When deciding what weights to use, choose so that the last 2 reps are difficult, but you still maintain good form.
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Posts Tagged ‘eat healthy’
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December 17th, 2009
Wright from the Source: Fruits & Veggies /// 1 Comment ///
By Cheney
By Bob Wright, H3 Director of Education
If there is one thing we know beyond a shadow of a doubt, it is that fruits and vegetables are good for us. Yet only 23% of us consume the recommended minimum of 5 servings a day.
According to a recent CDC report , fewer than 15% meet the target of getting a variety of different color fruits and vegetable. The evidence is over whelming, a diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables lower the risk of virtually every chronic disease, including obesity.
If you are one of the few meeting the guideline congratulations, keep up the great work. If you are among the 85% that are not, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR. Start today.
For great recipes, check out the member’s only section of our website.
For more information about the many benefits of fruits and vegetable and other tasty recipes go to www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov and www.aicr.org (American Institute for Cancer Reseach.)
/// 1 Comment ///
December 4th, 2009
Take the Breakfast Challenge /// 1 Comment ///
By Cheney
Here at H3, we are making December the month for our very own ‘breakfast challenge’. As part of our employee wellness program, this month marks the first mission.
Why don’t you take the challenge with us? Try eating a healthy breakfast at least 5 times a week.
Here’s why…
Eating a balanced breakfast is important for your body in so many ways. Not only does it jumpstart your metabolism, but gives you a chance to start the day with a healthy and nutritious meal.
When you eat a healthy breakfast, you’re more likely to:
- Eat more vitamins and minerals
- Eat less fat and cholesterol
- Have better concentration and productivity throughout the morning
- Control your weight
- Have lower cholesterol, which reduces your risk of heart disease
Now that you know why you should eat a healthy breakfast, you may be wondering what counts as ‘healthy’.
A healthy, balanced breakfast consists of:
Whole grains. Examples include: oatmeal, whole-grain cereals (like Fiber One, Kashi Go Lean), whole-grain rolls, English muffins, and granola
Low-fat protein/dairy. Examples include: eggs, egg whites, soy milk, skim milk, cottage cheese, low-fat yogurt, and low-fat cheese
Fruits and Vegetables. These can be added to compliment the above, for example: fresh berries, bananas and apples in cereal or hot oatmeal and peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes in an omelet.
A combination of each will provide the right amount of complex carbohydrates, fiber, protein and a small amount of fat to keep you full and satisfied through the morning. Try to choose one or two options from each for a well balanced breakfast.
A Few Quick & Easy Options
- Cooked oatmeal with almonds or dried cranberries
- Cold cereal topped with blueberries or a banana
- Multi-grain pancakes with fruit and yogurt
- A whole-grain waffle with peanut butter and banana
- Egg white omelet with peppers and mushrooms
- Low-fat yogurt, granola and fruit
[Source: Mayo Clinic: Healthy Breakfast]
/// 1 Comment ///
December 1st, 2009
Let’s Get CEREAL about Our Breakfast Choice /// 4 Comments ///
By Cheney
By: Jeff, H3 Program Intern
Ladies and Gentleman, today it’s time to get cereal (a.k.a. serious) about our breakfast cereal choices. The fact of the matter is: who doesn’t enjoy a tasty bowl of cereal? For some of us (including myself), we would be perfectly and completely satisfied having a bowl for every meal. The good news for us is that several cereals are extremely tasty and truly can provide that whole-grain nutrition to start our days off on the right foot.
However, what’s ridiculous about cereal is that there are so many dang choices; how do we even begin to sort thru the flashy grocery store aisle? Cookie crisp, Kashi GoLean, Raisin Bran, Cheerios, where to begin?
First of all, let’s get acquainted with the Hilton Head Health criteria for selecting a nutritious breakfast bowl. Then I’ll follow up with five solid choices that are sure to not only be slam-packed with whole-grains, but trigger your taste buds.
H3 Breakfast Cereal Criteria:
1. First ingredient must be a whole-grain
2. Must have 3 grams of fiber per 100 calories
3. Calories from sugar have to be 25% or less (excluding dried fruit)
4. Total Fat must be 2 grams or less
5. Ought to be tasty: make it a cereal you’ll look forward to every morning!
Five Solid Choices
1. Fiber One – Honey Clusters:
With the first three ingredients being whole grain wheat, corn bran, and wheat bran, how can you lose? Crammed at full capacity with 13 grams of fiber amounting to 51% of your daily value leaves you stuffed for the entire morning. Only 6 grams of sugar this cereal is secretly sweet and scrumptious.
