Replacing Saturated Fat with What?!

Research from Harvard from Dr Frank B. Hu, PhD has shown that people like to replace the saturated fat in their diet with unhealthy, processed carbohydrates. This doesn't help at all with reducing coronary heart disease. 

Rewind ... what is saturated fat anyways? Most people by this time have heard about saturated fat in the news and probably see it has a terrible, evil food item. Well it is a type of fat that occurs naturally in meat (chicken with skin, beef, etc), butter, lard and dairy items. It is not completely evil, but when consumed in excess it has been shown to lead to increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Now there is another type of fat out there called unsaturated fat. This is kind of the opposite of saturated fat. It is found in plant based oils (olive, corn, soybean, safflower, etc), fish, nuts and beans. This unsaturated fat ends up being a liquid at room temperature. There are two types of unsaturated fats that are naturally found in food items.  It has been found to help decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease when consumed on a regular basis. 

This research out of Harvard has shown that when saturated fats were replaced with polyunsaturated fats the participants risk of coronary heart disease was lowered by 25%. When the saturated fat was replaced with monounsaturated had a 15% lower risk of coronary heart disease. When saturated fat was replaced with refined, processed carbohydrates there was no positive or negative change with risk of coronary heart disease. 

Some healthy recommendations include: 

- Replacing butter, hard margarine and lard with canola oil, olive oil or other vegetable oils. 

- Replacing potato chips and cookies with peanuts, almonds and olives. 

- Replacing white bread cheese sandwiches with whole wheat bread, avocado and chicken breast.

They see me rollin' ... they hatin'

They see me rollin', they hatin'. I love that song and every time I lay on the floor to foam roll it goes through my head. I wanted to spend a little bit of time touching on the benefits of foam rolling. Some of you may know that I have had issues with a tight IT band. I love running, but some times I end up running more than strength training and that leads to a tight/unhappy IT band. 

Your IT (ileotibial) band is located on the outside of your hip. It connects your ileus to your tibia. When you do a repetitive motion again and again you can cause inflammation within this muscle. Running is a repetitive motion and is common reason for IT band syndrome.

Another name for "foam rolling" is self-myofascial release and this is basically a self massage to release muscle tightness or trigger points. By applying this pressure to specific muscle points in your body you are able to help in the recovery of muscles. This can help them to return to their normal function more quickly. Muscles need to be elastic, healthy and ready to work quickly and efficiently. With over exertion you can put stress on these muscles and through foam rolling or self massage you are helping to release those trigger points and reestablish proper movement. 

If you are wanting to start foam rolling you need to purchase a foam roller. You can find these at any local athletic store or purchase one online. I have one that stays in my living room and I use it when I am watching my TV. When I run, I find it helpful to foam roll each and every day. Even it is for a couple minutes per IT band. It is very helpful! There are tons of great exercises and videos online to help show you how to use your foam roller. The 

This pictures is demonstrating how foam roll your IT band.

If you want some more information on foam rolling and science behind it, CLICK HERE to check out a great article by Jeff Kuhland. 

Navigating the Grocery

Grocery shopping. It is something that we all do. We may all go to different stores, but each week we all head out and purchase food to eat. Most of the time grocery stores are set up in a similar fashion. I liked this diagram (see below); because, I thought it was a great visual to help you navigate the grocery. 

Most the time the outside (or parameter) of the store is where you want to stay. Along the outside of the store, you will find the produce, meat and dairy items. In the aisles of the grocery store, you will commonly find processed foods, frozen foods and packaged food items. Choosing to stay on the parameter of the grocery store is going to help you purchase more fresh produce, meat items and dairy choices. Then you can take these food items home and prepare delicious meals. 

To get ready for your grocery store trip, take a few minutes and plan your meals for a week. Take the time to find some new recipes and write down the ingredients you will need to purchase. Taking time to plan menus will help ensure that you eat at home and hopefully help you eat healthier. When you head to the store, remember to take a list with you. Only purchase the food items you have on your list. This will help you to save money and avoid buying unhealthy food options. 

Have fun as you head out to the grocery this week. Remember stay along the parameter of the store and try some new foods as you cook meals at home! 

