Mindful Eating vs. Distracted Eating

 #WellnessWednesday with Registered Dietitian Christine (MS, RDN, CSSD)
• • •
Consider practicing mindful eating versus distracted eating by putting away your devices during a meal. You may find that you enjoy the meal more because you are paying attention to the smell, taste and texture as well as being in tune with your feelings of fullness!

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Continue To Fuel

Whether you are an athlete, or you work out on your own or following group fitness classes online. It is vital to continue to fuel your body each day.

Due to the current situation with the stay at home guidelines, you are not able to participate as a team or with a group for workouts. If you are continuing to work out and exercise on your own, it is essential to continue to fuel your body properly. When I say fuel properly, this means to continue to eat meals and snacks throughout the day, and it also means not skipping meals, restricting, or limiting food choices because you feel like you might be working out less often. If you are working out less often than you were before staying at home, then you do not need to eliminate meals or snacks. You should work on choosing foods that provide a feeling of fullness as well as satisfaction- meaning choose foods with taste and that you feel good about eating. Feeling good about your food choice(s) does not mean that you made the “right” choice or the food you “should” choose. It means that you picked the foods that have flavor and adequately provide a feeling of fullness. When we choose foods, we enjoy and eat them until we are satisfied/comfortably full, then we are more likely to give ourselves adequate energy needed throughout the day.

Fueling will likely help you continue on with your day being productive in school, work, and exercise. In order to provide yourself with consistent energy, you should think about the food balance. It is essential to incorporate foods from various food groups- protein (plant or animal), whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and fats. When you make balanced choices, then you are more likely to feel satisfied with your meals and snacks. Consider eating meals (with at least 3-4 food groups) and snacks (with at least 2-3 food groups) throughout the day from the groups listed in this table.

Protein	Grains/Carbohydrates	Fruit	Vegetables
Yogurt	Whole grain bread	Apple	Carrots
Milk	Pita bread or a wrap	orange	avocado
Nuts	Rice	banana	cucumbers
Peanut butter or another nut butter	pasta	peaches	broccoli
Chicken, turkey, ham, cheese, tuna, hummus	crackers, pretzels, graham crackers, whole grain cereal	Berries (strawberries, blueberries or raspberries	Salad (lettuce, carrots, tomatoes)

Sample snacks

• Apple with cheese or peanut butter
• Cucumber, carrots and/or pretzels and hummus
• Cereal with milk
• Graham crackers and peanut butter or almond butter

Sample meal

• Peanut butter, banana on 2 pieces of bread with a cup of milk
• Turkey, cheese, avocado, lettuce, tomato on a wrap with an apple 

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Quick Snack Ideas

It’s important to incorporate snacks during the day while you are taking classes and/or working from home. In-between meal snacks are important. Snacks most often will help you feel better, increase your chances of staying focused and boost your immune system!

Take a break for your snack. Limit a working snack (i.e., eating while you are working on the computer) as this may lead to distracted eating and result in eating more than planned. It’s also nice to build in a break and have a snack to help you recharge.

Maybe you can schedule a snack break with a friend, and you can FaceTime while you snack and take a break!

The following are quick snack ideas. The portions sizes are here as a guide. If you are hungry have a larger portion! Pay attention to hunger and fullness cues. Another guide is to eat something about every three hours (or sooner – if you are hungry) throughout the day.

• ¼ Trail mix with dried fruit, nuts, and seeds (1/4 cup)
• ¼ cup of nuts 
• ¼ cup of pumpkin or sunflower seeds
• Whole wheat pretzels (20 mini) along with peanut butter (2 TBSP) or hummus (2 TBSP) to dip in.
• Fresh fruit and veggies plain or with peanut butter (2 TBSP) or hummus (2 TBSP) to dip in.
• A ½ large or 1 whole small bagel or crackers (5) with peanut butter (2 TBSP) or another nut butter 
• Dry cereal (1 cup) or add ½ - 1 cup milk
• Granola or cereal bars
• String cheese, low-fat yogurt (8 oz.) with ¼ cup of low-fat granola
• Low-fat cottage cheese with some fruit
• Tortilla chips with salsa and or guacamole
• Hydrating beverages such as water or 100% fruit juice