2. Kashi – Whole Wheat Biscuits
Fairly new to the Kashi family these biscuits are just tasty enough to amuse anyone. Super low in fat, sodium free, including a whole day’s worth of whole-grains. A nice complement to the GoLean Crunch comes in three different varieties: Autumn wheat, Harvest Cinnamon, and my person favorite Island Vanilla.
3. Post – Original Shredded Wheat
For you wheat lovers this is the cereal for you. Highly nutritious, less than a gram of fat and practically no sugar, this is one of the healthiest choices around. For a complete breakfast experience, try adding some fresh fruit and Truvia for the perfect sweetness.
4. General Mills – Total Raisin Bran
A better alternative to regular Kellogg’s Raisin Bran, first two ingredients include: whole-grain wheat and raisins. Higher in sugar, but still meets the criteria based off the dried fruit aspect. Less than a gram of fat per serving and very flavorsome, Total definitely becomes another solid choice for anyone’s morning meal.
5. Kashi – Heart to Heart Honey Toasted Oats
As you can tell I’m a big fan of Kashi, so many varieties all with their nutritional strengths. These Honey Toasted Oats are a crunchy step up from the everyday original cheerios. First three ingredients include whole oat flour, oat bran and evaporated cane juice along with 4 grams of fiber per 100 calories.
So there are just a few solid choices, but there’s many more along the aisle. As one last recommendation, try to steer clear of the lucky charms and cocoa puffs your cereal heavyweights are out there! Now just add some skim milk and you’ll final get CEREAL about your breakfast choice.
If you’re interested in a few more healthy options check out this article written by WebMD reference: Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/choosing-healthy-breakfast-cereal
/// 4 Comments ///
November 30th, 2009
Keeping it in Portion Perspective /// No Comments ///
By Cheney
By Jeff, H3 Program Intern
When we finally come to that final motivation to embark on lasting lifestyle changes, many of us get into that mindset: “This is it, go big or go home this time.” What a fitting phrase right? However, this is where it gets a little shady because when it comes to nutrition we’ve go to stop applying that same principle. In this respect, bigger is never better and our environment is certainly not helping any.
Why is it, when we are out and about, in an airport or at a restaurant, the portion sizes become outrageously enormous? Mammoth muffins, bountiful bagels, plethora pizza slices – it’s unreal on how today’s portion sizes stack up to twenty year’s ago. Let’s put the past in perspective:
| 20 Years Ago | Calories | Today | Calories | |
| Bagel | 3” inches | 140 | 6” inches | 350 |
| Muffin | 1.5 oz. | 210 | 4 oz. | 500 |
| Pizza | 2 slices | 500 | 2 large slices | 850 |
Obviously, we all just finished up a great portion controlled Thanksgiving, yet this is still an ideal time to update our perspective. With the holiday season almost in full-gear, there’s definitely going to be plenty more sweets on the horizon. It may not be the pumpkin pies this time, but various treats will be readily available and it’s not always easy to measure the exact portion size. Going along with our portion control theme, here are a few visualization techniques for understanding correct portions specific to several common holiday goodies.
- One square brownie should equal about one package of dental floss
- One slice of cake should equal a deck of cards
- One cinnamon roll should equal the size of a hockey puck
- One ounce of holiday candies should easily fit into the palm of your hand
- One cup of cocoa equals eight ounces
- One cookie should equal roughly two poker chips
- One ½ cup ice cream should equal the size of a light bulb
Nobody wants to spend the holiday’s completely zoning out every treat, therefore by understanding what constitutes “a portion” we can help control the weight. In our H3 portion control class many guest learn the fundamental tips for managing portions. Today, I’ll just give you the top three and hope that the past comparisons and dessert portion visualizations guide you the rest of the way!
Top Tip #1: Re-engineer your home
- “Out of Sight, Out of Mind”
- Buy snacks in single serve
- Keep variety to a minimum
Top Tip #2: Recognize the difference between a portion and a serving
- Read all the labels
- Refer to the H3 food pyramid
Top Tip #3 Eat more slowly and mindfully
- Food will be coming at you left and right so take it easy
- 20 minute rule: Stop, Take a breath, Observe, Proceed
/// No Comments ///
November 5th, 2009
Spaghetti Squash Haystacks /// No Comments ///
By Cheney
Golden strands of high fiber, beta carotene and vitamin C-rich squash make a great substitute for wheat pasta and an interesting salad or appetizer as is demonstrated in this flavorful combination.
