The RBA Team Enters The Kitchen

When Rebecca invited me and the rest of the RBA team over to her home in Annapolis for an interactive lunch I was not exactly sure what to expect. The e-vite  lead us to believe we would be doing some cooking and we were told to wear closed toed shoes but other than that we were left in the dark. Rebecca told us her friend and strategic business planning partner, Emma Fogt would be there to lead the lunch event. Finally, she promised it would be worth the drive to Annapolis and it absolutely was.

 We arrived at her warm welcoming home at 11:30 am and were  greeted to a table that was beautifully set up with a place set for each of us!

The menu was laid out on each plate and included: 

Once everyone arrived we all gathered on Rebecca's porch to discuss how we were going to work as a team to prepare the menu! Emma had created wonderful recipes with easy-to-follow steps that could be put together with the work of a team! 

....we also sipped on a  citrus mint cocktail made with fresh mint leaves and stevia sweetened lemonade.  YUM :) 

We were split up strategically  as the student/intern pairs we would be working with over the summer and each given a different portion of the menu to create! We also all worked together to create an apple crisp for dessert. 

Kait and I prepared the seasonal greens salad with lemon and goat cheese medallions! Kait got really crafty with the goat cheese balls and I zested the lemons! Rebecca and Emma had some great kitchen gadgets to help us get things done! 

We accomplished our challenge and prepared a beautiful summer lunch to enjoy in good time! We then sat down to enjoy good food and great company. It is always a treat for me to spend time with my co-workers. We all share a strong common passion for health & nutrition and our discussions always foster new motivation. 

It was an extra special experience to have Emma Fogt with us! She works with Rebecca and one other dietitian in a "Master Mind" group to share, plan, empower and strategize entrepreneurial and business plans. Emma's dedication and excitement about nutrition & wellness added a special glow to our group lunch! We learned about her new program called: Reignite for Wellness, a program designed for over stressed, over worked women regain control of their lives and improve their overall health an wellbeing. 

Thanks Rebecca, Emma, and the rest of the RBA team for a wonderful lunch filled with laughter, motivation and team building :)  

28th Annual Scan Symposium: Motivation for Education

This weekend I had an awesome opportunity to volunteer at the 28^th annual SCAN Symposium in Baltimore, Maryland.  In exchange for volunteering as a student member of SCAN I was granted full admission to the symposium which I definitely took advantage of! I was lucky enough to attend the event with my bosses Rebecca Bitzer and kait Fortunato.

For those of you that do not know, SCAN stands for sports, cardiovascular, and wellness nutrition and is the largest dietetic practice group within the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Attending the symposium for me was like a 13 year old getting to go back stage at a Justin Bieber concert. I  had the amazing opportunity to walk around and interact with some of my greatest role models in sports nutrition including Nancy Clark, Nanna L. Meyer, and many more. As a nutrition student with a strong passion for sports and wellness the event gave me the to opportunity to network, learn about the history of SCAN, dine at an awards luncheon, and attend stimulating presentations on the hottest topics in sports, wellness, and cardiovascular nutrition.  I even learned a thing or two about social media and technology from the well-known media & self-care focused dietitian Rebecca Scritchfield.

Two of my favorite presentations I still haven’t stopped talking about include:

The Inactivity Physiology Revolution: The Story Behind the New Physical Activity Recommendations by Marc Hamilton, PhD

o   Marc Hamilton is a professor at Pennington Biomedical in Baton Rouge, LA where he runs a lab focused on researching the Physiology of Inactivity. I had heard a little about the inactivity revolution since the concept was presented in 2004 but did not pay much attention to the information. Dr. Hamilton's presentation convinced me the topic is worth paying attention to. The evidence of the harmful effects of sitting around on our butts too many hours in the day really hit home. As, a runner I always considered my hour or more of exercise a day a healthy bout of daily activity however, Dr. Hamilton made me realize that sitting around for too long despite my excise may have an unhealthy impact on my life. He presented the hypothesis that inactivity and too little exercise are two very different topics and speculated that part of the obesity epidemic is due to the cellular processes that occur during the 20 or so hours in a day when we are inactive despite how active we are in our  few hours of exercise and movement.