Quick portion guide
2 TBSP (or 1 oz.) = size of a golf ball
1 TBSP = size of a poker chip or your thumb
1 cup = size of a baseball or your fist

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Immunity Boost

With the current events that are unfolding in the world at the moment, it is critical to take this time to focus on keeping ourselves and our immune system healthy as possible. In addition to the below tips, it is important to make sure you are getting adequate sleep, taking steps to avoid infections (i.e., washing hands), avoid smoking and/or vaping, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Even though our daily lives may have slowed down a bit, there are many things you can do to keep your immune system strong.

Focus on Foods you Choose: More and more research is starting to support the idea that food can act as medicine. Add foods high in protein (chicken, meats, beans, nuts, nut butter, eggs and dairy) that can help with healing and recovery.  Vitamins C (oranges, tomatoes, sweet potato, peppers...) and vitamin E (avocado, sunflower seeds, nuts, peanut butter...) work as antioxidants and supports the immune system by stimulating the formation of antibodies. Vitamin A (carrots, dark green leafy vegetables, pumpkin...) also helps protect against infections by keeping skin and tissues healthy, and zinc (meat, beans, nuts, dairy, eggs...) helps the immune system work properly. Other nutrients to think about include vitamins B6, B12, selenium, and iron.

Minimize Stress:  As too much stress can lead to anxiety and depression, which can cause high levels of inflammation. Too much inflammation in the body can lead to an overworked, overtired immune system. Ways to reduce stress would be through staying active and/or practicing meditation. Another way to reduce stress is through laughter- watch a funny movie when you have a chance!

Get active: Regular, moderate exercise/movement has shown to reduce the risk of infection. Exercise may help slow the release of stress-related hormones. Lower stress hormones may help protect against illnesses.  Although we know the many benefits of exercise to overall health, prolonged bouts of exercise and periods of intense training are associated with an increased risk of infection. Therefore, it's essential to find your balance with staying active, choose something you enjoy- go for a walk, run, bootcamp classes, yoga, Pilates...

Thoughts on Herbs and Supplements: Common herbs and supplements that people often use for immune health include Elderberry, Echinacea, Astragalus, Olive Leaf Extract. Although these may help, it is essential to remember that there is still not much research to support herbs and supplements function in improving immune health. Always make sure to check with your healthcare provider before taking any herbs and supplements as they may interact with certain foods and medications.

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Post written by Hanna Stringer, a graduate student of Christine Clark in the MS in Applied Nutrition program through the College of Professional Studies at Northeastern University.

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Love Your Heart

 
February is National Heart Health month, so why not celebrate talking about foods your heart will love. Heart disease is one of America’s leading causes of death and is often the result of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, poor diet, stress, physical inactivity, and overweight and obesity(1). The foods we choose to eat can have a significant impact on our heart health. So love your heart and try to choose foods that will keep it healthy.
 
Fruits and vegetables offer lots of nutrients that help fight against heart disease (1). The American Heart Association recommends making half of your plate fruits and vegetables (1). Try eating a variety of fruits and vegetables of different colors to make sure you are getting all the necessary nutrients.
 
Beans and Legumes are a great source of protein without the saturated fat. They contain fiber and many vitamins and minerals that help with lowering blood cholesterol levels (1). Substituting plant protein with animal protein can help reduce your overall fat and cholesterol intake. Try adding beans to soups, salads, and pasta dishes or make a dip and spread it on sandwiches!
 
Healthy Fats: It is best to replace bad fats (saturated and trans fats) with healthier (mono and polyunsaturated fats) for optimal heart health. Olive, peanut, safflower, soybean, and avocado oil are great alternatives for cooking instead of butter. Do not forget about the essential omega 3-fatty acids, which have shown to lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and total cholesterol levels (1). Try consuming fish two times a week or add flaxseeds to your smoothies!
 
