By Betsy Felde, RD, LDN
Registered Dietitian, Centegra Health System

Do you rise and dine?  If you don’t, it may make weight management more difficult.  According to the National Weight Control Registry, in a registry of Americans who have lost 30 pounds or more and kept it off for at least a year, 80% in the registry consume a regular breakfast.

Benefits of consuming breakfast:

• Increased energy.  When you sleep, your metabolic rate slows down but by rising and dining, you refuel and get your metabolism kicking for the day.
• Weight loss.  Breakfast skippers tend to eat 700 more calories per day than breakfast eaters.
• Weight maintenance.  According to National Health and Nutrition Examination survey, those who ate breakfast were more likely to have a body mass index (BMI) of 25, which is considered normal.
• Better nutrient intake, especially of calcium, vitamin B6, riboflavin, folate, iron and fiber.
• Less likely to overeat at night.
• Enhanced memory, improved cognitive abilities, and increased attention span, all due to stabilized blood sugar after a night time fast.

If breakfast is so beneficial, why are a whopping 66% of Americans skipping this important meal?  The number one reason is time!

Try these quick and easy ideas for a healthy balanced breakfast:

• Low-fat cottage cheese or peanut butter on whole grain bread
• Cold or hot cereal with skim milk and fruit
• Yogurt or cottage cheese with fruits, nuts and cereal
• Breakfast wrap with mashed beans and low-fat cheese and avocado
• Homemade veggie pizza or breakfast burrito with eggs, low-fat cheese, veggies and turkey sausage
• Smoothie made with frozen fruit, yogurt, and milk
• Hard boiled egg, whole grain crackers, and fruit

If you would like to obtain a nutrition prescription to ensure you are meeting all the vitamin and mineral needs before, during and after pregnancy and consuming the appropriate amounts of fiber, carbohydrates, fats, fluids and protein, please contact one of our Registered Dietitians by calling (815) 444-2900.

By Danette Lane, ACSM CPT, ACE LWMC, RRCA Running Coach & Fitness Coach

Many people have heard of mindful eating, but who has ever heard of or practiced mindful exercise?  As a fitness professional, I like to teach mindful exercise to help others achieve the most benefit from their workouts and improve their results.

To increase your mindfulness during exercise, follow these three easy steps:

• First, know what muscle or muscle group you are aiming to strengthen and tone.
• Second, select a machine or exercise that targets that area.
• Lastly, use your mind to envision the muscle, connect with it, and contract it maximally throughout the movement .

Practice makes perfect, so next time you are at the gym, plan your workout session to increase your mindfulness.  Use your body and your mind to contract your muscles.  Once you are able to focus and connect with the muscle, add resistance for overload.

After you have been practicing this technique for three months, give yourself a pat on the back.  According to research on neuroplasticity, it takes approximately 12 weeks for a new habit to become set in our neuromuscular pathways.  Congratulations!  You have learned how to achieve a more productive workout for improved results with mindful exercise.

For more on exercise or to learn how to incorporate mindfulness into your routine, call (815) 444-2900 today.

Julie Holbrook
MS, RD, LDN
Wellness & Cardiology Dietitian
Centegra Health System

Pregnancy necessitates special nutritional requirements, such as additional vitamins, minerals, fluid and macronutrients. Sickness and nausea may be present for some pregnant women, making nutrient needs even more crucial to obtain.

Requirements for folate, iron and calcium increase in pregnancy. Folate is a vitamin needed to reduce the risk of birth defects such as neural tube defects and spina bifida. The Dietary Reference Intakes, or DRI, recommend pregnant women consume 600 mcg of synthetic folic acid per day. Food sources of folate include beans, peas, oranges and dark-green leafy vegetables. Iron is needed in pregnancy to prevent anemia, which may lead to premature delivery and low birth weight infants. Foods containing iron include fortified cereals, beans, beef and liver. The DRI for iron is 27 mg per day for pregnant women, which is almost double that of a non-pregnant woman. Calcium is needed by the fetus and the mother to help build strong bones. When the mother doesn’t get enough calcium from food or supplements, the body leaches calcium from her bones and gives it to the developing baby. Food sources include fortified soy and cow’s milk, yogurt, fortified cereals, canned salmon and cheese. The DRI for calcium in pregnancy is 1,000 mg per day.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 state that pregnant women should avoid unpasteurized cheese, milk and juice, raw or undercooked meats or eggs and raw sprouts. In addition, lunch meat and frankfurters should be reheated to steaming hot to reduce food-borne illness caused by Listeria monocytogenes. Alcoholic beverages should not be consumed. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends that pregnant women avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish due to their high levels of mercury, which may alter the baby’s brain and nervous system development.