Exercise and Appetite the Double Edged Sword presented by Barry Braun, PhD

o   Barry Braun a professor from the University of Massachusetts gave my favorite presentation of the event discussing the regulatory mechanisms that link energy intake with energy expenditure.  In his presentation he stated there is so much we do not know and may never be able to know about the link between exercise, hormones, and appetite in determining  energy intake.  Dr Braun suggested that we many never be able to devise generalized rules and statements about exercise and appetite to manage weight. However he emphasized that Registered Dietitians and Health Professionals should play a critical role in making specific recommendations based on individual characteristics such as psychology, hormonal changes, and intake history.  I enjoyed this presentation so much because Dr. Braun was honest about how little we can infer on the subject of appetite, he had a great sense of humor in his presentation, and the way his presented the unknown mysteries relating to exercise and its impact on appetite made me really think about how exercise impacts one's eating habits! Additionally, he ended on a positive note including that some exercise is always better than none since being in-activity does not lead to eating fewer calories but does lead to an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases. It’s know wonder he received several awards for outstanding undergraduate teaching.

In addition to stimulating so many of my brain cells with dynamic presentations the SCAN Symposium provided me with great meals and snacks from exhibitors such as Chobani, Power bar, Gatorade, Kellogs, California Almonds, Sharkies, and many more! I even won a admission to a Tough Mudder event from the Sharkies table!

Overall, the SCAN Symposium was an amazing opportunity for me, as a student, to learn, network, and be inspired from leaders in the sports and nutrition field. 

Forks Over Knifes

Forks Over Knives: A Response

I was not sure what to expect with a documentary entitled “Forks over Knives”. Five minutes into watching the documentary in my Issues In Dietetics class it became evident to me that the title refers to the method in which you would eat plant based food compared to animal products (I guess you use a fork for plants and knife for meat?). Anyway, the documentary is an argument for a vegan lifestyle as a means to prevent chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes. 

The film begins with a fear tactic, showing the deadly statistics of cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases of the western culture, blaming them on the western diet. Specifically targeting diary and meat products. The film compares the chronic diseases in America with nations that eat mainly plant-based diets showing an overwhelming larger amount of deaths from chronic diseases in America.

The documentary suggests that by eliminating all meat and diary products from the diet we can eliminate chronic diseases. The Dr.’s that star in the film believe that animal products activate cancer genes and plant products turn them off.

Plant-based Diet:

The documentary had a lot of evidence supporting the benefits of eating whole foods, plant-based diet and the evidence was hard to ignore. Of course if you only consume plant-based products you will drastically lower your cholesterol, most likely reduce your weight, and overall reduce your risk of chronic diseases. However, the film ignores that fact that those same benefits can be achieved by eating meat and dairy in moderation. The film also compares the western diet to other nations such as Japan in the 1950’s and suggests they eat a plant-based diet so it must be meat and milk making American’s sick. However, I believe that while our over consumption of meat and dairy in America may be a contributing factor to our decline in health other factors such as technology, work, stress, fast foods, and processed foods are all contributing factors to chronic diseases in America.

Overall, I think that adopting a plant-based diet may be a healthy solution for some looking to reduce their risk for chronic dieses but it is not the only solution. I believe the Dr’s used fear of disease to make their argument against meat and milk and down played the evidence from the previous American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics president that suggests lean meats and dairy can provide essential amino acids, minerals, and nutrients to the diet and need not be eliminated to lead a healthy lifestyle. Ultimately, I support the movement towards whole foods and eating a more plant-based diet but I also believe meat and diary can be a part of a healthy diet as well. 

...I guess you can say I'm not completely sold. 

Be Consistent. Be Visual. Be Human.

This morning I was up early again :). Unfortunately, I woke up still in a sugar comma I put my self in after eating too much of my dad's key lime pie at a family party the night before so I decided to run first and eat second.

Here's was my much needed running pintrest motivation: 

I was on my way to the gym when I realized it was WAY too nice outside to workout in a gym so I went to a park close to my house for an outdoor trail-run!

