Blog – Page 39 of 64 – Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes

Want to kick your soda habit? Try a SodaStream

December 11, 2018December 10, 2018 by Casey Collins

Growing up I was not a soda drinker nor did my parents keep soda in the house. However, to my parents’ horror (just kidding) in college,I began to indulge in soda on a regular basis. It did not help that my boyfriend at the time (and now my husband) was an avid Dr. Pepper drinker. Eventually, we both decided it was time to kick soda to the curb. In our pursuit to drink less soda, we realized we still craved the carbonation. Initially, we bought flavored seltzer water, mainly the very popular brand, LaCroix. Then I saw advertisements for SodaStream products and wondered if we could forgo the flavoring and as a bonus ditch all the aluminum cans.

Whenever I want reliable product reviews, I always turn to the Wirecutter. According to their research and product testing, the SodaStream Source is the best soda maker because it offers a wide range of bubbles, makes great-tasting seltzer, and is incredibly easy to use. I can personally attest that all of those claims are accurate. Also, the machine requires no electricity because it uses a single replaceable CO₂canister to carbonate tap water. However, the SodaStream setup may not be for everyone. Here are some practical considerations:

SodaStream Initial Costs:

SodaStream “Source”: $99.99 (current price from Walmart)
- Includes reusable BPA-free bottle
60-liter CO₂canister: $29.99 for initial canister, then $15 to exchange.
- Total initial costs: $129.95

SodaStream Ongoing Costs:

60L CO₂Canister Refill: $15 (many places that sell the SodaStream will refill your original canister)
Flavoring (optional): $5 per concentrated bottle

LaCroix Costs:

8 pack of cans: $3.69 (current price from Target)

Cost Comparison:

A 60-liter SodaStream canister is equivalent to 169 cans of LaCroix (60L = 2,028 ounces, divided by 12 ounces per can equals 169 cans). LaCroix is 46 cents per can versus SodaStream is priced at 8 cents per can. However, you have to consider the initial costs of the SodaStream machine and how long it would take you to reach the payoff point. Whether the SodaStream is cheaper in the long run than buying individual cans largely depends on your (and your family’s) consumption levels. Personally, I don’t mind if it’s not an economical win because I really enjoy the convenience and waste-reduction factors.

Bottom Line:

Would I recommend this product to others? Absolutely! I love that you can customize the carbonation levels in your seltzer and that the appliance doesn’t use electricity. Most importantly, I can happily report that my family and I are reformed soda drinkers and only indulge on the rare occasion, in large part due to our SodaStream Source.

Want to Slow Aging, Eat More Fish

December 7, 2018 by Cathy Thomas

eat more fish

Run, don’t walk to the seafood market. You will benefit from the physical activity AND the omega 3 fatty acids. A recent study in the British Medical Journal reminds us once again of the need for fish in our diet. Inflammation is the root of many of our health issues. In fact, seven of the leading causes of death are due to chronic inflammation. Eating more fish, especially fatty fish such as salmon, trout, tuna, and mackerel, can help reduce inflammation. For more information about eating more fish, click here: Steps to Eating the Med Way: Change Your Protein.

Worried about the mercury – don’t be. Salmon is especially low in mercury. Salmon is a go-to in our house at least once a week. It is super easy to fix, try the following for an easy salmon dinner:

Heat 1-2 Tablespoons of olive or canola oil in a saucepan (it is better to use a regular pan as opposed to nonstick as they get hotter and allow you to get a good sear).
Place the salmon skin side up in the pan. You want to cook the side that will be facing up on the plate first.
Cook for about 4 minutes depending on thickness. The salmon will release from the pan when it is seared.
Flip and cook for a few more minutes until desired doneness.
Serve with a salad or roasted vegetables.

For more salmon recipes, please click here: Salmon Recipes.

How to Exercise When It Gets Darker Earlier (and colder!)

December 6, 2018December 5, 2018 by Madi Johnson

The winter season brings shorter days and colder temperatures. But that doesn’t mean you can’t stay active! Plan ahead, consider alternative exercises, and be prepared to readjust your workout routine as we move into the winter season. The simplest adjustment I have made that has kept me active during the shorter days is the purchase of a tiny but powerful flashlight. This flashlight has allowed me to maintain my evening walks with my dog, and to feel safe while doing so. See below for a few additional tips to stay active during shorter days and colder temperatures.

