Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Pumpkin Season is Upon Us

Pumpkin Quinoa Parfaits

Ingredients:
2 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup dry quinoa

Directions:
1. Prepare quinoa according to directions. 
2. While cooking the quinoa, mix yogurt, pumpkin and pumpkin spice together. 
3. In 2 glasses, place 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs each. 
4. Spoon 1/2 cup of yogurt pumpkin mixture into each glass.
5. Season quinoa with cinnamon and let cool in refrigerator for 10 minutes. 
6. Add 1/2 cup quinoa to parfaits, then top with remaining yogurt.

This recipe is easy to make and a great dessert. The yogurt provides protein and the grain, quinoa, contains iron, phosphorus, and other important minerals. Post your own pumpkin recipes.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act 2010

Due to recent legislation, chain restaurants across the United States are required to list calorie information on their menus. The hope is that this change will lead people to substitute higher calorie foods to lower ones.

The Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act of 2010 requires all chain restaurants to post the number of calories in each standard menu item. Some restaurants already do this voluntarily on their menu or have the nutrition facts available for menu items on their websites for easy accessibility.

There is a debate whether or not this change will cause consumers to take in less calories. More and more people are eating out for a majority of their meals because of convenience and time restraints. Since this is the case, we want everyone to make educated decisions when eating out. By listing caloric values for your favorite menu items, it may cause you to second guess your decision if you know how many calories really are in that item and the impact it may have on your weight loss efforts.

Do you feel this will change the way you order food at chain restaurants or not? Give me your input.

Friday, September 21, 2012

MyFitnessPal and FitBit

MyFitnessPal is a great tool to help you reach weight loss, fitness, and health goals. It is an application that can be downloaded on your iPhone, Android, Blackberry, or computer. It allows you to keep track of calories eaten daily and also your physical activity, keeping you accountable for your day to day activities. Being aware of what we are eating and our recommended calorie intake can have a huge impact on successful weight loss.

Along with MyFitnessPal application, there is the FitBit, similar to a pedometer but more sensitive. A FitBit also has a variety of features that are helpful in reaching your weight and fitness goals. It contains a 3-D motion sensor that can track what a normal pedometer cannot. It counts steps taken, calories burned, distance traveled and sleep patterns. It can tell you how long you've slept and whether or not you sleep well. The best part of the FitBit is that all the data it gathers can be uploaded to your MyFitnessPal. Together they offer a very effective and helpful health and fitness tool.

Weight loss is hard to achieve long-term but is possible with effective tools and references.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Cynergy Health Challenge

October 1-December 31
 Free participation. Prizes awarded.

Cynergy Health Challenge is a competition to help you get healthy. While it is ultimately a weight loss challenge, everyone is encouraged to participate to get healthy for the New Year, either through weight loss, becoming more fit, or eating a more balanced diet.
This 3-month challenge is open to adults 18 years +. The participant who has the greatest percent weight loss will win a free hour massage at a $55-75 value, given by our very own massage therapist, Kelly Adame.
Cynergy prizes will also be awarded for the participants who show positive lifestyle changes as determined by Cynergy staff.
Participants are encouraged to lose weight and to approach this challenge without the use of diet pills, laxatives, diuretics, fad diets, or any other means to lose weight quickly.
Our focus is on helping participants lose weight for long-term maintenance and to lose it in a healthy manner to allow for successful weight maintenance in the future.

We need one baseline weight for each participant. Weekly weight checks are encouraged for tracking your weight.
One-on-one counseling sessions for weight loss are available with our registered dietitian, Megan Deppermann. She is also available for “walking counseling sessions” where she will walk outside with you while discussing ways to meet your weight loss or health goals. This approach allows you to exercise while learning ways to better your diet at the same time.

At least one visit with our dietitian and massage therapist are recommended to get you started on eating and exercising right.

If you are interested in participating in the health challenge, please fill out a card and give it to our receptionist or email Megan Deppermann at mdeppermann@mycynergyhealth.com.