Whole grains such as whole wheat, oatmeal, brown rice, popcorn, and barley are great because they contain so many nutrients such as the B vitamins, iron, magnesium, selenium, and FIBER (1). Fiber helps improve blood cholesterol levels and lowers risk for stroke and obesity (1).
 
Don’t forget about exercise! Staying active is one of the most important things to do to prevent heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise a week (2). An activity can be in the form of walking, running, cycling, swimming, or even shoveling snow. It is also recommended that adults do muscle strength training about two times a week (2). Physical activity has been shown to decrease the incidence of heart disease and mortality, reduce blood pressure and prevalence of hypertension, weight loss, reduced rate of type 2 diabetes, and decrease in blood lipid levels (3).

1.    Heart Check Foods. American Heart Association. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/heart-check-foods. Accessed February 17, 2020 2.
2.    Fitness Basics. American Heart Association. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics. Accessed Febrary 17, 2020
3.    Piercy KL., Troiano RP, Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans from the US Department of Health and Human Services. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. 2018;11:3005263.

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Post written by Hanna Stringer, a graduate student of Christine Clark in the MS in Applied Nutrition program through the College of Professional Studies at Northeastern University.

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Mindful and Intuitive Eating

Being a mindful eater is slowing down and enjoying your food. Being mindful also means paying attention to color, taste, and texture. It also means putting down the phone and moving away from the computer to avoid distracted eating. Distracted eating often results in eating more than intended or not even tasting the food, therefore not enjoying it as you should!

Being an intuitive eater means paying attention to feelings of hunger and fullness. Although this sounds a little simplistic, it is a fact that many people lose the sense of hunger while dieting, restricting, or from medications they are taking. If this is the case, then work on paying attention versus ignoring those sensations. Some people will say they “don’t feel hungry.” Some people may override the feeling of hunger when the stomach is rumbling, if you do this, you may still have a headache and feel grumpy or tired. Because you have gone too long without eating. You want to keep in mind that you should have something to eat (meal or snack). About every 3-4 hours is a helpful rule of thumb.  Your body will enjoy the idea of eating when you are hungry, as it can help you function well in class or during a workout. The feeling of fullness can also be ignored. It’s a good idea to check in with yourself during a meal. Slow down as it takes 20 minutes for your stomach to register with your brain that you are full. If you eat in a rush, then in about 30 minutes, you may feel over full, which can result in feeling a bit sick, tired, and sluggish.

Intuitive eating is not a diet or a new concept. “Intuitive eating is an evidenced-based, mind-body health approach, comprised of 10 principles and created by two dietitians, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch in 1995. It is a weight-neutral model with a validated assessment scale and over 90 studies to date (Tribole 2017).” Please see below for the 10 principles of intuitive eating. As mentioned above, this is a non-diet approach that allows you to develop and maintain a healthy relationship with food. It will enable you to get back to basics and become in tune with your body’s internal cues and honoring them instead of ignoring them!

