I am going to be on TV! Check it out!

On May 5th and May 12th I am going to be on ABC's View From the Bay. On the 5th they are doing a series on "What is in your gym bag?" and on the 12th I will be on talking about healthy snacks on the go. Come and check it out. ABC at 3.30pm.

Thanks for your support!

What should I drink when working out?

Sports drinks are often advertised to improve athletic performance and prevent dehydration, but is this really true? Sports drinks such as Gatorade usually contain carbohydrates in the form of sugar, electrolytes, and flavor additives. While sports drinks may be beneficial for restoring lost nutrients and water after a long workout, there is limited evidence saying that consuming sports drinks during a workout enhances performance for a non competitive athlete.

If you are a regulary exerciser and not an athlete or training at an athlete's level, water is usually the optimum fluid before, during, and after short exercise periods (approximately 1 hour). A general rule of thumb is to drink 16 oz of water 2 hours before a workout, and then sip water throughout the duration of your exercises. It is important to note that you won’t feel thirsty until you have lost approximately 2% of your body weight—a significant amount that can really hurt performance.

For longer exercise periods, sports drinks containing 6-10% carbohydrates may be useful. People tend to drink more sports drink than water due to the added colors and flavors, so hydration status may be better maintained. Most sports drinks contain enough sugar that they can be diluted with 50% water.

After you finish exercising weigh yourself and drink 2-3 cups of water for every pound lost. It is also important to pay attention to your urine color; small amounts of dark urine indicate you are dehydrated.

Get your Vitamin D!

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is found in foods and also made in your skin. It has been shown that getting enough vitamin D can reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis or osteomalacia. This is because vitamin D is involved in promoting calcium absorption in the gut and in regulating calcium and phosphate concentrations in your blood.

Surprisingly, vitamin D is naturally found in very few foods. Most Americans get the majority of their vitamin D in foods that have had this nutrient added to them, such as in milk, orange juice, or cereal. Fish and fish oil are the best sources of naturally occurring vitamin D.

The human body can also make vitamin D using sunlight and a special form of cholesterol. You only need 15 minutes of sunlight on your hands a few times a week to make enough vitamin D for your whole body! It is very important to still wear sunscreen and stay out of the sun as much as possible because the UV radiation from the sun can cause cancer.

Vitamin D is also sold in supplemental form, often times paired with calcium. It is important to talk to your doctor before beginning any supplements, as there is a risk for adverse interactions with other medications you are taking or risk of toxicity.

The most important meal of the day

Breakfast always wins the trophy as the most important meal of the day but there is another time of day that is a contender for first place. I tell my clients that the afternoon snack is the most important time to eat because it prevents you from overeating at dinner. Most people eat at noon and dont eat again until 8pm for dinner time. If people do eat around 3pm or 4pm it is usually a cookie or another dose of coffe which isnt exactly a good source of fuel. Ideally, have some protein and carbs in the mid afternoon. You will notice straight away how much better you feel. Your energy will increase and you will not feel the need to overeat every night.

Some ideas for you:

• Cottage Cheese and fruit
• Plain yogurt and fruit
• Half a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread
• 5-8 almonds, 1 apple and some string cheese

Embrace your mid afternoon snack!

Happy New Year! Resolutions for 2009

I wanted to give some advice on how to make new years resolutions that were within reach. So often we set unrealistic goals that are not possible to attain and we are left feeling discouraged and unhappy. The ideal situation would be to set a realistic goal that you KNOW you can achieve and continue making healthy changes to create a long term healthy behaviors rather than a continue yo-yo dieting and struggling.

I was watching to Today show this morning as I had my cereal and coffee and there was great segment discussing this topic. Thought I would share....

http://madelynfernstrom.ivillage.com/health/2008/12/new_years_diet_resolutions.html?par=today,df

Wishing you a happy new year filled with good food, good health and happiness.
Make this your best year yet!!!

Sweet Potatoes--THE vegetable for the holidays

Did you know that a sweet potato is only distantly related to a white potato? Sweet potatoes are actually the most nutritious vegetable according to the Center for Science in Public Interest! In 1 serving, which is 1 cup cubed, sweet potatoes provide four times the recommended daily value of B-carotene. They are also a good source of fiber, vitamin B6, and potassium. Furthermore, sweet potatoes are a source of vitamin C and other essential minerals such as calcium and magnesium.

There are many delicious ways to eat sweet potatoes: bake them in the oven, puree them for soup, or cut them up and eat them raw with dip. Make sure you leave the skin on though, for extra nutrients.

When buying sweet potatoes pick ones with no blemishes and dry, smooth skin. Do not store them in the refrigerator as this can make them taste bad. Sweet potatoes will last the longest when stored in a dry, cool place.

On average, Americans consume 4.2 pounds of sweet potatoes per year, but they are so nutritious and delicious more would be better! Add sweet potatoes to your diet and discover the benefits of this great vegetable.

Written by Rachael Beckert, RD

Have a Healthy Halloween!

So many of our poor eating habits are not because we want to eat junk food--it is simply something we do that we are unaware of. Halloween is a perfect example of this. We overeat on junk food that we may never normally eat but it what you do...right? When did this habit start? It started when we were kids and we walked house to house in search of candy bars and gummy bears and just ate and ate and ate. Did we want all that candy? Or is that just what you do on Halloween? This year, try sending a new message to the children in your neighborhood. Playdoh has come up with a mini-size that is just perfect to put in everyone's Halloween bag. The kids will love it and you can feel like you are sending a positive message of creating a new healthy habit for Halloween. Trick or treat!

http://www.hasbro.com/playdoh/default.cfm?page=products&product_id=20702