exercise when dark

Purchase a flashlight. As I mentioned above, a small handheld flashlight is key to staying active when it gets darker earlier. Even if you leave the house when it’s light out, be prepared with the quick onset of darkness. Keep it in your pocket or purchase one with a wrist strap to easily carry. This one I grabbed in the check out line of Lowes for a dollar or two and it was worked great!
Choose well-lit streets and sidewalks for walking, jogging, or biking. Even if you carry a flashlight, be mindful of the light provided by streetlights along your route. Make sure you are in a safe area without a lot of traffic and move off to the side when a car goes by.
Dress in layers. Remember to stay warm and dress in layers – as you move more you can take the layers off as needed. Or, as it gets darker you can put more layers on as needed. Choose light colors that are easier to see in the dark or consider a reflective vest. Don’t forget gloves or ear warmers – you might leave the house with warm hands but soon hey might get chilly (especially if you have to carry a leash!).
Consider adjusting your schedule. Can you move your evening walk to a lunch time walk? Or instead of a 30 minute walk at night can you do a 20 minute morning walk and a 10 minute evening walk? Considering moving some of your activities to the daylight hours if possible.
Try Youtube videos or exercise apps. Exercise indoors with the help of Youtube videos or an exercise app. There are plenty out there to choose from with a variety of exercise options available – zumba, body-weight exercises, yoga, you name it.
Consider a month-to-month gym membership. If you are not typically a gym goer and are hesitant to sign a gym contract (usually for a full year), find a gym that offers a month-to-month style membership. That way, you can use as needed during the winter and then go back to your regular exercise routine when it gets warmer.

How do you like to stay active when it’s cold and dark outside? Share your tips and thoughts below in the comments.

Social Support: Helpful and Harmful Influences During the Holidays

December 6, 2018July 16, 2021 by Kristie Hicks

Securing social support from the people around you is especially important during the holidays – Family, friends, and coworkers may negatively influence us by sneakily passing along that “extra cookie” or by offering too much of a certain dish or beverage at a party or potluck.

What other people say or do can be a helpful or harmful influence on the decisions we make – these statements or actions are known as social cues. Social support is a key component of everyday life, but also in achieving personal goals related to eating choices, being active and living a healthy lifestyle.

Harmful Social Cues

The office staff has a dessert day once a week during lunch for everyone to bring his or her favorite homemade treats for tasting.

Family or friends always bring a large amount of everyone’s favorite junk food during movie night.

The usual household routine is to lay on the couch and watch a few TV shows after dinner.

Helpful Social Cues

The sight of coworkers eating healthy snacks and lunches, and frequently sharing recipes.

Each month, the family plans a healthy potluck for dinner with a recipe swap and a fun group activity to follow.

A family member or close friend checks in each day to schedule a time to walk or attend exercise class in the evening.

Continuous response to either harmful or helpful social cues develops a habit. The aim is to build more helpful habits than harmful habits, so that healthy eating and physical activity goals become easier to accomplish.

To be successful during the holiday season, inform your family, friends, and coworkers of your plan to maintain a healthy lifestyle and ask for support. If you really want to be held accountable, develop a buddy system and ask someone you trust to join you along your journey to a healthier lifestyle!

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How to Make Honey Almond Butter at Home

December 5, 2018July 16, 2021 by Kristie Hicks

make almond butter at home

Are you a fan of almond butter? I am proud to announce that I tried almond butter for the first time and definitely pleased – Not only did I try it, but I also made a batch at home for my first taste test. The process was more straightforward than expected and I was successful. I could not believe how affordable, easy, and tasty this 3-ingredient Honey Almond Butter was.

Honey Almond Butter

Yield: About 2 cups

Serving Size: 2 Tablespoons

Ingredients

16 ounces unsalted almonds (1 lb or 3 cups)

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon honey

Place almonds, salt, and honey into a blender.

I intended to use a blender, but it encountered some last minute difficulties and opted for my food processor instead.

Note: This entire process took about 30 minutes to get completely smooth almond butter because my food processor does not have speed settings like a blender. Use a blender, as directed for a quicker process, but if you do use a food processor, just be patient!

Starting on lowest speed, blend mixture until coarsely chopped, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

At this point, I thought it might be necessary to add just a bit of oil to speed up the process in case my almonds actually didn’t turn into butter…Don’t worry, added oil isn’t necessary.

Increase speed and blend about 1 to 2 minutes more until smooth paste forms, scraping down sides as needed.

Scraping down the sides during mixing is an important step. Since I used the food processor, I had to stop and do this about 4 times before the almonds started to crumble as shown in the picture above (about 15 minutes in).

If you prefer a smoother, runnier almond butter, blend for an additional 1 to 2 minutes on high.

I thought about giving up but, FINALLY! Even though the process was much longer for me, I am satisfied with the final product.