10 Principles of Intuitive Eating.

1. Reject the Diet Mentality Throw out the diet books and magazine articles that offer you false hope of losing weight quickly, easily, and permanently. Get angry at the lies that have led you to feel as if you were a failure every time a new diet stopped working and you gained back all of the weight. If you allow even one small hope to linger that a new and better diet might be lurking around the corner, it will prevent you from being free to rediscover Intuitive Eating. 
2. Honor Your Hunger Keep your body biologically fed with adequate energy and carbohydrates. Otherwise you can trigger a primal drive to overeat. Once you reach the moment of excessive hunger, all intentions of moderate, conscious eating are fleeting and irrelevant. Learning to honor this first biological signal sets the stage for re-building trust with yourself and food. 
3. Make Peace with Food Call a truce, stop the food fight! Give yourself unconditional permission to eat. If you tell yourself that you can’t or shouldn’t have a particular food, it can lead to intense feelings of deprivation that build into uncontrollable cravings and, often, bingeing When you finally “give-in” to your forbidden food, eating will be experienced with such intensity, it usually results in Last Supper overeating, and overwhelming guilt. 
4. Challenge the Food Police .Scream a loud “NO” to thoughts in your head that declare you’re “good” for eating minimal calories or “bad” because you ate a piece of chocolate cake. The Food Police monitor the unreasonable rules that dieting has created. The police station is housed deep in your psyche, and its loud speaker shouts negative barbs, hopeless phrases, and guilt-provoking indictments. Chasing the Food Police away is a critical step in returning to Intuitive Eating. 
5. Respect Your Fullness Listen for the body signals that tell you that you are no longer hungry. Observe the signs that show that you’re comfortably full. Pause in the middle of a meal or food and ask yourself how the food tastes, and what is your current fullness level? 
6. Discover the Satisfaction Factor The Japanese have the wisdom to promote pleasure as one of their goals of healthy living. In our fury to be thin and healthy, we often overlook one of the most basic gifts of existence–the pleasure and satisfaction that can be found in the eating experience. When you eat what you really want, in an environment that is inviting and conducive, the pleasure you derive will be a powerful force in helping you feel satisfied and content. By providing this experience for yourself, you will find that it takes much less food to decide you’ve had “enough”. 
7. Honor Your Feelings Without Using Food Find ways to comfort, nurture, distract, and resolve your issues without using food. Anxiety, loneliness, boredom, & anger are emotions we all experience throughout life. Each has its own trigger, and each has its own appeasement. Food won’t fix any of these feelings. It may comfort for the short term, distract from the pain, or even numb you into a food hangover. But food won’t solve the problem. If anything, eating for an emotional hunger will only make you feel worse in the long run. You’ll ultimately have to deal with the source of the emotion, as well as the discomfort of overeating. 
8. Respect Your Body Accept your genetic blueprint. Just as a person with a shoe size of eight would not expect to realistically squeeze into a size six, it is equally as futile (and uncomfortable) to have the same expectation with body size. But mostly, respect your body, so you can feel better about who you are. It’s hard to reject the diet mentality if you are unrealistic and overly critical about your body shape. 
9. Exercise–Feel the Difference Forget militant exercise. Just get active and feel the difference. Shift your focus to how it feels to move your body, rather than the calorie burning effect of exercise. If you focus on how you feel from working out, such as energized, it can make the difference between rolling out of bed for a brisk morning walk or hitting the snooze alarm. If when you wake up, your only goal is to lose weight, it’s usually not a motivating factor in that moment of time. 
10. Honor Your Health–Gentle Nutrition Make food choices that honor your health and tastebuds while making you feel well. Remember that you don’t have to eat a perfect diet to be healthy. You will not suddenly get a nutrient deficiency or gain weight from one snack, one meal, or one day of eating. It’s what you eat consistently over time that matters, progress not perfection is what counts.

For more information on Intuitive eating check out the website listed below.
 
Copyright 2007-2017. IntuitiveEating.org. All rights reserved.
Information from https://www.intuitiveeating.org/ Accessed January 10, 2020

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FYUL: Anti-Inflammatory

FYUL is a program focused on making it easy for you to find foods that are embedded with health benefits also known as functional foods that are important to your personal lifestyle!

Anti-Inflammatory: Foods made with antioxidant ingredients that may help prevent and relieve inflammation

Choose foods to fight inflammation!

When foreign substances (allergens, chemicals, viruses, bacteria, etc.) enter the body, it will often trigger the body to reject and fight against it. In this instance, the body is reacting and this creates inflammation within the body. When thinking about this time of year we want to make sure that we are reducing our risk for illnesses, especially during finals and upcoming holidays!

Many people will turn to medication and/or supplements to combat inflammation and/or reduce their risk of illness this time of year. However, these may not be necessary as the foods we eat may help reduce inflammation. Researchers are still trying to determine the actual specifics, but what we do know is that eating a well-balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, plant proteins and/or lean animal protein will help keep your immune system healthy.