 

Monday, September 17, 2012

Easy Ways to Save Calories

The concept of weight loss seems easy enough. Calories out need to be greater than calories in. Sounds easier than it really is. In many cases, we do not realize when we take in more calories than needed or at the exact age our metabolism begins to slow and almost unknowingly our weights begin to creep upward.

Keeping a food record can be an eye-opening experience to help us pinpoint where we can cut calories to aid our weight loss efforts. Limiting condiments and caloric beverages are two of the easiest ways to take in less calories. Instead of putting condiments directly on food, use them on the side, such as dipping your salad in the dressing, your sandwich in bbq sauce or ketchup, or your pancakes in syrup. We tend to take in less calories from condiments by eating them on the side.

Calories in beverages add up fast. Soft drinks and many fruit juices have added sugars and have a lot of calories for little, if any, nutritional value. Switching to diet soda or to a calorie-free additive, like Crystal Lite, you can immediately cut a few hundred calories, especially if you are an all-day soda drinker.

Saving calories is not the only way to help in weight loss, but also burning more calories through physical activity. Taking the stairs more often or parking further from the grocery store are a few examples to increase activity with little effort.

Evaluate your own eating habits or see a registered dietitian to help you determine where you can trim some calories.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese can be a dieter's best friend due to its low calories and high protein. A serving of cottage cheese can be from 80-120 calories, with a range of 0-4% fat content. Cottage cheese can be paired with a wide array of foods from tomatoes, peaches, berries, cucumbers, and beets or even just with a bit of pepper.

Just a half cup serving of cottage cheese contains 14 grams of protein, which helps with satiety and blood glucose control. This characteristic of cottage cheese makes it the perfect food for dieters, either as a snack or part of a meal. It leaves you feeling full longer and can also boost your energy.

The calcium in cottage cheese is just a bonus. A half cup serving of cottage cheese contains 10% of the Recommended Daily Allowance for adults for calcium. This is an important nutrient for bone strengthening and density, along with preventing osteoporosis.

Next time you are choosing a snack, try a serving of cottage cheese with your favorite topping. You will be pleasantly surprised with how long it satisfies you.


Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Sleep & Your Weight

There is substantial evidence from medical research that a correlation between sleeping and our weight exists. Changes in our appetite-regulating hormones may occur when we sleep too little. This means not getting enough sleep at night may ultimately cause a change in our weights, and not for the better.

The production of two appetite hormones, leptin and ghrelin, have been found in many studies to be affected by how much or how little we sleep. These hormones are best described as "checks and balances" to control our hunger and our fullness. Ghrelin is produced in the gastrointestinal tract and stimulates appetite. Leptin, on the other hand, is produced in fat cells and sends signals to your brain when you are full.

What happens when you don't get enough sleep? These checks and balances don't work properly. When you don't sleep long enough or get enough quality sleep, leptin levels fall. This lower amount of leptin keeps you from feeling full and satisfied after you eat. Thus, you tend to keep eating and end up eating more than you expected, resulting in weight gain. At the same time, sleep deprivation causes an increase in ghrelin, which means your appetite is stimulated or increased, so it leaves you wanting more food. Again, weight gain can result.

The recommended amount of sleep each night is at least 6-8 hours. Make an extra effort to go to bed in time to get plenty of sleep because your weight and appetite may depend on it.

Monday, September 10, 2012

A Baby's Diet Progression

Becoming a new mother can be a stressful time, but your baby's diet does not have to be part of it.  Knowing what is appropriate for your new baby in terms of eating for the first year can be a huge stress reliever. Every child is different regarding how much he or she eats, drinks, or likes in general. The following is meant to be used as a guideline only rather than rules set in stone.

Initial Foods:
From the ages of 0-4 months, you only need to make one choice: breast milk or formula. Breast milk is considered the best for your baby because of the complete nutrition and also immune health it provides your baby. Breast milk is naturally low in Vitamin D so supplementation is often needed. Standard formulas try to mimic breast milk as closely as possible and are also available in specialty forms, such as milk-free or soy-based if needed. Formulas often get a bad reputation and breast milk is encouraged, but if it is not feasible, formula is perfectly fine in meeting your baby's nutrition needs. 

