Last night, I was getting my 3 year old daughter ready for bed and she said, “hey Mom, what about my treat? I want fruits and vegetables!” Well, as you can imagine, I was not only taken aback by her idea of fruits and veggies being “treats”, but was also beaming with pride. A dietitian’s dream statement! Now if only I could think like that and if only my clients could think like that! American’s are continually struggling with choices – what to have for dinner, should I eat that sweet, should I have one cookie or a handful of cookies; and all too often, those choices are followed with guilt. Guilt that we ate too much, or we chose the “wrong” foods. Perhaps reframing these choices would help. Perhaps thinking more like a 3 year old, when it comes to food choices, would help. Instead of looking and dwelling on things not to eat, look for foods to eat! Perhaps filling up on our “treats”, as my daughter says, would leave less room for the over processed sugary foods. So the next time you open the fridge, or the pantry, keep the fruits and veggies in plain view. Move the dried fruit and nuts to the front and center of your cupboard. Keep the bananas and apples on the counter. And perhaps, it may move you to say, “Hey, I want that treat!”

Banana Split, Minus the Split
Ingredients:
1 medium banana
1 Tbsp Hershey’s chocolate syrup
1/2 Tbsp sliced almonds
Fat Free cool whip (optional)

Instructions:
Slice the banana and place in a bowl. Drizzle with chocolate syrup and sprinkle with almonds. Add a dollop of fat free cool whip, if desired. And enjoy a high fiber “treat” 

Flax Seed vs Fish Oil, which one should you take?

I get a lot of questions from clients about omega 3 fats and which supplement is better - flax seed or fish oil. Here's a nice, quick article that explains the difference!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/science/27qna.html?ref=health

Hope it helps to clarify : )

In good health,
J

Produce Availability Calendar

I'm on a roll with good old Jamie and his Food Revolution : ) Here's a link to a Michigan Produce Availability Calendar. www.downtownfarmington.org/AbouttheDowntown/docs/Forms/MichiganProduceAvailability.pdf
Check it out and start looking for some of this good in season produce in your local farmers markets or grocery stores! Fresh is best!

Cheers!
J

So its been 9 long months since my last entry... I've been busy... just giving birth to our 2nd daughter : ) Having 2 little faces staring back at me at the dining room table gives me 2 good reasons to want to provide good, healthy food for me and my family to eat. All the more reason to support Jamie Oliver and the Food Revolution that he has set out to achieve. Have you checked it out? It airs on Friday nights at 9pm on NBC. His mission is to change the food that our kids eat in school to real healthy food. What a concept! How sad that french fries are considered a vegetable! I was blown away in the first episode when first graders couldn't identify a tomato or a potato, but they knew what a chicken nugget was and french fries and ketchup. It makes me wonder what we can do to keep the revolution going, or get it started for that matter, in our own city, school, or home. What would it take to begin serving more fresh food? Money. That's for sure! Time, yes it will take more time, especially in the beginning when learning how to cook, or gathering some good recipes. The benefits, though, are endless. Better, longer lives. Healthier kids. The sacrifice is worth it and it's something I can be proud of when I'm staring at those 2 little faces across the dining room table.
Cheers!
J

Food Snob - long overdue!

Well, its been a few too many months without a food snob addition but its back : ) I have decided that I love Aunt Mids Sugar Snap Peas - they're prewashed and ready to eat sheer goodness. I love them packed up with baby carrots and grape tomotoes - there's no longer an excuse not to eat your veggies! Keep them handy for a quick snack anytime : ) Better yet, grow some your self in a garden this summer and enjoy! Until next month...

Good Read

Here's a link to an interesting article on the state of the nation's waistlines... enjoy!
http://health.nytimes.com/ref/health/healthguide/esn-obesity-ess.html

~Julie

Body Weight Exercises

Looking to start a weight training program but are unsure where to start? Exercises using your own body as resistance is a great way to try it out. You don't need to purchase any costly equipment and you don't even need to join a gym. You can do it in the comfort of your own home or even on your lunch break at the office.

These exercises target most of the major muscle groups. Remember to give yourself a day off in between - about 48 hours before doing them again. This will allow your body to recover. Breathing is always important - exhale during exertion (the hard part) and inhale during rest.

Hope these tips will help you out, but remember you should always check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program.

Here are the exercises!

1. Static Crunch: Sit on the floor with your feet in front of you, knees bent, arms forward. Lean back until you feel tension in your abs and hold for a count of 10. Sit back up and rest. Repeat 3-5 times. To change the intensity: a. lean farther back or b. bring your feet closer to your body or c. hold for a longer count.

2. Superman: Lie on the floor, arms over your head. Simultaneously lift your feet and arms off the floor. Hold for a second and relax to the ground. Repeat. You will feel this through your low back. To decrease the intensity, start with your arms at your side instead of over your head.

3. Chair Squat: Place a chair in an open area. From a sitting position, stand up and then sit back down without the use of your hands. Repeat 10 times. To change the intensity: Don't allow your bottom to touch the seat, lower your bottom as close as you can to the chair with out touching and stand back up. When comfortable, move away from the chair. Once you're comfortable with that, add a small jump to the squat or add hand weights.

4. Standing Lunge: Stand next to a chair, lunge forward with your left leg. At the lowest position, your knee should be above your ankle, the knee joint at a 90 degree angle. Straighten and bend your leg using the chair for support if needed. Repeat 10-15 times. Repeat on right leg. To change intensity, alternate legs without using the support of the chair. Or walk with lunges across a room. Once this becomes easier, you may add hand weights.

5. Wall Push up: Stand with chest against a wall. Place hands outside of shoulder on wall. Step back so that arms are fully extended but still touching the wall. Lower body so that nose is a few inches from wall, extend by pushing back. Repeat 10-15 times. To change intensity, choose a surface closer to the ground such as a counter or table top. Then move to the floor on your knees and finally move to the floor on your toes.

6. Triceps Dip: Sit on a stair, edge of a couch, or other firm surface that will not move. Place hands on edge of surface outside of hips. Lift yourself off and in front of the stair/couch/etc and lower, keeping your elbows pointed behind you, and not dropping below a 90 degree angle at the elbow joint. Extend and repeat 10-15 times. To increase the intensity: move your feet farther away from your body.

Let me know what you think of these exercises! Need more ideas? Sign up with me for one on one or group personal training!

In good health,