This was the view from my morning run...good choice right?

For Breakfast:

Vanilla Protein Oats Topped w/ Pecans and Blueberries!  

 While I was eating I came across an article in my nutrition news feed that I wanted to share!



How often before you go out to a new restaurant...see a movie...or make a new purchase do you read the review it got online? I do ALL the time. Why? because we want to know what people are saying about it. When I write reviews of a product or place online It's usually because the service was great or horrible and I need to vent. I like to read when other people vent as well because the conversation is  real. However, when I get terrible service at a restaurant I usually don't say: "I'm going to go tweet about this"...BUT maybe I should?

The article was called:

 "Be-consistent.-Be-visible.-And-be-human-Building-consumer-trust-through-social-media" 

 Basically, companies are recognizing social media conversations and basing important decisions off of them . It explained that  brand influence is controlled by 3 components:

1. paid for media (advertising companies purchase)
2. owned media (a companies personal website)
3. earned media (what real honest people have to say about a product)

....The importance of earned media is really growing (basically someone might be reading my venting...haha I can hope)!

In other words companies are actually reading your tweets and Facebook comments  and taking them to heart. For example in the article it talked about how pepsiCo changed the carton of tropicana after customers slammed it on Facebook! It went as far as saying that if companies ignore social media conversations the result can be as bad as a product recall!

The end result...start tweeting and commenting when you want to get your point across to companies they maybe reading  :)

I like my Caffeine via Coffee and Tea Please.

I love this time of year because each day the sun rises just a bit earlier and the prospect of a long morning run becomes more and more appealing. Unfortunately, I am the worst creature of habit and if I'm use to hitting the gym located conveniently 5 floors below that's what I do even when it's beautiful outside like today! BUT the good part about hitting the gym was the ab work I motivated myself to do after a 30 minute run:

• Planks 60 minutes center, right and left 
• bicycle 2 reps of 5 
• reverse crunches 2 reps of 30 
• push 2 resp of 25 

Not the most intense workout but I'm still proud of myself for doing something more than cardio :) 

For Breakfast: 

Emmy's Chocolate Orange Protein Oats with Coconut Shreds 

Emmy's Organic's

Emmy's is an awesome company that makes amazing raw organic products check um out ;) 

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup old fashion oats 
• 1 cup water 
• 1 Emmy's chocolate orange macaroon 
• 1 Tbsp coconut shreds 
• 1 Tbsp slivered almonds 
• 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder (makes the oats sweet and creamy :) 

Nutrition: 

• Calories : 400 
• Protein: 19 grams
• Fiber: 9 grams 

Nutrition In the News: 

This morning as I'm drinking my second mug of green tea with breakfast I came across this article: 

"FDA Issues Warning to Breathable Caffeine Maker"

I've never seen these before...and the concept is very strange  to me but apparently this company called Aeroshot   created a product that looks like lipstick but sprays 100 mg of caffeine instantly. The FDA just issued a warning to aeroshot for misleading product that claims to be both invaluable and digestible ...obviously it cannot be both. It's actually digestible.  

Personally, I do not think there is anything troublesome about 100mg of caffeine, many of us consume that dose in a large cup of coffee. HOWEVER,  what makes me concerned is 100 mg of caffeine instantly ingested. The important thing to remember is that products like this caffeine dispenser haven't been tested or regulated for safety. Like other supplements they are regulated by the manufacture that puts them out (can you smell a bias?) and they can cause serious health problems. I liked this video because it highlighted some of the same concerns that went through my mind: 

Please be careful and alert to the final decision the FDA makes on this product before using it! 

Happy Thursday! 

Love, 

Amy 

My March Goals!

It's a new month (national nutrition month YAY), leading into a new season, filled with lots of new opportunities! I love March because the days get longer which means I can run outside :)  The weather gets warmer = no more heavy jackets (hopefully)... I hate carrying jackets all day. And the new season brings new "in season foods"...

some of my favorite March produce includes:

Grapefruit

Asparagus 

Beets 

Spinach 

I was recently inspired by a blog I read http://eat-spin-run-repeat.com/ because each month Angela comes up with new goals and then evaluates them at the end of the month. While I am always creating new goals  I thought blogging about them is a really cool way to keep yourself accountable and why not start with March?!