The following foods are considered anti-inflammatory

• Fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries, apples, and oranges
• Vegetables such as tomatoes, spinach, and kale
• Omega-3 fatty acids that are found in flaxseeds, walnuts, salmon, tuna
• Healthy fats such as olive oil

It is important to note that certain foods may increase inflammation, such as highly processed foods and fried foods. Therefore, you would want to limit these foods.

So when you are studying for finals reach for a snack of an apple, orange, strawberries or blueberries to try to stave off viruses this season! And of course, work on getting adequate rest and sleep as that is important during finals and it has also been shown to help reduce inflammation!

Resources:

1. What is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet. Accessed December 5, 2019 https://www.eatright.org/health/wellness/preventing-illness/what-is-an-anti-inflammatory-diet
2. Foods that fight inflammation.  Accessed December 5, 2019 https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/foods-that-fight-inflammation

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FYUL: Sustained Energy

FYUL is a program focused on making it easy for you to find foods that are embedded with health benefits also known as functional foods that are important to your personal lifestyle!

Sustained Energy: Foods that combine lean protein, good fats and fiber to create the right nutrient balance to sustain energy

When choosing cuisine consider foods that provide a feeling of fullness as well as satisfaction. Choose items with taste and that you feel good about eating. Feeling good about your choice(s) does not mean that you made the “healthy” choice or the “right” choice or the food you “should” choose.  It means that you picked the items that have flavor and provided a feeling of fullness in a comfortable way.

When we choose foods we enjoy and eat them until we are satisfied then we are more likely to provide ourselves with sustained energy throughout the day. This will help you continue on with your day by being productive in school, work, exercise or sports.

In order to provide yourself with sustained energy you should think about balance. It’s important to incorporate cuisine from various food groups - protein (plant or animal), whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and fats. When you make balanced choices then you are more likely to feel satisfied with your meals and snacks.

Consider eating meals and snacks throughout the day (and avoid skipping) that incorporate at least 2-3 food groups listed:

Protein

• Yogurt
• Milk
• Nuts
• Peanut butter or another nut butter
• Chicken, turkey, ham, cheese, tuna, hummus

Grains/Carbohydrates

• Whole grain bread
• Pita bread or a wrap
• Rice
• Pasta
• Crackers, pretzels, graham crackers, whole grain cereal

Fruit

• Apple
• Orange
• Banana
• Peaches
• Berries (strawberries, blueberries or raspberries

Vegetables

• Carrots
• Avocado
• Cucumbers
• Broccoli
• Salad (lettuce, carrots, tomatoes)

Sample snacks

• Apple with cheese or peanut butter
• Cucumber and hummus
• Cereal with milk
• Graham crackers and peanut butter or almond butter

Sample meal

•  Peanut butter, banana on 2 pieces of bread with a cup of milk
• Turkey, cheese, avocado, lettuce, tomato on a wrap with an apple

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FYUL: Protein Packed

FYUL is a program focused on making it easy for you to find foods that are embedded with health benefits also known as functional foods that are important to your personal lifestyle!

Protein Packed: Foods that include carbohydrates and protein that give muscles the fuel they need to recover after working hard.

To achieve peak performance during a workout it is important to consume a healthy well-balanced diet most days. A diet that provides a variety of foods can provide you with all of the necessary nutrients your body needs. Something very important when it comes to working out and building lean body mass is replenishing the fuel you used during the workout.

Consider this, protein is not a major fuel source during physical activity (carbohydrates are the major fuel source during a workout), however, protein is extremely important for recovery and is needed for muscle growth and repair! Most active individuals need slightly more protein than a less active person.
When you are training be sure to consume adequate protein, but always back it up with adequate carbohydrates to ensure adequate muscle repair.