Featured as the RD of the Day on Today's Dietitian

So I totally have to geek out on you for a minute. I did a news story with WISH TV, which aired this last week. It was about Sports Nutrition and Children. If you happened to miss it, well head over to my media page and check it out. 

Well Today's Dietitian decided to choose me at the RD of the Day on their Twitter page. I know it doesn't seem like the coolest thing to you ever, but it totally made my day.  This popped into my email and I felt honored that someone had noticed my work and decided to share it with their 8,000 followers. 

It is so neat that because of social media we can connect and share what we are doing all over the world. I think that is a huge win for nutrition education we can provide people with tips for wellness via these social platforms. I just love being part of that! 

Sports Nutrition for Kids

With the start of school, this is also the beginning of the fall sports season. I feel like I am often talking about how children are overweight and need to move more. This is definitely the case, but for some kids they are at a healthy weight and they are active. They are involved in multiple sports and they need good nutrition as well. 

Children are not just small adults. They require increased nutrient intake to help ensure that they are continuing to grow appropriately. If a child stops growing while participating in an athletic activity, that should be cause for concern. This lack of growth could be an indicator that the child's nutrition needs are not being properly met. 

So let's talk about a couple key areas to focus on .... 

1. Fluids: Kids need to stay hydrated! Sports may be appropriate during a practice, but a small 8-12oz container would be appropriate. The best drink option would be water and this is sufficient for children while playing sports. Make sure that kids aren't drinking sports drinks, soda or energy drinks with meals. Also milk can be a great option with meals and even after practice. Choose a low fat milk option and it could even be chocolate. 

2. Meals: The goal for children are 5-6 small meals and snacks each day. This includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and a couple of snacks. A snack could be before or after practice if it has been several hours since a meal. Active kids need 500-1000 extra calories per day compared with their sedentary peers. School age children need 1600-2000 calories per day and high school students on average 2000-2400 calories. The main focus should be on continuing to grow appropriate and follow their growth curve. If that ever falters, then maybe you need to keep a closer eye on calorie intake. 

3. Snacks: In addition to meals, you need to make sure that kiddos have healthy snack options - like string cheese, yogurt, crunchy peanut butter, or pudding packs made with low fat milk. These snacks can be easy to grab and take before/after practice. If you are in charge of bringing a team snack, make it something healthy - like orange slices, bags of grapes, watermelon chunks, peanut butter and pretzels, veggie sticks or fruit juice popsicles. 

The best thing you can do for your little athlete is making sure that you are serving healthy foods at home. Also make sure you have a big water bottle for them to take to practice. Aim for 2 snacks a day and 3 meals a day. Have fun and enjoy watching your kid play sports! 

Calorie Postings on Restaurant Menus

Last week the FDA released a statement saying that the deadline mandating restaurants to post their nutrition information will be extended until December 1st of 2016. This was suppose to be done by December of this year. All restaurants that sell food and have 20 or more locations will be required to post the calorie content of the food that are on their menus, menu boards an displays. 

Things to be on the look out for in December of 2016 - 

1. Calories will be posted on the menu. Salt, Sugar and Fat values will be available on request. 
2. Alcohol is also included. If a restaurant serves food and alcoholic drinks those calories will be listed on the menu. Any drink from the bar, will not require calorie information to be posted. 
3. Calorie information will be posted on prepared foods like salad bars, hot food bars and convenience stores. These food items would be consider able to feed one person. Any food item that is purchased in bulk like a loaf of bread or rotisserie chicken will not be required to have calories posted. 

So is this even helpful? That is the million dollar question. There was research done back in 2008 with Starbucks in New York City and this showed that when calorie information is posted it led to a 6% reduction in calories per transaction. This applied only to food, beverages were not affected. People were purchasing food at Starbucks were buying less food and then choosing lower calorie items. 

I think this is important to note that posting calorie information on beverages didn't create a healthier change. I think that is an important thing to remember that people like their delicious beverages and not everyone will be dissuaded by the calorie number that's posted. 

The take home message - Keep an eye out for posted calorie information. Panera and Starbucks are two locations that have this information on their menu boards. Take a look at the calories and see if that food item is worth the calorie content. These calorie counts are only helpful if you take the time to use the posted information to make a healthier choice. 