INGREDIENTS:
1 small to medium spaghetti squash, roasted
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
¼ cup dried tomatoes, julienne
¼ cup black olives, pitted and sliced
2 tablespoons fresh Basil, cut in ribbons
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, shaved
PREPARATION:
- Place squash in a microwave oven for 5 minutes to soften the shell
- Remove from microwave and cut squash in half, lengthwise
- Place cut side down on a baking sheet and place in 350 degree oven for 30-50 minutes or until semi soft
- Remove from oven and cool, Use a fork to Scrape squash away from the shell
- Loosen strands and spread on a baking sheet, cool quickly in the refrigerator
- Heat oil and butter in a medium skill and sauté onion and garlic until soft
- Pour onion mix over squash and add remaining ingredients, gently toss with your fingers to incorporate ingredients
- Warm to room temperature before serving
To serve: loosely pack a one-up measuring cup with squash and invert onto a heated serving plate. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and a small leaf of basil. Also nice served with roasted red pepper dressing.
Serves 8
Calories: 90
Fat Grams: 6
/// No Comments ///
October 6th, 2009
Tip the scale in the ‘Wright’ direction /// 2 Comments ///
By Cheney
Obesity, Smoking, Diabetes, Heart Disease, Cancer … Which enemy is our most formidable one? All practical guesses, but in reality the number one public health enemy happens to be ourselves. Crazy, right?
According to Bob Wright, long time Director of Health Education here at Hilton Head Health; it is not crazy in the least bit. We have to understand that the impact of our own behaviors is the supreme enemy affecting our health. Almost all conditions or diseases, even cancers can be accurately linked to our lifestyles and the choices we decide on!
In Bob’s lecture, “Public Health Enemy #1” he emphasizes a relationship between our good behaviors and bad behaviors, and how this relationship resembles a balance scale. Our job is to tip this balance scale in the right direction.
By gradually making moderate changes in our lifestyles, we can and will tip this scale in the right direction. Moving the scale will not only decrease our risks of other public health enemies, yet it will improve our overall health. So when it comes to public health enemy number one; which way is your scale leaning?
We may be able recognize that our scale is not leaning in the right direction, but what can be done to change this behavior imbalance? The key here is to remember that moderate changes in our behaviors go a long way. What’s more, we need to start making these changes before we get sick or develop an unfortunate condition.
As a majority, we tend to think of our health only when something goes wrong. NOW is the time to stop beating around the bush and to throw out any excuses; we are in fact the ultimate controller and our own enemy.
Thus, provided below are three straightforward changes gathered from the H3 lecture, “Public Health Enemy #1” that are directly related to reducing your risk of heart disease, but in effect pay dividends to other areas of your health.
1. Stay Active
- Sedentary people who start exercise reduce the risk of heart disease 40 – 50% .
- Contributes positively to warding off type II diabetes, stroke, respiratory ailments and cancer.
- In a study by Natural News, the risk of dying from cancer increased 45% for men and 28% for women due to lack of physical activity.
- Additionally, 20% of deaths of people 35 and older were attributed to lack of physical activity.
2. Quit Smoking
- Accounts for 20-40% of all heart disease deaths.
- 1 pack = 50 – 75 pounds of extra fat!
- Smoking is linked to lung cancer, respiratory ailments, and heart disease.
3. Maintain or Lose Weight
- As little as 5% of weight loss significantly reduces risk of heart disease.
- In an article written by WebMD’s Kathleen Zelman, interviewee David Katz MD, MPH of Yale’s Preventive Medicine Center states: ”Lifestyle changes that include healthier diets, regular physical activity, and weight loss of 7%-10% have shown phenomenal health benefits that can be more effective than medications.” (Article is definitely worth checking out)
- Weight loss can reverse or prevent diabetes, lower blood pressure, cholesterol, control triglyceride levels, and improve sleep apnea.
So there are the three most definite behavioral changes to start with. Bear in mind, no matter how stacked you are in the right direction there is always room for improvements. What’s more, we must have the drive and become geared up for change.
I think Bob put’s it best: “It’s not so much where you are, it’s where you’re moving.” So let’s move already– in the Wright Direction.
Sources:
/// 2 Comments ///
September 30th, 2009
Head Hunger: Avoiding the Appetite Ambush /// No Comments ///
By Cheney
By: Jeff, H3 Program Intern
Boredom strikes … What do you do? Quick! Think! … Are you tying up the tennis shoes to hit the streets for a thermal walk or are you reaching into the freezer for a delicious indulgence?
We’ve all been there – victims of eating when were not hungry, so how can we avoid this appetite ambush? Underneath are 3 of the most common surefire signals to help you recognize when your head is doing the eating and not your stomach.