My March Goals:


Nutrition goals: 
 1. Write about 3 "Nutrition in the News" topics.

... I'm always reading/ skimming/ learning about nutrition topics but when I write about them I really think about the issue and remember it PLUS I get share it with people who may not be aware of what's going on!


Fitness goals

1. Run in one official race, 5k, 10k...

doesn't matter! I love running in races but I have yet to run one this year mainly because I am to indecisive to sign up! SO now I'm deciding I want to run one this month period!

2.  Do two "on my own" strength training workouts a week...

I love running. I love running ALOT, so naturally when I go to the gym I work up a big running sweat and then I'm ready to leave. Knowing this about myself I take lots of  classes like body pump and body sculpt to get in my strength training. BUT I'm perfectly capable to strength train on my own  and just need to get in the habit!

Foodie Goals


1. Try two new dinner recipes...

I love breakfast ALMOST as much as I love running (hence "up early") so i'm always creating new breakfast wonders. However, by the end of the day I've used up my energy and foodie motivation which results in only a few easy go-to easy dinners.  This month I want to increase my dinner world and try at least 2 new recipes hopefully incorporating some in season produce!

Organization Goals


1. Clean my car...vacum her, wash her, the whole bit! 


I'm one of those strange people who names their car and refers to it as a person #noshame. My cars name is Chloe :) My friend Charlene told me that if I name my car it'll work better for me so I chose to believe that and now my car and I are great friends... BUT she's not clean right now and I feel bad so she needs a good cleaning.

...Ok I think that's good for now. I don't want to overwhelm myself :)

Any new goals this month?!

Banana Nut Topped Yogurt

My early morning class cancelled!  You got to love when you get an added break in the day! I used my time to go on a longer than usual morning run for a Wednesday (6 miles outside)...and put together a new breakfast creation!

 The ingredients: 
 1 cup dannon plain non-fat plain yogurt
 1 Gnu Banana Walnut bar (amazing)
 1 Tbsp peanut butter
 1 pinch chia seeds
 1/2 banana sliced

yum. yum.yum :) 

 The Nutrition facts: 

 Calories: 366

 Carbs: 63 g

 Fat: 10 g

 Protein: 19

 Fiber: 15

 Sodium: 238

When I want to find the nutrition facts for the meals I make I use myfittnesspal It's easy to search products, create recipes, and save meals! As a nutrition student in class we use diet analysis software which is great because it draws up various nutrient reports and comparisons but the food data base is smaller since its not constantly being updated the way an online program is! Do you use any other programs to track your meals or recipes?!? Also, if you check out right of my blog I am now using RECIPAGE! its an awesome new recipe system where you can easily look up all the recipes I add to my blog! If you go to http://www.recipage.com you can create your own account even if you don't blog and keep track of all your favorite recipes! 

Well...time to get my learn on! Happy hump day  

Love,
 Amy 

National Nutrition Month "Bulletin Boarding" & Kashi Dinners!

I feel like It was just 5 minutes ago I was rushing out the door to my monday morning class and I'm already back in my apartment sitting down for dinner. Today was one of thoes "Go, hurry, don't stop" kind of days.

I felt good to check a lot of things off my To-Do list!

Favorite daily accomplishment:

 I'm a Diet Analysis Intern for the Health Center at UMD and my partner Alex and I completed all the piece to our National Nutrition Month Bulletin Board Display! Just in time too because March is National Nutrition month and Thursday will be the first day of March!

The theme of our board was Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics slogan " Get Your Plate In Shape"

This is the figure in the middle of the sun that might be hard to make out from my picture!