Navigating the State Fair in a Healthy Way

If you live in Indiana you have probably heard that the State Fair is open and under way! I grew up in 4-H and the State Fair was always a huge deal in the summer time. Along with 4-H projects, exhibit halls, livestock shows, and the rides the fair has a ton of food. All of this food smells delicious as you walk around the fair and it is just tempting you to stop by a booth and purchase something delicious. 

If you are trying to be healthy and follow a healthy life style going to the fair and encountering all this tempting food may be overwhelming. Well I have some great tips to help you navigate the State Fair in a healthy way! 

1. Share your food. Go to the fair with a friend and suggest splitting he food you purchase. This means that you get to try some new foods and don't have to eat the entire meal yourself. 

2. Take a lap or maybe two. Walk around at the fair and explore all the livestock barns and exhibit halls. This can be a great form of exercise and can help you burn off a few calories along the way. 

3. Watch what you drink. Lots of sugary beverages contain quite a few calories. Make sure you drink plenty of water to help keep you hydrated and feeling satisfied. 

4. Set a limit. The fair is a great place to eat delicious food, but make sure that you set some limits for yourself. For example, you can have 1 ice cream cone, 1 fried food item and you will plan to drink water throughout the day. Setting expectations can help you feel food about your fair food choices. 

5. Keep your eye out for healthier alternatives. There are some healthy choices available  at the fair like roasted vegetable kabobs, grilled lean meat options, frozen yogurt or fresh fruit. 

Keep these healthful tips in mind as you head out to the State Fair! Enjoy the sights, sounds and smells as you participate in this fun summer tradition. 

Restaurant Food versus Fast Food

Well guess what ... restaurant food is just as unhealthy as fast food. To some of you that might be shocking news. I think we all like to think that because we are paying more and sitting down at a meal we expect that meal to be better for us. That is not always the case. Research from the University of Illinois was released this month and it was talking about a study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. They found that Americans eating out, at a sit down restaurant or a fast food restaurant, are still consuming 200 calories more per day compared to eating at home. To read a summary of this article - CLICK HERE.

So let's take a look at a couple of restaurants up close and personal ... 

Olive Garden - 1 serving of salad, 1 breadstick and a plate of the fettucine alfredo pasta = 780 calories, 45.5g fat and 1650mg of sodium

McDonald's - 1 McChicken sandwich with 1 medium fry = 710 calories, 33g fat and 840mg sodium 

McAlister's Deli - 1 veggie Spud with light sour cream, side of fruit and cole slaw = 820 calories, 38g fat and 1230mg sodium 

Subway - 6 inch spicy italian sandwich on 9-grain wheat bread with a bag of Lay's baked chips = 610 calories, 26g fat and 1690mg sodium 

Eating at home is clearly the best option, but if you do enjoy eating out or have to on vacation this summer, make sure to watch your portion sizes. Think about it. The burger at McDonald's versus the burger at Red Robin are very different. The Red Robin burger is huge in comparison and is going to contain more fat, sodium and overall calories compared with the McDonald's burger. Be mindful of the portion of food that you are ordering and remember you can always save part of that meal for later. 

Healthier July 4th Weekend

This weekend is July 4th! Can you believe it. That means lots of time with friends & family, cooking out, fireworks, yummy desserts and time off from work. With any holiday, this can some times be stressful if you are trying to eat healthy. I have some tips for you to help you make this July 4th a delicious and healthy one! 