Sudden: Emotional eating (a.k.a. Head Hunger) always comes on suddenly. One second you’re watching your favorite television show and the next you’re craving something sweet. It’s really a spur of the moment kind of feeling that can be sparked or paired with any emotion.
Specific: According to psychologists, emotional eating cravings are usually very specific. People seem to desire that one particular comfort food and won’t be satisfied with just any type of chow, especially not fruits and vegetables.
Shameful: If you happened to eat by listening to the head, then there will usually be feelings of guilt and you’ll promise to make up for the eating in some other way. Feelings of guilt should never be left behind after a meal (we eat to live right?). So if you are bumming out and saying to yourself “Oh, I’ll skip a meal tomorrow to make up for it,” your hunger was certainly not physical.
Now that you know how to distinguish between emotional hunger and physical hunger, you may be thinking how can I not only recognize these signals, but overcome them. The biggest thing for me personally is not keeping these so called “trigger or comfort foods” in the house. Consequently, I do not keep ice cream in the apartment because I have realized that this is a food I can’t control.
The good thing is I am not alone, ice cream happens to be the number one comfort food for Americans. To put it simply, I like to think of the phrase “out of sight, out of stomach.” By not making the frozen treat readily available and having viable substitutes, I am more apt to reach for an apple or a yogurt when I need a pick me up.
Here at Hilton Head Health, Dr. Beth Leermakers, our Wellness Counselor provides noteworthy lectures on Stress Eating and Overcoming Emotional Eating, which give our Guests a larger scope on this topic. Moreover, the H3 program has been proud to host specialty weeks featuring Johanna Smith-Ellis, a certified psychologist, whose experience has led her to be very knowledgeable on the subject. Since you may have missed them on your last visit, or have not yet stayed at H3, below is a quick glimpse to what I’ve picked up in lectures on how to evade emotional eating.
¨ Write down your trigger foods
¨ Create a list of alternatives (Use the alphabet!)
¨ Find a comfort food that’s healthy
¨ Go for a signature H3 thermal walk!
¨ Call a friend or take a nap
¨ Check out some resources on emotional eating (*)
There are a few tricks that work for most people, but strive to find what is ideal for you personally. Remember, we all over eat sometimes and there is no reason to feel guilty about it! I am by no means an expert, thus I’ll leave you with a few resources to peruse at your leisure.
Nevertheless, keep in mind the 3 S’s to recognize head hunger, and think of this quote when the appetite ambush arises:
“If hunger is not the problem, then eating is not the solution.”
~ Anonymous
Check it out:
WebMD; http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/emotional-eating-feeding-your-feelings
Mayo Clinic; http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss/MH00025
/// No Comments ///
September 22nd, 2009
Snack Attack: The Bar Exam /// 1 Comment ///
By Cheney
Guest Post from Jeff Ford, H3 Program Intern
As Americans we are always on the go, things to do people to see right? The only problem with keeping our commitments and sticking to these busy schedules is sometimes our lifestyles seem to throw our nutrition on the back burner. In all honesty it’s no ones fault, just the way life is!
With school now back in full session and work beginning to pick up, it becomes very difficult to make the right choices or even have time to grab a snack.
Fruits, vegetables, and unprocessed foods will ALWAYS be the preferred route, but today I’ve got some great alternatives when time doesn’t allow for that H3 Metabo or cutting up them apples, and sprinkling that cinnamon.
Over the years, I have tried many nutrition (snack and meal) bars each with their own unique flare. I have grown accustom to choosing the healthiest bars whether traveling or switching between college classes.
These are my favorites:
Fiber One – Packed with fiber, 35% of your daily fiber (9 grams) and only 140 calories! The only issue here is one of the ingredients is HFC (high fructose corn syrup), which should be consumed in moderation. Flavors include: oats and peanut butter, chocolate, caramel, apple streusel, and strawberries.
Kashi Go Lean Crunch – Pretty amazing bars, surprisingly low in fat and delicious. These bars are rather new to the scene, but provide superior taste to the previous TLC bars, yet again another great option provided by Kashi. (try the caramel)
Luna Snack, Nutz over Chocolate – I had never heard of these bars, but they look great nutritionally, especially if your looking for a lower calorie option. Trusted and tasteful brand, certainly time to try (I can’t wait)!
South Beach Living Snack Bars – What it lacks tastefully the bar makes up nutritionally, another very nice low-calorie option with minimal sugars.
CLIF Bar* – In one word these bars are … Phenomenal. Great for hikes and other adventures, plus 70% of the ingredients are certified organic. These scrumptious oats can be confused for a candy bar. The only evident concern is definitely moderation because of the amount of sugars. Flavors include: chocolate brownie, carrot cake, peanut toffee buzz, crunchy peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, and plenty more.