Seven Tips For Getting your Plate in Shape This March: 


1. Fill 1/2 your plate with fruits and veggies
2. Make at least 1/2 of your grains whole grains
3. Switch to low fat or fat free milk
4. Enjoy your food but eat less
5. Be physically active your way
6.Vary your protein choices
7. Cut back on sodium and empty calories from solid fats and added sugars

For more National Nutrition Month fun,resources, and education you can visit www.eatright.org

After two long classes, a lab, and "Bulletin Boarding" my new verb, I got back to my apartment kind of  late and pretty tired. I was definitely not in the mood to cook since all my creative juices were spent on the "Bulletin Boarding" so I went my freezer for my go to dinner: Kashi's Mayan Harvest Bake! While freezer meals can never replace a well cooked meal. Kashi's entree's are a  nutritious substitute on a busy night.

 The mayan harvest bake is plantains, black beans, sweet potatoes, kale, kashi 7 whole grain pilaf & polenta spicy Ancho Sauce.

I was scared to try it at first but I love it! The plantains always have a rich flavor and the ingredients are always high quality with Kashi!

Carrot Cake BULGUR Wheat...My New Discovery

I did it again...The nutrition nerd in me just keeps popping out. I celebrated the another long productive week with a trip to an organic market I hadn't been to before. This time I chose Roots Market in Olney, MD close to my parents home.

This market was slightly bigger than MOMs and conveniently separated their dairy based products from their soy based products I'm not vegan but if I was it'd be very convenient ;)

I wandered around the store for a bit trying their free samples of freshly ground nut butters and I had a cup of warm lavender tea (see how this can be relaxing?!). Finally,  I found the whole grain bins. (wish I had a picture but felt kinda funny taking it with all the people around).  I usually like to try something new when I have these kind of adventures, usually I chose something fun like dark chocolate or fresh ground cashew butter but this time I grabbed about 1 lbs of bulgur. (Not the bulgurs "unfun" for a nutrition nerd like me BUT I'm not quite sure what my motivation was). 

I spent the whole way home trying to figure out what I was going to do with 1 lbs of bulgur. 

The first thing I did was research it!

Bulgur, I found out... is a whole wheat grain that has been cleaned and pre-cooked so it's a quick easy side dish or meal. The gain is found a lot in middle eastern cuisine and can be served with dinner  or as a hot breakfast cereal. According to Livestrong.com 1 serving of Bulgur (1 cup cooked) is ~150 calories, 5.6 g protein, 8.2 g of fiber, and less than 1 g of sugar! Basically a superfood in my book! 

Now that I knew what bulgur was...It was time to decide what to do with it! I found many salad and dinner dishes that incorporated the grain that looked delish. BUT if you haven't noticed a theme in the blog already I'm a breakfast person so I obviously opted for hot cereal. I've been wanting to make a carrot cake flavored dish so here's what I came up with: 

AMAZING! 

Carrot-Cake Bulgur Wheat

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup uncooked bulgur

1/2 cup water 

1/4 cup shredded carrot 

1Tbsp raisins 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1 packet splenda 

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Toppings:  

1 Tbsp cottage cheese 

1Tbsp peanut butter 

1 pinch flax seed

And a drizzle of honey. 

The buglur cooks quickly, I brought the  1/2 cup water and 1/4 cup bulgar to a boil and then turned the stove burner on low. I kept a close eye on the grains stirring constantly to avoid burning them! I added in my ingredients, threw on my toppings and breakfast was served in about 8 minutes :) 

Ready to Run!

After, an intense morning of internship related business I did what I usually do when I need to shake of some nerves....I hit the gym.

I was completely in a daze ready to turn my ipod up as loud as it would go and run my little heart out...when I bumped into a friend. I was caught off guard when he asked me a nutrition/ running related question about what to take before working out. I was confused by the question and anxious to get my run on so I responded: "carbohydrates", but he continued..."no for energy, I like to take something before working out but I want to avoid cramping and dehydration." Next he asked "any suggestions..?". I shrugged my shoulders and said "all you really need is adequate carbohydrates, water, and maybe replenish with protein" and I kept going.

...But I couldn't stop thinking about the question partly because I hate thought of anyone cramping and dehydrating while running and partly because researching nutrition is a better way to spend my energy then worrying about my future lol.

