FUEL YOUR WORKOUT

Are you kicking off the New Year with a new workout routine? Whether you are training for a marathon or just trying to become more active, eating well will support your goals.

FUEL
Working out without eating well is like trying to drive a car without gas (or a good charge). You won’t get very far. What and how much you eat will depend on your goals, but there are some general rules that should work for most of us. In the 1-4 hour window before you exercise, eat or drink some carbohydrates. The closer to exercise time you eat, the simpler and more familiar the item should be. Throughout the day make sure you are getting enough carbohydrates to match your intensity level. The harder the workout, the more you will need. If changing your weight is part of your goals, keep that in mind when choosing your food. If you are looking to lose weight, make sure you keep enough protein in your diet to maintain your muscle.

HYDRATE & RECOVER
We are generally more aware of how important drinking water is when it is hot out. Cooling isn’t the only reason we need water, though. You will tire more quickly and not see all of the benefits of exercise if you are dehydrated. Keeping a refillable water bottle with you can be a good reminder to drink. After exercise, focus on giving your body what it needs to recover, especially after very intense exercise. This will help you be ready for your next workout or activity. Water along with some carbohydrates and protein is a good mix for most. Apple slices with peanut butter, yogurt with granola or a grilled chicken sandwich are good examples.

MEASURING SUCCESS
Increasing your activity level should help you feel more energized. If you find yourself feeling especially tired or weak overall, this could be a red flag that you’re not meeting your nutrition and fluid needs. Regular visits and conversations with your doctor can help identify and address issues. A Sports Dietitian can also help with an individual nutrition plan to support your activity goals. Find one at https://www.scandpg.org/search-rd/.

Reference:Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016;116:501-528.

Written by Jennifer M. Roberts, MS, RD and Julia Jordan.
JANUARY 2019
balanceittakesyou.com

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Party like a Pro

With end of year holiday parties popping up all around you it may seem like sticking to your health goals will be impossible. We asked some of our Registered Dietitians (RDs) to share their tips for enjoying party season without sacrificing your well-being.

Before the Party
Set yourself up for success with good preparation. Don’t skip meals before the party. It might seem like a good idea to allow room for party food, but skipping meals could leave you hungry and more likely to overeat during the party. Bring something you will feel good about eating. Salads, veggie platters and other plant forward dishes are great options that fill you up without overdoing it.

During the Party
Focus on the fun. Engage in conversations and activities that keep you from mindlessly snacking. Step away from the table. After you have gotten your food, find a spot away from the buffet so that you aren’t tempted to eat things simply because they are in front of you. Watch the liquid calories. Try making every other drink a sparkling water to reduce sugary beverages and stay hydrated.

After the Party
Take a walk. Making time to exercise is well worth it. You can burn off some extra calories and help manage stress. Drop the guilt! Enjoying amazing food at a party should not mean feeling bad about your choices. If you overdid it, let it go and get back on track. Indulging at a party or two will likely have less impact on your health than worrying about it will. Your well-being is determined by what you do most of the time, not the occasional splurge.

Tips provided by Compass Group RDs:
Stephanie Bassett, Susan Cooper, Sarah Defreitas, Suzanne Landry, Lily Leung, Robyn Lorando, Tori Martinet, Sarah Nicklay, Andrea Ogden, Savina Sparker, Tracy Wilczek and Leigh-Anne Wooten.

December 2017

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Be Active Your Way!

Staying active is a key way to stay healthy and energized. But what if going to the gym isn’t your thing? Sitting too long is said to be as bad for you as smoking. What if your job requires you to sit? The good news is you can be active your way and still be healthy.

Move a little, more often
Do you have some flexibility in what you do during the day? A good approach to moving more could be to add a little activity throughout your day. Take short walks a few times each day. Get up and do some quick exercises every hour. The key is to avoid sitting for long periods of time. If you need a reminder, consider setting an alarm or a pop up on your computer.

Move a lot, less often
Sitting is bad, but your job doesn’t allow enough flexibility to avoid it – what do you do? A recent review suggests that you can reverse the down side of all that sitting with an hour or more of moderate exercise each day. Moderate means it will be an actual workout with sweat. Think of a jog instead of a leisurely walk. The only exception is for TV watching. If you spend a lot of time sitting in front of a TV (more than 5 hours a day), exercise won’t help enough to see health benefits.

Bottom Line
Don’t worry if the latest recommendation around exercise doesn’t work for you. The key is to move more. If the gym works for you, great! If a treadmill desk is your thing, go for it. Not sure if you are moving enough? Consider tracking it with an app, wearable or both.