Using a spatula, scoop almond butter into an airtight plastic container and keep refrigerated for up to 4 weeks.

I have about 2 cups of almond butter now! The consistency is thicker than what I thought (not like my typical jar of peanut butter) because no oil was added. The almond butter is still soft and easily spreadable.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 170

Fat: 15g

Saturated Fat: 1g

Protein 6g

Carbohydrates: 6g

Fiber: 3g

Sodium 73mg

Sugars: 1g

Source: Cooking Light

A Dietitian’s Guide to Popular Diets

December 3, 2018 by Kelly Nordby, RD, LDN

popular diet

Paleo? Keto? Blood type diet? It seems like every week, a different popular diet trend emerges. As a dietitian, I receive many questions from program participants, family, and friends about how I feel about the newest diet fad. Luckily, there are two questions that many dietitians and I ask to determine if a diet is based in science and therefore recommended.

Where does the diet stand on allowing or limiting these super foods?

Fruits and vegetables
Nuts and seeds
Whole grains
Plant-based oils, primary olive oil
Legumes, including beans, peas, lentils, and split peas

Where does the diet stand on allowing or limiting these unhealthy food items?

Sugar
Red meat
Saturated fat
Highly processed foods

I have analyzed eight popular diets through the lens of these two questions and listed the PROS, CONS, and whether I would RECOMMEND this diet in the table below:

Sources:

¹Alkaline Diet: https://www.webmd.com/diet/a-z/alkaline-diets and https://www.eatrightpro.org/news-center/nutrition-trends/foods-and-supplements/what-impact-does-ph-have-on-food-and-nutrition

²Blood Type Diet: https://www.webmd.com/diet/a-z/blood-type-diet

²Dash: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/dash-eating-plan

⁴Intermittent Fasting: Journal of Nutritional Science, 7, E22. doi:10.1017/jns.2018.13

⁵Ketogenic: https://ketodash.com/keto-diet and https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ketogenic-diet-101#foods-to-avoid

⁶Mediterranean: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/mediterranean-diet/art-20047801 and https://medinsteadofmeds.com/

⁷Paleo: http://thepaleodiet.com/

⁸Whole 30: https://greatist.com/eat/whole30-beginners-guide

No Yoga Mat Required: Easy Stretches You Can Do In a Chair

December 3, 2018July 16, 2021 by Kristie Hicks

You may be familiar with the general rule of thumb about stretching – stretch a few minutes before your exercise to warm up and a few minutes after to cool down. If you are new to stretching and exercising, chair yoga is a good place to start getting comfortable with strengthening your muscles and improving flexibility. If you do exercise regularly, chair yoga is a great practice for maintaining flexibility and energizing your body.

If you would like a visual aid to keep as a reminder to stretch each day, Carl Dawson’s Chair Yoga uses cute stick figures as a “how-to” guide with 17 easy stretches that do not require a yoga mat or any fancy equipment. I have always kept this picture taped on the wall above my office computer so that it is easy to remember to stop and stretch throughout the day.

Chair yoga poses can be done before or after exercising, in the morning as an energizer, during the day to encourage mobility, or before bed to relax and de-stress. Depending on the height of your bed or your level of flexibility, some of these poses can also be done on or beside your bed for support. As I prepare for bedtime, I like to do the following relaxing poses using the bed instead of the chair: Hip Opener (outer), Shoulder Stretch, Knee Bends, Dog Pose, Hamstring Stretch, Lunge, and Tree Pose.

Take a look at Carl Dawson’s Chair Yoga picture below and have fun stretching!

chair yoga

Source: University of Vermont

Be SMART: What to do When you Aren’t Reaching Your Goals

November 28, 2018July 16, 2021 by Kristie Hicks

Have you ever dealt with saying something like, “Ok, tomorrow I am going to start eating healthier” or “I’m going to go to the gym and start getting in shape” and a month later… nothing has changed?

Setting a SMART goal is a very effective way to not only say you’re going to start making a healthy lifestyle change but to be very specific and intentional about it. A SMART goal is one that it is:

Specific
Who? What? Where? And Why?

Measurable
How will I know when my goal has been reached?

Attainable
What are the steps I must take to reach my goal?

Relevant
Why do I want to reach this goal and is it relevant to me?

Timely
When will I start/finish my goal?

It is important to keep the following tips in mind once you start planning for your healthy lifestyle changes:

This is a process that cannot be rushed – lasting changes (meaning lifestyle changes that will continue for months and years to come) happen over time, not overnight. When setting a goal, you want to reach it and stick to it. To prevent starting and stopping or reaching a goal and going back to old habits, consider what is necessary to make that accomplished goal something that can be sustained.