Now, I am by no means supporting or suggesting the use of sports supplements and particularly creatine before working out BUT because these supplements are not banned by the USDA nor has there been any hard conclusive evidence that I can find that they are particularly harmful I feel its important to be educated about them if you chose to use them.

I am only going to share what I found about how and why they may be the cause dehydration and muscle cramping in a short review of online sources but I suggest meeting with a sports dietitian before using them!

So on to Creatine what is it ?
   
... it's a nutrient (an amino acid to be specific) that is naturally produced in the body (be careful I read taking supplements may reduce the body's natural production). It is stored in the muscles where it has the ability to restore energy especially during high intensity, short bouts of exercise like sprinting and weight lifting. It regenerates our body's main energy source, ATP providing increased energy to power workouts but in doing so it draws large amounts of water from other places in the body (the digestive system). Meaning that the more creatine in your body, the more water your body NEEDS. If you take creatine supplements without enough water you are risking dehydration, which can reduce the blood supply to your muscles and cause muscle cramps (and much worse, dehydration can lead to death if left untreated). If your taking creatine supplements pay extra attention to how much water you need!! The risk of dehydration only increases in long bouts of energy (like prolonged running) and hot weather (dangerous :( ).

My advice:

• To be safe consult a registered sports dietitian before using  supplements, they can help you figure out how much water you'll need and guide towards safer supplemental options.  
• If you choose to use them, consume enough water and electrolytes to ensure you prevent dehydration 
• Avoid taking creatine with caffeine or other diuretics because it can cause an increased risk of dehydration
• Avoid running for long periods of time when taking creatine so you don't increase your risk of dehydration. (I'm not too sure how the timing works but definitely separate long runs from creatine use)
• If you take creatine and experience decreased urine talk to your doctor ASAP because you may have problems with your kidneys( the organ that has to deal with all the extra creatine you consume) other signs of serve dehydration include a dry mouth and a lack of tears. 

Some resources I used and your should check out if you take supplements to workout include:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/392259-creatine-and-muscle-cramps/
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/creatine-000297.htm
http://www.drugs.com/creatine.html

I don't want to scare anyone I just want you to be safe! Check out:
dietitianindc.blogspot.com  (A GREAT registered sports dietitian for more information!)

More Hope from Mars Inc.

My Dear Georgia post from Monday was my opinion on how "NOT" to approach the issue of childhood obesity.

Today, I was delighted to read an article from the Washington Post that I thought lead to a little more hope in light of making our children, and the general population healthier. The article  "Mars says its candy bars will have 250 calories or less by the end of next year"  explains it's message right  in its title!. What some readers may miss when skimming past it is the underlying implications of the companies actions. Mars Inc., the creators of Snickers, M& M's, Twix, Milky Way, 3Musketeers, Bounty and Kudos bars is going to stop making its king size bars and reduce the calorie amount of ALL its chocolate bars to 250 calories or less. Big deal right, its still candy?

Sure, candy is candy and will still contribute 250 empty calories to a consumers diet but if you think about it by reducing the size of some of the most popular candy bars out there, children will have a better idea of what an actual serving size SHOULD be. Not only will it help restore our distorted idea of a proper portion size, but I believe  by lowering the calorie of its candy bars, Mars Inc. is making a statement. They are recognizing the need to reduce calories in the American diet and they are placing more focus on health. Candy bars are treat many of us grew up with as children, when our parents gave us a candy bar we ate it hands down. Its hard to ask a child to exercise portion control and its hard to ask an adult not to spoil there children but by eliminating unnecessary & unhealthy options such as king size candy bars it will make it easier parents to reduce unhealthy calories it their children's diet whether they are aware of it or not!

Thanks Mars Inc. for taking a step towards a healthier future!

Dear Georgia...

Squeezing in a morning run, a healthy breakfast, and a warm shower while getting to my 8:30 am class on time is defiantly a balancing act even for me as a self proclaimed "morning person" (especially on Mondays). The class I'm always running out the door to get to on time is called Issues and Problems in Dietetics and every Monday we discuss a nutrition related article found in the news. So far I've been skimming titles and have been pretty bored with the article I've been printing out at the last minute. BUT this morning's article struct a nerve....