• Don't skip a meal. Often times, people like to skip a meal if they know they will be eating a large meal later in the day. Don't do this! You need to make sure that you eat 3 meals a day and you don't need to skip a meal. People who do skip meals, tend to over-indulge when they finally do sit down to eat. They also tend to be more grouchy leading up to that meal, because their blood sugar may go low. If you know the picnic/party you are headed to might not have healthy options, bring something with you or have a healthy snack before you leave your house. 
• Pick a smaller plate. When you head to the picnic or party try to pick a smaller plate to load up with food. It has been found that people tend to eat less without noticing if they are using a smaller plate. This could help you consumer 50% fewer calories at that meal. 
• Choose the "healthier" food first. After you have picked up your smaller plate, make sure you choose the healthier foods to put on that plate first. Start with a salad or delicious grilled vegetables. Some times there are fruit salads or fruit trays available. Reach for those fresh options first. The goal is fill your plate with 1/2 fruits/vegetables. 
• Be active. The weather sounds like it is going to be lovely on July 4th so make sure you get outside and run around! This would be as simple as going on a walk with your dog, playing football with your kids or playing corn hole at the cook out. If you are going to an event like Carmel Fest you will have lots of time to walk again and work off some of those calories you have eaten. Find was to be active throughout the holiday weekend. 

Have a wonderful and save 4th of July. Enjoy the weekend and the sunshine. Stay healthy and have fun! 

A Week at Diabetes Camp

This week I am spending my time at Diabetes Camp in Noblesville. I am playing lunch lady because I am in charge of the allergy diets. I have 16 kiddos who are on some type of special diet. That means I am cooking up everything from Vegetarian meals to Gluten free + Dairy free + Soy free. So needless to say it at times can be complicated. It  had been fun though! I have learned so much! I haven't had to work this closely for an extended period of time with diabetic patients. Doing clinical work means that we see patients for a short period of time (3 to 5 days) in the hospital. So hanging out with a bunch more of kids for 7 days has been fun. 

My scheduled consisted of cooking/preparing food for 3 meals a day + 2 snacks each day. I ended up preparing food for about 13 kids throughout the week. I spent my mornings making breakfast and then getting the lunch and snack items ready. I would get a few hours off before lunch to do work things, wonder around camp or go for a run. Then I would make lunch and finalize the evening snack. Then I would have another couple of hours off to do something fun. Then back to the kitchen for dinner preparation. I would then normally hang out around the camp in the evening, watching the camp game, going to campfire and then evening snack was at 9pm each evening. 

Camp has always held a special place in my heart. I love spending time at camp during the summer. I even had the opportunity to work in a kitchen at Camp Lakeview for a whole summer. I feel quite comfortable in a camp kitchen. This week at Diabetes Camp was great. I felt like I was able to make a positive difference and able to help this kids with allergies have a "normal" week. I also was able to learn lots more about Type 1 Diabetes in the process. It is amazing how much fun  you can have when you decide to enjoy yourself, work hard and make friends. I am thankful to have this opportunity and be able to serve these kiddos and staff for a week. 

Hanging out watch the camp activity for the evening. 

Thank you to my co-workers Kara and Kim and for all their helping preparing for this week at camp. They both helped so much with inventorying food items, making food labels and creating a chart to help organize the meal preparation process. Thank you to the two Tracys, who were in the kitchen, with me for the week. It was so much fun getting to know them and work with them each day. Also one last thank you, to my other co-worker Kristin, for letting me go to this camp for a week and leave her alone at the hospital. It is tough to be short one person, but I am so thankful to be able to have this experience! 

The Dining Hall at Camp.

The Gluten Free Prep area in the kitchen.

Great week being able to work with some great people! 

Gardening

Last week's post was about eating more foliage and I thought I would share with you my experience with growing leafy greens. 

Some of  you may know that I like to attempt a garden every year. It is a small garden and more of an urban garden. My family always has had a garden and I really do love fresh produce in the summer. If you happen to be growing your own garden and end up with extra produce, feel free to share it with me! 

This year I am growing tomatoes, mint, basil and lettuce. In previous years I have tried to grow beans, carrots, tomatoes and some herbs. Honestly I have the best luck with tomatoes and last year my basil went crazy. I totally killed the carrots and they just ended up rotting. I mentioned that my garden is an "urban" garden, which means I have all my plants in planters. I don't dig up my yard to plant vegetables, because we rent our house and I don't have the tools for that type of gardening. 

These are the tomatoes plants and herbs on my patio. 

This is the start of the lettuce. I was trying a new technique and so far it seems to be working. 

Since my gardening experience is somewhat limited, I thought I would pass along some other gardening tips from the professionals. This was from Ohio State Extension - Edible Front Yard Gardening. If you want some additional gardening tips, Purdue's Extension website is great depending on what types of produce you are growing.

