  People that eat breakfast are less likely to make poor choices throughout the day and more likely to eat fewer calories.  Like 27% of Americans I eat breakfast at my desk every morning so I'm constantly in search of good options.  Usually I go with 0% Greek yogurt, some dry oats and berries but, it's been cold lately and I wanted to try something new.  I chopped up an apple in small pieces and put them in a microwaveable, reusable container with a little water, cinnamon and nutmeg while I boiled some water on the stove.

I microwaved them for a minute, then added 3/4 cups of oatmeal and poured some hot water in. 

 I sealed the container and drove to work and TA DA! Breakfast

Snacks

Whenever I see someone leaving the snack aisle with an armful of processed, bagged junk I want to take their hand and lead them to the fruits and vegetables and say "no, dear these are for snacking on, not those. Those are for parties and once in a blue moon on a terrible Tuesday." The truth is for the most part we're not active enough or have high enough metabolisms to waste our calories on those type of foods. Let alone have the willpower to stick to the serving size. And the truth is if it's not in the house chances are you won't eat it. If you want a heathy, easy snack why not grab a few clementines or grapes? Looking for more protein? Try baby carrots and hummus or make your own trail mix with fresh berries and nuts. If you must have popcorn, pop your own using kernels. You don't need a popper just pour some in a paper bag or use a gladware with a pop on lid left cracked a little then experiment with your favorite seasonings as toppers. Popcorn itself is a low calorie food (30 calories for 1 cup!). And a word or protein bars for the most part these are candy bars. Stash one in your purse or car if you must for emergency snack situation (I have a lunch box in the car filled with single serve packages of nuts, craisins and ginger chews because I don't do hungry well). But unless you're running marathons and need to carry one with you to refuel at mile 10, stay away from this snacking don't. Snack smart! Stay out of the snack aisle, visit the fruits and vegetables, try some new things.

Fun Friday

It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.  ~Lewis Grizzard

Tips and Tricks Tuesday: Food Claims

I encourage label reading.  Look at what you're eating. Understand what's in it.  Compare foods to one another.  But before you even flip a food around you've probably already been tempted by a nutrient content claim.  Companies put them in ads, using them to market their products, encourage you a little more to choose their product.  But what does "lite" mean?  What makes foods a good source of fiber? These claims are regulated by the FDA.  Here are some of the most common claims:

Calorie free: Any food with less than 5 Calories.

Sugar free:  less than 0.5 g of sugar (not exactly sugar free especially if you eat more than the serving size!)

Fat free:  Less than 0.5g of fat.

Low fat:  3g of fat or less.

Reduced or less fat: At least 25% less fat than the original product.  This can be a misleading claim.  If the original had very high fat even a reduction of 25% may not make this a healthy food.  One more reason to read the nutrition label and see what is really in the food.

Low in saturated fat:  1 gm of saturated fat or less and not more than 15% of the calories consumed coming from saturated fat.

Light (lite): At least 1/3 less calories or no more than half the fat than the original product, or no more than half the sodium of the original product.  Again a good reason to read the label, if you had a product that was originally 1000 calories it's been reduced by a 1/3 however it is still providing 600+calories.

No Sodium or sodium free:  Less than 5 mg of Sodium or no Sodium Chloride in the ingredients.

Very low Sodium:  35mg or less of Sodium

Low Sodium:  140 mg or less of Sodium.

Reduced or less Sodium:  At least 25% less Sodium than the original.

High Fiber: 5 gm or more of fiber.  (Remember you want 25-30g of fiber per day).

Good source of fiber:  2.5 to 4.9 g of fiber.

While these claims are a good place to start it is still important to read the nutrition facts to get the full picture of what you're eating. The more you know the easier it gets to make good choices.