This morning I decided to print out an article about the recent childhood obesity PSA campaign going on in Georgia.

See for yourself...

Thoughts? Here's mine...

Dear Georgia,

People make positive changes in their lives when they feel empowered, strong, capable and motivated. You need to love yourself to want to take care of yourself. Where is the love in any of these ads? In my opinion they emanate depression, anger, shame, sadness, and blame. Worst of all it directs and evokes these emotions in children. I understand they aim to spark the attention of adults but it is at the expense of the child's emotions and wellbeing.

Studying nutrition, I strongly believe childhood obesity is a huge issue that needs to be addressed but these adds are avenues for eating disorders, depression, and self hatred...who would risk that on any child? Most children are not emotionally equipped to deal with the harm these messages can cause nor should they have to. Many factors play a role in our body size many of which are out a child's control.

Please Georgia try and understand that the majority of parents want to do what's best for their children. Further,  education, empowerment, and guidance will foster positive change while shame, frustration and blame may do more harm than good. It is not the physical properties of children or anybody for that matter we should be focused on but the habits. There is no education in these images they just leave the audience with negative emotions and no tools for change. Please take these adds down and hug your children and tell them how wonderful they are. Then educate them on how they can take care of themselves because when we love ourselves we are more likely to take care of ourselves.

Sincerely,
Amy

Are you Thirsty? I Am !

As an athlete and nutrition major I am well informed about the importance of proper hydration in both, athletics and everyday life.  However, it was not until I was training for my second marathon that concept of proper hydration and programmed drinking to replace fluid loss really hit home with me. Nutritionally, I strive to eat mindfully and intuitively the problem with hydrating in athletics is that, an athletes’ thirst mechanism often fails as a proper signal for fluid loss because the intensity of exercise and the mind can mask the effect of thirst, allowing an athlete to loose a dangerous amount of water.

What is a dangerous amount of sweat loss?

Dehydration is defined as losing 2% of your body weight from sweating and even losing 1% (1.5 lbs) can significantly impair your physical performance, by raising your body temperature, causing your heart to beat 3 to 5 times more per minute. Dehydration takes away from an athletes mental edge, physical ability, and can be deadly if your body loses its ability to cool itself down and heat illness occurs. When I began marathon training I would always bring water with me on long runs but I would drink mainly before and after running, I had no clue how much I needed to drink, and usually blamed the headaches I would get afterwards on my homework and waking up early.

How can sweat loss be monitored?

The headaches persisted to get worse in the summer and in the warm weather training. In the absence of homework and a lack of sleep I came to the realization that dehydration was the primary cause of my discomfort. Eager enhance my mood and performance I learned a great way to monitor hydration Is through the color and quantity of your urine. I have attached Urine Color Chart to help you identify what a well hydrated urine color should compare to. However, in marathon training and endurance sports it is important to pay special attention to your sweat loss which is individual and influenced by many factors such as age, temperature, genetics, gender, and fitness level. In order to know how much sweat you loose during exercise you must determine your sweat rate by weighing yourself nude before an hour of exercise and then again right after. By knowing the amount of sweat you loose you can determine the amount you need replace which should be 80-100% of what is lost.  Approximately 16 oz or .5kg of water should be consumed for ever pound lost. For example, I found that I loose 3lbs of water weight while exercising for one hour this means I need to drink 38.4-48 oz of water.

Overall, maintaining the proper amount fluid balance essential to life, and specifically during exercise when your muscles generates 20 times more heat than at rest .There is no one size fits all recommendation for fluids so it is important to learn and pay attention to your own sweat rate and replace lost water accordingly.

Holiday Survival Tips

Holidays are a time to cherish family, friends, and all the wonderful gifts we’ve been given in this life. It is a time to focus on the positive and to express generosity to our loved ones and those less fortunate. However, holidays can also be a source of anxiety and become overwhelming for those struggling with an eating disorder. The key to a happy healthy holiday is planning, preparing, and staying mindful.   Focus on positive details that will minimize stress, anxiety, and fear associated with parties, meals and gatherings. Here are some quick tips to make the most of a wonderful time of year.