PowerBar Harvest* – Much better tasting than the original “PowerBar” and packed with added protein. If you like whole-grains this is the perfect choice for you. Again, watch the amount of sugar, nevertheless a great supplement with time constraints. A few sweet flavors include: double chocolate, chunky cherry crunch, oatmeal cookie, etc.
Odawalla Bar* – Rather new to the scene, yet these bars have made their mark in my mind. Contain nothing artificial – organic oats, bananas, raisins and citrus. Some cool flavors include: mocha walla, superfood, chocolate peanut butter, and more!
* Pair these with a fruit or small salad for an on the go breakfast or lunch!
|
Snack Bars
|
Fiber |
Protein |
Fat |
Sugar |
Taste |
Calorie Rating |
|
Fiber One (140 Calories) |
A+
|
C- |
B |
B |
A + |
B+ |
|
Kashi Go Lean Crunch (150 Calories) |
A- |
A- |
B+ |
C+ |
A |
B |
|
Luna Snack, Nutz over Chocolate (80 Calories) |
D |
C |
A |
A - |
NEW! |
A+ |
|
SB Living Snack (100 Calories) |
B+ |
B+ |
B- |
A |
C |
A |
| On the GO Meal Bars
CLIF Bar (250 Calories) |
B+ |
A- |
B+ |
D+ |
A+ |
C- |
|
PowerBar Harvest (240 Calories) |
B+ |
B |
A- |
D |
B+ |
C |
|
Odawalla Bars (210 Calories) |
B |
A- |
A |
D+ |
A |
C+ |
|
Rating of B = |
3g |
5g |
Sat. < 3g |
<10g |
Preference |
150 |
Honorable Mentions:
Snack:
Gnu Bar – One of Bob Wright’s, H3 Director of Education favorites. These bars can only be ordered online, but contain the highest amount of fiber for the least amount of calories out of any bar by far (130 Cal. 12g Fiber 4g Protein).
Meal:
Larabar Bar – Definitely one of my top bars when I can’t squeeze in a meal, they are simple, but satisfying. Minimal ingredients, the chocolate coconut rocks all-natural dates, almonds, walnuts, unsweetened coconut and cocoa powder.
(220 Calories, 5g Fiber, 5g Protein)
Luna Bar – designed and targeted for women, not going to lie they are very tasty I just feel weird purchasing them. Also, owned by the CLIF Bar company.
(180 Calories 3g Fiber 10g Protein).
So did your bar pass the exam? Hopefully, otherwise it may be time to study up and switch to one of these tasty treats. Lastly, remember these snacks are no substitutes for fresh whole foods or the patented H3 Metabo Meal. These are excellent choices; however should be consumed in moderation.
/// 1 Comment ///
September 18th, 2009
Sweet Tooth /// No Comments ///
By Cheney
You know when you have one of those weeks when all you can think about is CHOCOLATE!?! Well for me, no matter the time or place, my sweet tooth was ACHING.
If you have experienced this – you understand my pain. My world revolved around satisfying that urge – and I wasn’t going to stop until I had my hands on that sweet little morsel!
So, I am going to listen to my body (and stomach) and have a piece of chocolate…in moderation. That way, I can go about my day and get the cocoa off the brain.
Lucky for me, I have my hands on the H3 Fudgy Brownie recipe, so I was able to savor the chocolate-y goodness! Lucky for you, I am going to share the wealth.
So here you go – the coveted H3 Fudgy Brownie! (Just make sure to share!)
H3 Fudgy Brownies
Ingredients
¾ cup Flour
1/3 cup Cocoa Powder, unsweetened
½ tsp. Baking Powder
¼ tsp. Salt
¼ cup Semi-Sweet Mini Baking morsels
2 T. Butter
2 T. Cottage Cheese, 1 % pureed
1 cup Sugar
1 T. Lite Chocolate Syrup (Hershey’s)
2 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
1 each Egg
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and cocoa powder. In sauce pan, melt butter, then add chocolate syrup. In a separate bowl, mix egg, vanilla, pureed cottage cheese and butter mix. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry. Mix will be very stiff. Then place mix into a lightly greased pan. Top brownie mix with chocolate morsels. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or just until the brownie puffs up.
Number of Servings: 16
Serving Size: 1/16th
Calories: 90
Fat Grams: 2.5
Don’t forget – Members, you have access to over 200 recipes on our Members Only website! Check it out.
/// No Comments ///
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