I wanted to include a recent picture from my garden. The pictures above are from a month ago. The tomatoes are taking off and the mint is loving the pot. The lettuce is also starting to come up in full force. If you are curious about how I used a bag of soil for the base, then check out these instructions - CLICK HERE!

Lettuce is growing as of last night. It is looking great and I can't wait to harvest some leafy greens! 

Eat More Foliage

Do you eat enough foliage? This is a very important question! Your body needs fiber to help it function to the best of its ability. Unfortunately some lettuce on your burger isn't going to provide enough roughage to have a positive impact on your digestive health. You are going to have to reach for a salad or some cooked vegetables (like cabbage, collard greens or spinach). 

Why take the time to eat leafy greens? They are packed full of important nutrients, like fiber, water, antioxidants, vitamin C and beta-carotene. Fiber is good to help with weight loss because it provides bulk and helps keep you feeling fuller for longer. It also provides bulk as it moves through your digestive tract and can help to pull cholesterol from circulation, which is good for heart health. Water is always important, because your body is comprised primarily of H20. Antioxidants help to fight off free radicals that attack your cells. This can help prevent inflammation and keeps your cells healthy. Vitamin C is immune boosting and can help your body make collagen. Beta-carotene is converted into Vitamin A and this helps with growth and repair of skin cells. There are so many great things that dark, leafy greens provide for your body. 

Want to learn more about one of my favorite leafy greens ... spinach, watch the video below! 

Meal Planning

Do you struggle with meal planning? Is your meal plan commonly just finding something to put on the table 30 minutes before everyone gets home? A lot of people view meal planning as an overwhelming task and something that they don't have time to do. I am here to tell you that meal planning can be quick, easy and a painless part of your weekly routine. Meal planning can help take the guess work out of dinner and help you stick with your food budget. Here are a few tips to make your dinner tonight a success! 

https://www.pinterest.com/ajonnette/delicious-recipes/

1. Pick out some delicious recipes. I love to find new foods to try to make at home. Pinterest has so many different options. I love all the pictures and being able to see what the food item to suppose to look like before making that dish. I will save my meal items to a board on Pinterest and then go through that board and print off the recipes that I want to try. 
2. After printing off my recipes for the week, I take the time to put them in sheet protectors. You may ask "why go through that hassle?" because I plan on saving the recipes and using them in the future. I like to cook from a paper recipe. With the sheet protector on the recipe it gets the paper from getting wet or something spilled on it. Then when I am done using the recipe I put it in a three ring binder and that is what I use as my "cookbook" of recipes my family enjoys. 
3. Once I have my recipe picked out and put in a sheet protector, I then make out my grocery list of items that I need to cook these meals. 
4. Head off to the grocery to purchase the items that I don't have in my pantry. 
5. Then I am ready to cook for the week. I have the recipe, food and I then just decide what meal to make on which evening based on how long the recipe takes to prepare (30 minutes, something may need to marinate overnight or have the items prepped if you have a busy evening). 

In 5 simple steps you have your meal planned and ready to go for the week! For some other helpful tips check out the CDC website and their Meal Planning Tips.

Expiration Dates on Your Food

Have you ever wondered for how long those left-overs are good in left in the refrigerator or in the freezer? This can be very confusing because different foods have different shelf lives and it does matter if the item is raw, cooked, canned or frozen. Recently in the news there have been lots of food items that have been contained with some serious food borne illnesses like Listeria in ice cream, Botulism at a church potluck or EColi in produce. This has significant community health concerns because most of these products are going all across the country and potentially affecting lots of people. 

The area of food safety is the scientific study of handling, preparing and storing food. The end goal is to prevent food borne illness. This contamination can come from people, animals or microorganisms. Obviously as a consumer you can't control what the manufacturer has done/or not done to keep that food item safe, but you can prevent food borne illnesses once you have brought that food item home. Remember to keep cold foods cold and cook foods to proper temperature when cooking. For more recommendations on safe food preparation check out the USDA Website HERE. 

So you are probably wondering about those dates you find printed on the foods you purchase. What do they mean? Once that dates passes, do you have to toss that item out? 