4-6 Months Foods:
Introduce foods comprised of a single ingredient for 4-6 months of life. These foods can be purchased ready-made in small jars or made at home. The foods should be very soft, mushy, and almost a liquid-consistency. These foods are meant less for meeting calorie needs, and more about getting used to the taste and texture of different foods. The order foods are introduced is not too important. However, most parents start with cereal, proceed to vegetables, and then try fruits when the baby is used to the first two foods. Waiting about 3 days between introducing new foods is a good idea to check for tolerance and also possible allergic reactions.

6-9 Months Foods:
These foods are thicker in consistency. More food groups are encouraged, but remember to dice or mash foods to avoid choking hazards. At this age, your baby will be able to eat a little grains, meat, vegetables, fruits, and dairy, like yogurt. Foods can contain more than one ingredient and be mixed. As your baby ages, he or she should be eating more foods than formula or breast milk.

Over 9 Months Foods:
Over 9 months old, your child can eat the same foods your family eats if you choose. Diced and mashed foods are still needed until he or she has enough teeth to chew foods well.

Some general guidelines are not to give your child regular milk, tuna, or honey under the age of one. Tuna and honey could exposed your child to botulism. Regular milk does not have iron in it so it is not recommended for children under 1 year. Juice should not be given under 6 months of age.

"The habits we form from childhood, make all the difference."- Aristotle 


Friday, September 7, 2012

Chinese Food: The Good and The Bad

You either love Chinese food or you hate it. Well, I am speaking of the Americanized Chinese food we eat in the United States.

Many Chinese foods are high in fat and sodium, taking its toll on our waistlines and our hearts. Chinese food is hard to eat on a diet, but it is not completely impossible to eat while sticking to your weight loss or maintenance plan. Making your own stir-fry or buying takeout from a local Chinese restaurant should be done carefully.

Knowing which foods are fried allow us to limit dishes with liberal fat. Breaded meats, then covered in sauces should not fool you. Orange chicken, sweet and sour chicken, strawberry chicken, etc. are fried before the sauce is added. Egg rolls are also deep fried and should be limited. Fried rice has little nutrients but liberal amounts of fat added.

Some of your best choices at a Chinese restaurant are those foods that are "steamed" or a stir-fry with plenty of vegetables. Soups before an entree are a good idea to fill you up without adding a lot of calories to your meal.  Any dish can be made to your liking so do not be afraid to ask them to go light on the oils and heavy on the vegetables.


Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Autumn Fruits and Veggies

Autumn is rapidly approaching, which means new fruits and vegetables will be in-season.  Choosing those produce in-season will save you money, along with great tasting side dishes.

A long list of fruits and vegetables are harvested year-round or just in autumn.  Apples, artichoke, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, eggplant, green beans, green onions, kale, mushrooms, okra, onions, pears, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, spinach, yams and zucchini are just a few.

Fruits and vegetables are an easy way to fill up your plate without adding a lot of calories.  They are packed with vitamins and minerals to keep you at your best.  All produce has benefits but whole fruit contains the most fiber, but any is better than none.  If canned, frozen, dried, or 100% juice forms are most convenient or budget-friendly for you, get 2 servings per day.

Check out the grocery store and get a variety of colors on your plate.  The more, the better.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Myths about Diabetes

Myth: It is your fault if you have diabetes.

Not true. Diabetes is not your fault or anyone's fault.  No one knows exactly what causes diabetes, but your eating habits and exercise level can play a role in controlling your blood sugar.  However, it isn't the only contributing factor.

Myth: Once you have diabetes, it is all downhill.

Nope! If you follow a consistent carbohydrate diet and exercise, you can delay or completely prevent problems from diabetes.

Myth: If you take insulin, you have horrible diabetes. 

Again, not so. Everyone with type 1 diabetes needs to take insulin and sometimes those with type 2 will eventually need it.  Overtime, your pancreas makes less and less insulin so as diabetes changes, pills won't be as effective so we turn to insulin. 

If you have diabetes, it is a good idea to see a dietitian in order to make a meal plan to meet your specific needs.