If you would like to obtain a nutrition prescription to ensure you are meeting all the vitamin and mineral needs before, during and after pregnancy and consuming the appropriate amounts of fiber, carbohydrates, fats, fluids and protein, please contact one of our Registered Dietitians by calling (815) 444-2900.

By Carole Arch, Certified Fitness Coach

The number one reason people give for not exercising is a lack of time. What typically follows next is a lack of results. To combat this and boredom, try this type of interval training which involves alternating short bursts of intense activity followed by active recovery which is typically a less intense form of the original activity.

This is a specific type of interval training called “fartlek”. An efficient training method, it helps to avoid injuries that often involve non-stop repetitive cardiovascular activity and also provides you with the opportunity to increase your intensity without burning yourself out in a matter of minutes. Unlike traditional interval training, fartlek training does not involve specific intervals of time and intensity (speed). How you feel on a particular day determines the length and intensity of each interval.

When you start this type of interval training, each interval can be a negotiation with yourself depending on how strong or energetic you happen to feel on a particular day. This is important as everyone has “off days”. If you’re tired of doing the same thing day after day on the same cardio machine, have given up on cardiovascular exercise, or have not seen any results, try this type of training. For variety, remember to utilize the different types of cardio equipment available at Health Bridge to challenge different muscles. Overall, Fartlek Interval Training provides a great workout in a shorter amount of time.

Want more Fitness information?  Take advantage of your FREE personalized Bridge Assessment with a Certified Fitness Coach – a $300 value!  Call (815) 444-2900 to set up your Assessment today.

By Carole Arch, Certified Fitness Coach

The “warm-up” and “cool-down” – Is it essential to an exercise program?

We all lead busy lives and getting your exercise in is a very important part of living a healthy lifestyle.  However, it’s important to remember to include a warm-up and cool- down as part of your routine even when you’re pressed for time.  It’s important to prepare your body prior to your more intense “workout”.

Warming up increases the amount of oxygen and blood flow to your exercising muscles, raising your core body temperature,  which may also help to prevent muscle strain or injury. When you take the time to cool down after your workout, you gradually bring your body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure down to its pre-exercise state, redistributing blood & oxygen from your exercising muscles to your heart, brain, and internal organs.  A proper cool-down significantly reduces the stress on the cardiovascular system, which dramatically reduces the chance of experiencing light headedness, dizziness, or possibly a cardiac episode.

Any light aerobic activity, such as walking on a treadmill at a moderate speed, riding a bike or on an elliptical with a low resistance, or mimicking the exercise movements you’ll be doing in your workout at a less intense level can be used for your warm-up and cool-down. The length of your warm-up and cool-down period depends on the type of conditioning, intensity, age, and fitness level.  Try to allow a minimum of 5-10 minutes for warming up and cooling down.

Think you don’t have enough time for a warm-up, cool-down and exercise too? Reduce the conditioning phase of your workout and increase the intensity level in order to include a proper warm-up and cool-down.  You will still get a great workout in less time!

Have questions on warming up, cooling down, or on your workout routine in general?  Our Fitness Coaches are here to help.  Call (815) 444-2900 today.

Sources:  Mayo Clinic, Ace Fitness

Julie Holbrook
MS, RD, LDN
Wellness & Cardiology Dietitian
Centegra Health System

National Nutrition Month, celebrated every March, is a nutrition education and information campaign by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association).  The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals and is committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the dietetics profession.