We are talking about baby steps here – Think about all the little changes that you must make to reach your ultimate goal. For example, if your goal at the end of six months is to have lost 10 pounds, think about each baby step (or small change) that is necessary to get there, as opposed to searching for a “quick fix”. Perhaps these baby steps could include waking up 30 minutes earlier each day to fit in your physical activity, packing your healthy lunch and snacks the night before, walking 10 or 15 minutes a day until you can work up to walking a mile or replacing one sugary beverage a day with fruit-infused water.

Celebrate your accomplishments along the way – No one does everything perfectly all the time, but each small accomplishment still deserves praise. For example, if you refrained from stopping at the convenience store for a candy bar and ate the fresh fruit that you had on hand, that deserves to be celebrated. Or if you remembered to take the stairs instead of hopping on the elevator, congratulate yourself for developing those healthy habits.

When I create a new SMART goal, I like to add a section for challenges that I might face and my plan to combat it so that I can remain successful. See an example below of one of my recent SMART goals!

SMART Goal: To exercise every day
Specific	I will be active every day of the week: At the gym either before or after work and in the morning on Saturday and Sunday
Measurable	I will be physically active for 1 hour, 4 days a week and for 1.5 hours, 3 days a week (when I participate in a group class at the gym)
Attainable	To reach this goal I must Plan my activity time at the start of each day Maintain my gym membership Pack my gym clothes each night and have my gym bag in the car each day Complete my activity time in the morning on the weekend before I take on other tasks
Relevant	I will continue to be active every day to stay in shape and improve my flexibility. This is relevant to me because I don’t want to become sedentary again and I like having energy throughout the day!
Timely	This will continue for life! In one month I will start a new weekly workout plan and will choose a new group class to try
Challenges I May Encounter	Cold weather – Use the treadmill at home, do yoga in the living room using Youtube videos, use my resistance band to do my exercises A busy day – Take extra flights of stairs during the day at work, take a 10-minute walk after lunch and stop to take 2-minute movement/stretch breaks during the day

Fennel Recipe: What is Fennel and how do I use it?

November 26, 2018July 16, 2021 by Corinne Goudreault

Fennel is a white, bulb-shaped root vegetable that grows with lovely fronds (the fronds look similar to dill). Maybe you haven’t ever heard of it, or maybe you’ve heard that it tastes like licorice and were scared away from trying it (try roasting it!). But fennel is an excellent source of vitamin C, potassium, and fiber; provides wonderful antioxidants, and is even thought to have anti-inflammatory properties.

Fennel is a wonderful vegetable because the bulb, stalk, and fronds are all edible and delicious! I often buy mine at Trader Joe’s, which sells it simply in a package with two bulbs.

Recently, I tried a new roasted vegetable recipe for the winter. It was so delicious that I think it would make anyone love fennel – and was super easy to put together! Remember – roasting is not an exact science, so it’s even easier than other recipes. I switched out the red onion for a yellow one because it’s what I had on hand, and I only had a 1lb bag of carrots, so I used that instead of the full amount called for. Enjoy!

roasted carrot and fennel

Roasted Carrots and Fennel

Ingredients:

2 lbs medium carrots, peeled and cut in half lengthwise, then in half again
1 large fennel bulb, cut into ½ inch wedges
1 large onion, cut into ½ inch wedges (I use white or yellow but red will be good too, whatever you have on hand)
1 medium lemon, thinly sliced
¼ cup olive oil
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste (1/4 to 1/2 tsp)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375.
In a large bowl, combine carrots, fennel, onion, and lemon.
Mix oil, coriander, cumin, salt, and pepper; drizzle over carrot mixture and toss to coat.
Transfer to foil-lined large baking sheets.
Roast for around 40 minutes or until vegetables are tender, tossing occasionally.

Nutrition Facts

1 serving: 139 calories, 7g fat (1g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 262mg sodium, 18g carbohydrate (9g sugars, 6g fiber), 2g protein.

Be Healthy, Positive, and Thankful!

November 22, 2018November 19, 2018 by Kristie Hicks

What are you thankful for today? What have you accomplished, overcome or experienced this year that has really put a smile on your face?

Thanksgiving Day is always a fun time for me to hang out with my family, eat a delicious meal and on occasion, prepare my shopping list for Black Friday and/or Cyber Monday!

As your day settles down, spend about 5 minutes writing down some positive thoughts about yourself, family and friends – You can even make this a group activity!

Enjoy your day, take a relaxing walk with family after your meal and remember to be healthy, positive and thankful.