Spring Clean your Body!

I look forward to the weather changing! Winter is harsh, your body suffers and your mood suffers. Spring is fresh, new and full of vitality all around you! It is one of the best times of the year to change your eating and lifestyle practices. Start with a 3 day cleanse and if you can tolerate a 5 or seven day cleanse that rids your body of sugar cravings, salt cravings, meat cravings and fat cravings. It can be a homemade juice cleanse or one that consist of delicious fruit smoothies, salads with lemon juice dressing, bean soups and stews. No matter what kind of cleanse you choose it should not include anything processed, any sugars other than what is found naturally in fruits and vegetables, no carbohydrates unless it's of the vegetable variety and no, potatoes are not included. Avoid adding salt or other sodium products to your foods, drink plenty of water 6-8 cups, snack on raw nuts, seeds, dried fruits and absolutely no meat or animal by products such as milk, cheese, yogurt and butter. You can do it! Let's Go!

Green Monster Smoothie consist of: 

1/2 green Granny Smith Apple 

1/4 cup kale

1/4 cup carrots chopped 

1/4 cup frozen pineapples and strawberry 

Water can be used to adjust thickness. Blend and drink! 

Weight Loss Tips from Whole Body Nutrition!

The first step to successful weight loss is to be mentally ready. Losing weight is as mental as it is physical and knowing that you are ready to start the process is the first step.

Once you are ready to begin follow these simple steps to find success:

1. Eat consistently. It’s ideal to eat 3 meals a day but better to eat 6 small meals instead. A consistent eating schedule will prevent hunger and overeating. Eating regular meals will also prevent sluggish metabolism.

2. Drink more water. By now this is very cliché but we all know water is a vital component in our diets. It prevents dehydration which can lead to other problems, but it also keeps our bodies and skin healthy. Water with meals instead of juice or soda will help you cut back on total calorie intake.

 

3. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables daily. They are low in calories, and loaded with important nutrients and antioxidants.

4. Avoid processed foods as often as possible. Process foods are higher in fats, sugars and sodium than freshly prepared foods are. Limiting process foods requires limiting canned foods, frozen meals, boxed or pre-prepared foods and even fast foods.

5. Exercise.  Exercising should be just as consistent as eating regular meals. Engaging in an activity that increases your heart rate 30 minutes a day 3-5 days a week will begin the process of weight loss.

Finally maintain a positive attitude and outlook, and view everyday as an opportunity to start new.

Portion Size Vs. Serving Size

Portions and Servings can be confusing to the average person trying to change their eating habits and lose weight. On one hand the food pyramid says we should eat 6 servings(the same as 6oz) of carbohydrates(breads, rice, cereals, pasta etc) daily but it neglects to illustrate how much 6 servings actually is. A nutritionist will focus on how much is on your plate and tell you to eat smaller portions. A good nutritionist will demonstrate to you what an actual portion looks like. But, what if you have never seen the food pyramid or have never visited a nutritionist. How do you distinguish between a portion and a serving? The two terms are more similar than they are different because a portion is actually what makes up a serving. I will define both based on how they are used in relation to eating healthy.

A portion size is the amount of food that is on your plate. It is the amount of food that you will consume in one sitting.

A serving size is the recommended amount of food based on the food guide pyramid that you should consume throughout an entire day.

Both portions and servings help to determine how many calories, and nutrients, we consume daily and if followed properly portion sizes and serving sizes will help us maintain a healthy balanced diet.

Servings are easy to determine if we follow the food guide pyramid recommendations which can be found at www.mypyramid.gov. Once you know how many servings of a food you are to eat, knowing how much of that food takes some educating. The easiest way to figure out portions is to measure your foods. If you are unable to measure, knowing that 1/2 cup cooked rice, pasta, mash potato and hot cereals account for one serving of a starch (carbohydrate) can be beneficial. I often encourage clients to purchase measuring cups and begin measuring foods to get an idea of what a cup looks like or what a 1/2 cup looks like. Once you have the measurements down you can then begin to visualize and know when you have too much of one food or not enough of another on your plate.

Overcoming Cravings

It is natural for all of us to crave certain foods every now and then. Food cravings are the desire we have for a particular food. We usually crave these foods because they bring us pleasure or comfort in some way. However, while it is possible to crave healthy foods, most of the foods we crave are usually nutrient dense, high in sugars, fats and overall calories.

We may never fully get over our cravings for certain foods but we can definitely learn how to control them. Overcoming our cravings for unhealthy foods require that we have a healthy consistent diet. You can start now by taking these small life changing steps.