1. Allow yourself to focus on celebrating and spending time with family instead of counting calories and excessive thoughts of food
2. Keep a journal, before going to a party write down why you are going what you will focus on at the party and reflect on your entry after the party.
3. Avoid good food bad food talk
4. Be aware of your stress level and do not overbook your schedule. Choose the events that mean the most to you and allow time for yourself to relax.
5. Stay connected with your treatment professionals; work with them to carefully balance meals in advance. If you regularly attend supports groups keep going and seek strategies for the holiday season.
6. Before a holiday event consider calling and asking the host what foods will be served and if it is necessary bring along safe foods.
7. If you’re feeling up to the challenge let holiday events be an opportunity for progress. Practice a three-meal-a-day schedule. Do not go to a holiday meal hungry with the plans to skip meals in preparation for a larger one.
8. Surround yourself with people who have healthy relationship with their food, their body, and their weight. Try and bring a trusted friend to holiday events if you can.
9. Keep lines of communication open and involve your family and friends in your challenges, victories, and goals.

Bulking Up: Tips for Healthy Weight Gain

I just took a trip down to Raleigh and stayed with one of my old college friends!  When I was in school with him a couple years back he was the number one fan of some of the South’s least healthy comfort foods such as sweet tea, fried chicken and Cook Out (a southern fast food chain). Recently however, he has taken a vested interest in his health and now aims to gain weight without having to bring back Cook out, fried chicken, and sweet tea to his daily diet. Often times weight gain is assumed to only occur through empty calories and junk food detrimental to your health…but that doesn’t have to be the case.  Since my friend was nice to let me stay with him I figured I’d help him out!

I did some research and found a lot of the same sports nutrition concepts I learned as a runner:

1.     Glycogen from carbohydrates is the main source of fuel for the muscles If you live an active lifestyle you must consume an adequate amount of carbs. To gain weight you must saturate your muscle with glycogen (3-5 grams per pound of body weight)

2.     Protein is needed to restore muscle fibers and the amino acids from proteins are needed for muscle growth and repair. HOWEVER, the body does not store excess protein as BULGING muscles! You need about .7-.9 g per lbs body weight and the rest will be lost in urine.

3.     Timing is key! If you are trying to gain weight healthfully it is important to fuel properly before and after workouts. Consume small meals throughout the day instead of large ones. It is ideal to eat at least every four hours consuming a combination of carbohydrates and protein! This will ensure that your muscles have a decent supply of fuel consistently throughout the day and are not being broken down for fueling during fasting periods.

Ok… the nutrition concepts don’t change you get it! But how does that apply to gaining muscle weight and bulking up without adding fat? The most important and only way to gain muscle is an effective weight lifting or resistance training routine! Your muscle fibers get bigger when you overload them with strength training period.

Where does eating come in? If you want to gain weight you need to eat more calories!! The trick to gaining muscle and not fat is ensuring that when you increase calories you maintain BALANCE in your diet. The best way to add muscle mass is to stick to a healthy diet containing 55-65% of calories from carbohydrates, 10-15% of calories from protein and less than 30% of calories from fats.

Here are some tips and tricks for adding calories in healthy way to build muscle and avoid unwanted fat:

1.     Choose more calorie dense foods to increase calorie content without increasing volume in your stomach making you uncomfortable.–For example, choose more calorie dense fruits and vegetables. Bananas, pineapples and mangos have more calories than water loaded fruits like oranges and grapefruits. Peas, carrots and corn have more calories than dark green vegetables.

2.     Limit your intake of bad fats because they are harmful to your heart health and may hinder your workout.–Focus on healthy fats such as peanuts, walnuts, almonds, avocados, olive oil, and oily fishes such as tuna and salmonIn order to gain 1 pound per week theoretically it takes 500 added calories per day! This is a good place to start! It maybe helpful to keep a daily log for a couple days to see how you normally eat and figure out where you can add in that extra 500 or so calories in a balanced way!!

Good Luck and be patient! The best-trained athletes gain weight slowly!

Resource: Nancy Clark’s Nutrition Guide Book