Weekly Challenge

Since I'm back at this because of my lovely sister (who is working on her thesis and I suspect doesn't want to be writing alone) I will take her suggestion and issue a weekly challenge.  According to this month's issue of Nutrition Action, Americans only eat about one cup of vegetables per person per day (including white potatoes, potato chips and french fries) and 1/2 a cup of fruit per day.  This is MUCH lower than the recommended daily amount ( to make things easier the recommendation has changed to half of your plate per meal, but to give you a number shoot for 2 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables per day).  So this week I challenge you to get your recommended allotment of fruits and vegetables every day.  I'd strongly encourage with starting early, try including fresh fruits with your breakfast.  Mix berries in your yogurt, top your morning toast with pb and a banana.  Try cutting up fruit and packaging it in single serve containers so they're easy to grab for snacks on your way to work or while you're running errands around town. Including vegetables doesn't just mean eat more salads, try sautéing swiss chard with some white wine and garlic, throw a sweet potato in the toaster oven, try some roasted brussel sprouts. Try a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) essentially you buy a share of a farm and each week you receive fresh produce from their fields. Each week I receive a box of fresh produce delivered to my door by J&P Organics.  It has encouraged me to try new things (we'll talk about that later in the week) and since it's already in the house I feel like I need to eat it.  Try to make one night a week a "meatless day"  I am in no way against meat I just feel it's a good way to increase your fruit and vegetable intake.  And a final word, I don't count juice as a fruit or vegetable serving, it has no fiber and  I feel like liquid calories help promote weight gain.  Try this for dinner this week serve with a helping of your favorite whole grain (I'd suggest brown rice or bulgar) to give you a healthy well rounded meal.
(From Eating Well Magazine)

Eggplant stacks

• 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 medium eggplant (3/4-1 pound), cut into 6 rounds about 1/2 inch thick
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, divided
• 6 teaspoons prepared pesto
• 2 large beefsteak tomatoes, each cut into 3 slices about 3/4 inch thick
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 6 thin slices
• 6 fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

PREPARATION

1. Preheat grill to medium-high or place a grill pan over medium-high heat until hot.
2. Use 2 teaspoons oil to brush both sides of eggplant slices; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Grill the eggplant slices for 5 minutes. Turn; continue grilling until tender and marked with grill lines, 3 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a large platter.
3. Spread each eggplant slice with 1 teaspoon pesto. Top with a slice of tomato, a slice of mozzarella and a basil leaf.
4. Drizzle vinegar and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over the towers; sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.

 Per serving: 145 calories; 11 g fat ( 4 g sat , 6 g mono ); 17 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 6 g protein; 3 g fiber; 323 mg sodium; 309 mg potassium.
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/grilled_eggplant_tomato_stacks.html

Fun Friday

A fun fact because it is Friday! Did you know that 25-50% of the population report having pungent pee after eating asparagus? It doesn't mean however that only some people's bodies produce the odor. It appears that while some people may produce the odor they may not possess the gene that allows them to smell it. And vice versa, your body may not produce the odor but you are part of the 25% of the population that can smell it. Aren't bodies fun?

Food for thought

We are all dietetic sinners; only a small percent of what we eat nourishes us; the balance goes to waste and loss of energy.  ~William Osler

The Reluctant Dietitian

3500 kcal equals 1 pound. So, in essence, if you cut out 3500 calories a week you lose 1 pound per week and if you add 3500 calories you'll gain 1 pound per week. So to break it down further that's about 500 calories per day, which sounds easy doesn't it? In fact it's not. If it were we probably wouldn't have an obesity epidemic and companies like McDonalds wouldn't have such a huge market. We'd look at our Double frappuccino with extra whip and say I don't need this, but food is tied into our essence it is how we relate to others, it's what we do, it's how we cope/celebrate/relax. I believe in the wholeness of food. I believe that you cannot extract from food any substance which would make it healthier than the food it came from. What you eat, how you eat, what you do with your food should be a priority in your life. But, we as a nation have stepped away from the value of food being the food itself to convenience and cost being what we value most. I think that we need to change what we put first, we need to put exercise and fitness back on the table and I think if you make eating a priority it will become easier. But who am I? I'm a registered dietitian, runner, rider, foodie, country kid mixed with barefoot hippie child. I juggle my busy life like everyone else, I balance my sweet tooth with my desire for good sustainable food, I am the reluctant dietitian and I would like to change the way we eat, our priorities and the way we value our health.