After workout/recovery snacks are extremely important and these snacks should be consumed within about 30 minutes after an intense workout. Recovery snacks should contain about 45- 50 g of carbohydrates and 10-15 g of protein to promote muscle protein synthesis (i.e., repair and build up muscles).

Here are a few examples to meet your carbohydrate and protein needs:

• Milkshake or yogurt/fruit smoothie (1 cup)
• A large bowl of cereal with milk (~ 1- 2 cups)
• 2 small cereal bars + fruited yogurt
• 2 cups flavored milk (chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry)
• 2 slices of toast with 2 eggs
• 2 slices of toast/bread with 2 ½ Tbsp peanut butter or lean turkey or ham
• 1 large banana and 2 ½ TBSP peanut butter
• 2- 4 full graham cracker sheets with Greek yogurt or 1 cup of milk

Convenience vs. Whole Foods:

• Energy bars are great when you are on the go!
• Choose energy bars that contain carbohydrates, protein and fat.
• Look for high-quality protein sources- from milk (casein and whey), egg, or soy.
• Limit intake of bars with trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils) or saturated fat (palm oil)
• Keep in mind that It is important to choose whole foods before supplements whenever possible
• Compare the cost of supplements (protein powders) with the cost of foods (protein-rich foods) with similar nutritional value

When it comes to working out, think of food as fuel and aiding in building and repairing muscles.  Make it a goal to consume meals and snacks containing a balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats throughout the day!

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FYUL: Heart Health

FYUL is a program focused on making it easy for you to find foods that are embedded with health benefits also known as functional foods that are important to your personal lifestyle!

Heart Health: Foods that are packed with Fiber and Heart Healthy Fats

Choosing foods that will benefit your heart is always a good idea! If you choose foods that are in their whole form such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, nuts, beans, lean meats then you are taking the right steps. If you are not there yet it is not too late to make some small changes to make a positive impact. Keep in mind that while we can make choices about the foods we eat- we cannot choose or change our family health history or age, but that does not mean that you should not implement heart-healthy food choices!

Here are some tips to get you started!

• Choose nutrient-dense foods that are also a good source of fiber and antioxidants that have a protective effect on cells in the body. Nutrient-dense foods will also provide many other vitamins and minerals. Including whole grains (cereals, rice, pasta, and oatmeal), fruits, and vegetables at meals and snacks will help accomplish this.
• Choose foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids because that will help with reducing inflammation in the body. Consider incorporating foods such as wild salmon, tuna, flaxseeds/flax meal, and walnuts to have this benefit.
• Choose oils that are high in mono- and poly-unsaturated fats as these are good for your heart. You can find the best sources among olive oil, nuts, avocados, sunflower and safflower oils. Limit your intake of trans fats and saturated fats that are found in many processed foods (crackers, cookies and other packaged baked goods). Also keep in mind that although coconut oil may taste good and add flavor, use this tropical oil in moderation as it is high in saturated fat. Saturated fats have been found to raise blood cholesterol levels, therefore this can be harmful over time. 

Making heart-healthy choices is important at any age. It does not mean you have to remove foods you love, it simply means adding nutrient-rich foods into your day! The good news is that it includes treats such as dark chocolate, which is rich in antioxidants!

Here is a recipe that is a great way to start your day with heart healthy option. This is also a great snack option!

Overnight Oats

• ½ cup Quaker Oats
• ½ cup lowfat milk or a milk substitute
• ½ cup Greek yogurt (plain or vanilla)
• ¼ cup blueberries, raspberries or peaches
• 1 TBSP honey

Add Quaker Oats to your container, pour in milk, and add in fruit and Greek yogurt. Top with honey before refrigerating

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FYUL: Recovery

FYUL is a program focused on making it easy for you to find foods that are embedded with health benefits also known as functional foods that are important to your personal lifestyle!