RESOURCE:1. Ek elund, Ulf et al. Does physical activity attenuate, or even eliminate, the detrimental association of sitting time with mortality? A harmonised meta-analysis of data from more than 1 million men and women. The Lancet , Volume 388 , Issue 10051 , 1302 – 1310 

Written by Jennifer M. Roberts, MS, RD.
January 2017

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Don't Just Sit There!

We all know that getting more exercise is good for us, but that may not be enough. While moving more is good, being sedentary less often is also important. Some health experts are even calling sitting the new smoking. So, if you went to the gym this morning, don't use that as an excuse to sit around the rest of the day.

What's wrong with sitting?
New evidence suggests that too much sitting, such as working at a desk, watching television and  other low energy activities, is a risk factor by itself for poor health. While the research is still in the early phases and the exact reasons why sitting isn't good for us aren't fully known yet, there is almost no downside to moving more. So for now, even if the only benefit you get from sitting less is feeling less stiffness at the end of the day, it is worth giving it a try.

How much do we need to move?
Most health benefits occur with at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking. Spending even more time being active can offer additional benefits. While 150 minutes may sound like a long time, you don’t have to do it all at once. Breaking it up over five days, you are only looking at 30 minutes per day. If that seems like too much at one time, you can break that down into smaller 10 minute time blocks.

Tricks to sitting less
Standing desks or workstations have become popular and are even available in adjustable versions that allow you to do some of your work seated and then pop the desk up for some standing time. Instead of sitting around a conference table, consider standing or walking meetings. They can get your whole team moving and may even spark some creativity. If you need to be reminded to get up and move, there are apps and activity trackers that will alert you when you have been still for too long. Or, you can keep it simple and set daily alarms to remind you to get up and move a little. Whichever option you choose, remember that a check in with your healthcare provider is always a good first step.

REFERENCES:
1. Dunstan DW, Howard B, Healy GN, Owen N. Too much sitting--a health hazard. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2012 Sep;97(3):368-76.
2. van der Ploeg HP, Chey T, Korda RJ, Banks E, Bauman A. Sitting time and all-cause mortality risk in 222 497 Australian adults. Arch Intern Med. 2012 Mar 26;172(6):494-500.
3. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), 2008. Available at http://www.health.gov/PAGuidelines/.
Written by Jennifer M. Ignacio, MS, RD.

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6 Ways To Stay Active in College

College life can be extremely busy between classes, work, co-op, friends, and family. Although you may be very busy, you should still find time to include exercise into your daily routine. While you are in college you tend to spend a great deal of time sitting - during class, studying, and researching and typing papers. Whenever possible, you should get up and move! Take a study break and take a 10-15 minute brisk walk. This is also a better idea than reaching for a high calorie snack.

During the winter months, it can be especially difficult to stay motivated to continue to exercise. If you are looking for ways to stay active on-campus, be sure to check out the Northeastern University Campus Recreation website. This website includes information on group fitness classes, intramural leagues, and club sports. There are many barriers as to why people are not physically active. Below are some suggestions from the Mayo Clinic as to how to avoid continuing to let these barriers get in your way of regular exercise!

BARRIER #1: NO TIME TO EXERCISE
It is not always easy, but it is important to set aside time to exercise most days during the week in order to gain the benefits of exercise. Including exercise into your day just might mean changing your daily routine.

• Fit in a short brisk walk during the day. Even if you don't have time for a full workout try to fit shorter spurts of exercise. Even ten minutes of walking spaced throughout the day can offer benefits. Many of you walk across campus throughout the day – just pick up the pace to get your heart rate up!
• Get up a little earlier. While this may sound a bit unreasonable, if your days are packed and the evening hours are just as hectic, try getting up even thirty minutes earlier a few days each week to exercise. Once you've adjusted to early morning workouts, add another day or two to the routine.
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Every little bit of movement counts!

BARRIER #2: EXERCISE IS BORING
It is common to become bored with repetitive workouts day after day, especially when you workout alone but exercise doesn’t have to be boring.

• Choose activities you enjoy. You'll be more likely to stay interested if you like what you are doing. Try joining a club or intramural sport on campus!
• Change up your routine. Choose several different activities, such as Pilates, yoga, walking, swimming, jogging, and cycling, over the course of a month to keep some variety while using different muscle groups.
• Exercise with friends. You might enjoy the company while working out as well as the encouragement of others.

Why should you exercise? Being physically active is as important as watching what you eat when it comes to weight loss or weight maintenance. Plus, getting regular physical activity is one of the best things you can do for your overall health. Even a small amount of exercise is better than not exercising at all!

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