The first one is eat regular meals. Eating 3 small well balanced meals a day with healthy snacks between will help reduce cravings. Do you ever notice that when you are hungry you want to eat everything deciding on a particular meal become a challenge because everything looks so good? Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner daily will help avoid hunger and decrease cravings for foods that pack on the pounds.

Second rid yourselves or sugary foods. Sugar breaks down very fast once it is in your system and leave you wanting more of it. Always start your day with a high fiber or a high protein meal. Oatmeal, whole grain cereals, yogurt, eggs or egg whites will keep you feeling satiated longer than a sugary cereal, pastries or doughnuts.

Third keep healthy snacks handy. We conditioned ourselves to like unhealthy foods; we can reprogram our minds to like healthier ones by eating more of them.

"Spring" Into A Healthier You!!

Don't forget to spring clean your cupboards, and your fridge!!
AAAAAHHHHHHH spring is fast approaching and many of us will be doing just that spring-cleaning. I love spring!!! Spring is the time of year where we start getting ready for bikini season. It is typical for us to start eating less, eating healthier and exercising more around this time of the year. I often get a new sense of freedom when spring comes. Leaves are returning to the trees, I can now drink cold beverages like healthy shakes, homemade ice teas and lemonade. I can also eat lighter. No more cravings for comfort foods, warming, thick rich foods. Though yummy they tend to pack on the pounds a lot faster than a crispy fresh salad do. So in our preparation for spring lets remember a few things. Spring-cleaning should apply to the foods you have available in your home that is not beneficial to your health.

This spring lets rid our cupboards of the salty snack, the salted seasonings, and all sugary foods and beverages that well, have more calories than they do nutrients. Pack all the unnecessary, unhealthy foods that you house in your pantries and take them to a shelter, or a soup kitchen that feeds the homeless. Trust me they need it more than you do. Start planning for your next grocery trip. The first step is to make a shopping list, make sure this new healthy you shopping list is void of all the things you just removed from your cupboards. Substitute sodas with more water, or a 100% juice drink. Replace sweets, such as cookies and snack cakes with fresh fruits or fruit cups in light syrup. Items such as sugar free Jell-O, Popsicle treats made of fruits or 100% fruit juices are great. Try something different; explore other snack options such as your favorite fruit dried. Purchase frozen berries and make a quick healthy shake when the sweet cravings begin. My favorite is banana, 1/2-cup soymilk and a tsp of honey for taste and one banana.

There are many different food items available to us. Let us all be adventurous and break away from the norm this spring. Challenge yourself to find a new seasoning that is just as tasty as the salted one you currently use. Eat less meat, and drink more water this spring. Buy healthy snacks for home and for work. Having a healthy satisfying snack at work will keep you away from the vending machines and from the convenient stores. Being prepared is only the second phase in your quest for a healthier lifestyle. Let spring be your springboard into making the changes that will impact your health for the rest of you life.

First Lady Michelle Obama taking on childhood Obesity!!

I am excited that Mrs. Obama has chosen to champion the issue of childhood obesity. Not just as a Nutritionist but as a mother of children who are average to normal weight and often times get ridiculed for being skinny, bony and so on. In a nation where big, and bigger is now the norm, we have fast lost concept of what normal is. Childhood obesity is not only a problem for children; it is a problem for adults, doctors and teachers alike. Parents have to deal with having an obese child, who may or may not develop diet related diseases at a much earlier age than is expected. It is a fact that obese children are ridiculed more in schools, but that is not the only reason to keep our children's weight within the norm.

According to the CDC 16 %( over 9 million) 6-19 years old are either overweight or obese. In addition to the 16% who are overweight or obese 15% are at risk of becoming overweight (Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity Among Children and Adolescents: United States, 1999-2002"; Oct. 6, 2004). The significance of these numbers will be felt for years to come in these children lives. More than likely they will stay overweight, or obese into adulthood. The impact of this on one's health is reflective of why it is important to combat this epidemic now. High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, High Cholesterol, Heart Disease and even some forms of cancers are risk factors associated with obesity.

Children as young as 8 years are developing health problems such as diabetes, and high blood pressure due to obesity. Do we want to have a nation of children who are diabetic by the age of 16, can we manage the cost of caring for these children once they have developed these complications. The truth is America already has a health care crisis and it will only get worse if we do not start educating and stressing the importance of prevention. The old saying goes "Prevention is better than cure". Preventing childhood obesity now in beneficial for all of us in the long run. Michelle Obama’s fight is one that I gladly embrace. If we can stamp out or decrease the number of incidences of childhood obesity we will decrease the impact of diet related illnesses in our communities.