Recovery: Foods that include carbohydrates and protein that give muscles the fuel they need to recover after working hard

Whether you are an athlete who is part of a team on-campus or you are working out as part of your daily routine. It is important to consider recovery (post-workout) nutrition. The amount of food and beverages that you need after a workout will vary slightly depending on different factors such as intensity, length, hot or cold temperatures. One thing for sure is that your body is most responsive to the nutrients provided within the first 30 minutes after exercise.

So what does that mean? Well, it means that if you are heading to breakfast lunch or dinner following a workout you are covered. If you are rushing off to get to class or co-op and time is limited then a snack is needed! A recovery meal or snack should include about 50 g carbohydrate + 10-20 g protein (including both carbohydrates and proteins will promote a more efficient muscle protein synthesis to aid in building and repairing muscles).

In order to meet these nutrient recommendation, you would need to consume at least something similar to the following examples.

Breakfast:

• Two eggs, 2 slices of whole grain toast with butter and a piece of fruit
• Greek yogurt (6 oz.) with granola (¼ -½ cup) and a piece of fruit

Lunch:

• Salad (2 cups) with chicken (2-3 oz.), tofu ½ cup or beans ¼ -½ cup with whole grain bread or roll, quinoa, or whole wheat pasta (at least a ½- 1 cup) and salad dressing. 
• Peanut butter and honey or preserve on whole grain toast with 1 cup of milk

Dinner:

• A lean hamburger (3 oz.) with lettuce and tomato on a bun, a side salad with dressing, and a yogurt parfait
• Grilled chicken breast (3 oz.), baked potato with butter,  and 1 cup vegetables

Snacks:

• Yogurt and fruit smoothie (1 cup)
• Medium- large bowl of cereal with milk (1-2 cups)
• 1- 2 small cereal bars + fruited yogurt or milk
• 2 cups of flavored milk 
• 2 slices of toast/bread with 2 ½ Tbsp peanut butter or lean turkey or ham
• 1 cup of dry cereal or pretzels with ¼ cup nuts

Hydration
Before, during and after exercise drink water to ensure that you are well hydrated. Keep in mind that greater than 2% of body water loss can compromise overall exercise performance and cognitive function.

Urine color indicates hydration status, and it should be a pale yellow color. During a workout that is about 90 minutes or longer, you may need to include an electrolyte/carb beverage to aid in hydration, but water should still be part of the hydration plan throughout the duration of exercise.
If you would like more information on determining your own individual needs, please contact UHCS to set up a time to meet with the dietitian on-campus.

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Fall is Pumpkin Time!

Fall is one of my favorite times because everywhere you turn there are foods containing pumpkin. What I love about pumpkins is that they are a great nutrient-rich food. They are loaded with antioxidants such as beta-carotene, which is the plant carotenoid that converts to vitamin A (important for vision, immune system, bone health and an antioxidant). Pumpkins are also a great source of potassium and magnesium.

Pumpkin puree can be added to so many recipes to enhance flavor and boost nutritional value. Here are just a few ideas!

• Add pumpkin to
• Greek yogurt along with some granola to make a parfait
• Hot oatmeal along with a sprinkle of cinnamon or pumpkin spice
• Homemade pancakes, waffles, muffins or cookies
• Try roasted pumpkin seeds as an afternoon snack, in a trail mix or on a salad

Pumpkin protein bites are a great on-the-go breakfast along with a cup of low fat milk

Recipe:

• 3 cups dry, rolled oats
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 cup peanut butter, or Almond butter
• If you have a nut allergy try using sun nut butter
• 2/3 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup ground flax meal
• If you prefer more crunch use the ground flax seeds)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• Choose dark chocolate for added antioxidants
• Can also add in: 1 cup small chopped walnuts, chopped almonds, chopped peanuts, coconut flakes, or any combination of mix-ins that equal 1 cup total.

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients together in a medium bowl until very thoroughly mixed.
2. Roll into balls of about 1″ in. Place bites on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. You can freeze them for one hour or just leave them in the refrigerator- either way they will set.
3. Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Resources:

• Pumpkin Nutrition. Pumpkins and more. https://m.extension.illinois.edu/pumpkins/nutrition.cfm Accessed October 29, 2018.
• Recipe modified from- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Energy Balls https://cleanfoodcrush.com/pumpkin-energy-balls/ Accessed October 29, 2018.