This year’s theme is “Get your Plate in Shape” and focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. National Nutrition Month began in 1973 as a week-long event, but gained popularity and expanded in 1980 to a month-long observance in response to a growing public interest in nutrition.

In 2011, the federal government replaced the Food Guide Pyramid with MyPlate to simplify building a balanced meal consistent with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines. The goal of MyPlate is to visually divide your plate into four quarters and build a healthy plate with 1/4 fruits, 1/4 vegetables, 1/4 grains and 1/4 lean protein. Adding a side of low-fat dairy completes the meal.

An interactive website that provides specialized menus for various populations, videos, games, meal trackers, recipes and handouts can be found at ChooseMyPlate.gov.  In addition, the AND website offers consumers helpful nutrition tips, games, promotional tools and nutrition education resources at www.eatright.org.

If you’d like to find out how you can get your plate in shape, please contact one of our registered dietitians at (815) 444.2900.

Meg Burnham, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN

We live in a society bombarded by messages about dieting.  From your co-workers to your gym buddy, it seems everyone is trying a new way to lose weight.  The truth is simple, in order to lose weight, you must consume fewer calories from food while increasing the amount and intensity of your activity.

No one diet or weight loss method is right for everyone.  The key is to choose a method that is safe, fits into your lifestyle, avoids rigidity, and promotes healthy eating habits that you can maintain for life.

Steer clear of diets, pills, and products that seem too good to be true or make the following claims:

• Rapid Weight Loss – Healthy plans aim for a loss of no more than ½ pound to 1 pound per week. If you lose weight quickly, you’ll lose muscle, bone and water. You also will be more likely to regain the pounds quickly afterwards.

• Rigidity – Ditch diets that allow unlimited quantities of any food, such as grapefruit and cabbage soup.  Avoid any diet that eliminates or severely restricts entire food groups, such as carbohydrates.

• Specific Food Combinations – There is no evidence that combining certain foods or eating foods at specific times of day will help with weight loss. Eating the “wrong” combinations of food doesn’t cause them to turn to fat immediately or to produce toxins in your intestines, as some plans claim.

• No Need to Exercise – Plans that state there is no need to exercise or restrict exercise increase your risk of losing muscle mass, decreasing your body’s ability to burn calories.   There is no avoiding it, you need to exercise.

Want more nutrition information?  Call (815) 444-2900 to speak with one of our Registered Dietitians today!

Nutrition Notes Archives

Kathie Clark

Certified Fitness Coach
Advanced Strength Training
Executive Trainer
Medical/Sports Massage Therapist

Over weight, unfit, out of control and lost in a state of denial – I was living with a perpetual acceptance of a body and life headed for disaster. That was my life 8 years ago.

It was a stark difference to where I am today- a fit, healthy, self-employed fitness professional.

Eight years ago I was 360 lbs. and a size 34/36.  I had just buried my grandmother whom I was the primary care giver for in my home, where she had passed away.  It was a month after this experience that I decided it was time to start caring for my own needs and taking responsibility for making the necessary changes that I needed to make in my life.

It was a moment of clarity and purpose that I must loose the weight. I was determined to succeed but didn’t have a real clue as how to achieve or meet my new goals.

Although I thought I was in good health, I knew that it was only a matter of time before a serious health problem would rear its ugly head.  It was hard to walk any distance without getting out of breath. Exercise was non-existent and I was familiar with many fad diets of the time.  In my desperate search for the perfect diet and exercise program, I made many mistakes along the way.  These mistakes are a few of the following examples:

• I tried a high protein diet (actually nothing but protein). With this diet disaster I entered a state of ketosis, rendering my ability to do higher math functions and to think rationally useless.
• I tried an extremely high fiber diet which briefly included eating peanuts, shells included.  Just suffice to say the results were painful.
• I tried ephdra, caffeine products and thermogenics.  They were moderately effective in the beginning but interfered with my sleep and mood; making me cranky, irritable and nervous.
• 2 gallons of liquid a day – no explanation of its effect are necessary.