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Trick or Treat?

A balanced diet is a healthy diet.  Allowing yourself to enjoy a treat once and awhile really is okay!   

Halloween is once year, but the candy is around for many weeks before and after it has come and gone.  You can choose not to eat the candy, which is fine too.  However, if you do decided to indulge and have a few treats your best bet is to read the food labels for ingredients, calories and fat.  Choosing candy that contains the least amount of calories and fat can be a great choice, however that choice may not be satisfying for you. Choosing one that you would like and enjoy may be the better option in the long run. It is really about the amount of candy that you eat versus the one(s) you choose to eat. The fun size candy bars are really great, if you stick to the recommended serving amount! Most servings of these treats contain 150-200 calories or less. That is not a significant amount of calories when you consider that most individuals should be consuming close to 2,000 calories per day. 

Thinking about the calories and fat can take the fun out of the treats you choose. But, it is better to be aware of what you are choosing and then you can choose wisely! 

Some people over-indulge on Halloween and are done with the candy- while others will ration out their treats for a week or so. Either way is fine! However, if you continue to over-indulge for a week or so that is when you may start to realize that this holiday is adding some unwanted extra calories to your healthy eating plan.  

Halloween Candy can fit into a healthy eating plan if you practice moderation. Although, the fun size candies are great, eating a few at a time will add up to a full size candy bar. The table below can help you decide where you may want to spend or save calories.

Remember that Halloween is just the beginning of the holiday season so choose wisely!

Candy	Package Serving Size	Calories	Fat	Sugar	Tips
Tootsie Rolls	6 small pieces (40 g)	140	3 g	19 g	These little candies provide less fat and fewer calories than most in this table, However be aware that they are pretty sticky and may increase the risk for tooth decay.
Candy Corn (Brach’s)	21 pieces (40 g)	150	0 g	37 g	Fat-free is a plus here. But because these candies are also packed with sugar and will stick to your teeth!
Kit Kat	3 (2 piece snack size bars) (42 g)	210	11 g	21 g	The light wafer makes this bar less dense and therefore provides a lower in sugar amount per serving.
Hershey's Milk Chocolate Kisses	7 pieces (32 g)	160	9 g	18 g	Note: Try to choose Special Dark version in order to add flavonoids/antioxidants
Hershey’s minatures	4 pieces (34g)	160	9	17 g	As mentioned above. Choosing the dark chocolate version is nice alternative.
M&M's Milk Chocolate Candies	fun size, 1 bag (27g)	130	5 g	17 g	If you choose peanut M & M’s you will get a few more calories and fat.
Milky Way	Fun size, 2 bars (34g)	160	4 g	20 g	Eat one or two, then freeze a few (a good idea for just about any candy bar).
Butterfinger	Fun size, 2 bars ( 21g)	170	6 g	16 g	Stick to the fun size!
Snickers	Fun size, 2 bar (34 g)	160	8 g	18 g	This is another good one to freeze!
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (snack size bats)	1 snack size (34g)	170	4 g	16 g	Just because it contains a little more peanut butter than chocolate doesn’t make it nutrient dense- still a candy bar!

Resources: The nutrition content found in the table above was obtained from food labels of the products
http://www.snickers.com/default.htm
http://www.hersheys.com/
http://www.milkywaybar.com/index.shtml
http://www.butterfinger.com/butterfinger.aspx
http://www.tootsie.com/
http://www.brachs.com/products/candy-corn

The table in this handout was adapted and updated from one found in the article Halloween Candy Nutrition: Calories, Fat - and Good News! by Carol M. Bareuther, RD. accessed October 1, 2018 http://familydoctormag.com/nutrition/1497-halloween-candy-nutrition-calories-fat-and-good-news.html

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