At first, my exercise started out by just walking 1 block.  I gradually increased my distance, block by block, mile by mile.  It was at this time that my well-meaning brother almost killed me with a workout that was far too advanced for where I was at the time.  The inability to move without pain for a couple of weeks was (as I found out later) totally unnecessary.  It was at this point that I decided to go back to school to learn what I could about exercise and nutrition as there was so much conflicting information in the media and in books.

I made a lot of mistakes along my journey to get fit but made a lot of discoveries along the way.  It was good to educate myself with a knowledge of the body which led me to make heathlier choices than I would have once made.  The most valuable lesson I learned was that the mind, body and soul are truly connected and are one.  If you positively (or negatively) affect one, then the others will follow suit.  If you feel better in your own body, your self esteem is elevated and your sprit is set free from that which weighted it down.

Today, I have the best job in the world – one that allows me to help people work towards their goals and change their quality life for the better.  It is towards this end that I hope to help others through information, education, sharing experiences and motivating others in articles to follow.

If you have a similar experience, or have been in those shoes, know that you are not alone.  There is a way out and I would be happy to share my experience with you.

-Kathie

Fitness Notes Archive

By Meg Burnham, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN

When starting the New Year, most of us have plans to make this year better than the last. Here are a few tips to help you achieve your resolutions for a better year and a better you!

• Don’t diet. Losing weight should be a lifestyle change, not a quick fix. Make a commitment to yourself to improve your health and wellness for a lifetime.

• Don’t overwhelm yourself. Focus on 1-2 goals at a time. Make goals manageable and develop a plan and timeline for accomplishing those goals.
• Avoid skipping meals. Depriving yourself of food during the day can lead to overeating later in the day.

• Find time for exercise. Revving up your exercise routine will not only help beat stress, it will also help you burn extra calories.

•  Get your plate in shape! Make half your plate fruits and vegetables; one-quarter lean protein and the last quarter whole grains. Have a side of dairy to round out your meal.

•  Stay hydrated. Increase your intake of calorie-free beverages, such as water and unsweetened tea.

Nutrition Notes Archive

By Meg Burnham, RS, RD, CSSD, LDN

The holiday season is here and it’s time to enjoy holiday treats without the worry of gaining additional weight.   According to the National Institutes of Health, Americans gain an average of 0.8 lbs within the 6 weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Studies indicate that most adults do not lose the additional weight after the new year.  After 10 years, this seemingly innocent holiday weight gain results into an extra 8 lbs of body fat.  With a little nutrition know-how, you can avoid being a part of this statistic!

The truth is that one large holiday meal will not instantly tack on a pound of body weight.  It’s the choices we make on a daily basis throughout the holiday season that make the difference.  Consider your food and beverage choices during your Black Friday shopping trip or the holiday treats you’re eating at work.  Don’t associate the holiday season with rigidity and deprivation.  Enjoy your richest treats in small portions and let each bite slowly melt in your mouth.  There are also plenty of healthier options you can enjoy 100% guilt-free!

Indulging Holiday Treat:
Medium caramel apple with nuts: 500 calories

Better choices:    
McDonald’s apple dippers with caramel sauce
100 calories

1 medium apple + 1 Tbsp Smuckers sugar free caramel syrup
140 calories

Indulging Holiday Treat:
Starbucks peppermint white chocolate mocha, venti
560 calories

Better choices:       
Starbucks skinny cinnamon dolce latte
130 calories
Indulging Holiday Treat:
Panera Bread gingerbread man                                                                                                                                               330 calories

Better choice:        
Homemade gingerbread man    (mccormick.com)
158 calories

Indulging Holiday Treat:
1 cup egg nog
343 calories

Better choice:
Swiss Miss no sugar added hot cocoa
60 calories; (1 Tbsp Bailey’s irish cream = 50 calories)

Indulging Holiday Treat:
½ cup creamed corn
260 calories

Better choice:       
½ cup healthified creamed corn
130 calories

Visit eatbetteramerica.com form more holiday substitution ideas.