• Milk is usually until for a week after the date on the container (which is a use by date). 
• Eggs are ok for 3-5 weeks after you bring them home (if purchased before the sell by date on the carton). 
• Poultry and Seafood should be cooked or frozen within 1-2 days after bringing those meat items home. 
• Beef and Pork should be cooked or frozen within 3-5 days after bringing that meat home. 
• Canned goods can be kept for >18 months (if they are highly acidic, like tomatoes) or up to 5 years (for low acid foods, like green beans). Remember to keep these canned items stored in a cool, dark place. 

There is a new mobile app that you should download and have on your smart phone to help answer your food safety questions and concerns. It is called Food Keeper and the USDA created this as a tool to help consumers. It tells you how to properly store food/beverages to help maximize their freshness and quality. If is available for Android and Apple devices. 

First Marathon

This past weekend marked the first marathon that I have ever run. This was a huge accomplishment for me because I had only dreamed of running a marathon and never thought was some I would actually do. Well on April 18th I made that far fetched dream a reality. It was a great day for a race. There were no clouds and lots of sunshine. The only issue was it started to get a little warm (mid 70s) which was a challenge because I had spent the whole winter training in frigid temperatures. I ran very consistently and honestly felt good. It got harder at the 22 mile mark and the course was a little more boring at that point, but thankfully I was able to power through for that last 4 miles. I am so blessed to have the ability to run and have this opportunity to compete. I finished in 3 hours and 46 minutes, which was great consider this was my first marathon ever. 

Since I am a dietitian I wanted to share with you some about my nutrition plan. I am firm believer in having a nutrition plan for your race (anything longer than 1 hour, you need to refuel). What you put in your body is very important. I have done race day nutrition presentations for local stores and I love talking about different endurance activity nutrition products (shameless plug, if you want me to come talk about nutrition and exercise send me an email via the CONTACT ME link). There are a ton of different products out there and the main take away message here is to find what works best for you. So here is what I use and why I have chosen these products. 

Energy Gel: Huma Gels 

These Huma energy gels are made from chia seeds. The best part of the product is the fact that it doesn't contain malto-dextrin (which is a type of carbohydrate that can cause some people GI distress). The texture is nice as well. Unlike a gel, it is more the texture of applesauce, slightly chunky due to the chia seeds.The flavors are all fantastic. If you have had issues tolerating a gel product then I would encourage you to try Huma and I am sure that you will be hooked! 

Electrolyte Replacement: Salt Stick 

I like using Salt Sticks, because I normally don't drink a carbohydrate/electrolyte solution when I run. For some reason I have had issues tolerating some like a Gatorade product. I do better with plain water and then I take the Salt Sticks to help make sure I am replacing the electrolytes that I have lost from exercising. I typically take 1 every 45-60 minutes when doing endurance activity. It works well and I have found it helpful when doing endurance activity. 

Beverage: Water

As mentioned above, I normally drink water. I carry water with me when I run to help make sure that I am staying hydrated. I didn't use to do this, but I have learned that I feel better if I take water with me when I am out for > 60 minutes. I use the Nathan hand held water bottle. I love it. It holds 18oz and during my marathon I used two. I carried one with me for 12 miles and then I picked up a new one (filled with cold water) and carried that through the end. I did end up using the water stations starting at about mile 20 because I was starting to run low on the water I was carrying with me. 

I received no compensation for my views on any of these products. This was my personal experience. These are recommendations, but results will vary from person to person. If you have specific nutrition related questions, please feel free to reach out to me via the CONTACT ME link above.

Media Award from the Indiana Dietetic Association

I had the honor to receive the Media Award from the Indiana Dietetic Association (IDA) on April 16th at the IDA Spring Meeting in Indianapolis. It was a fun day. I got to attend the conference in the morning and listened to some great presentations. I also had the opportunity to see and network with some old colleagues, preceptors, classmates and professors. In addition to attending some presentation and getting continuing education, we had a fantastic luncheon followed by the award ceremony. My Dad was able to come to the luncheon with me, which was fantastic. Chas' mom come to the ceremony along with my co-workers Kristin and Lori. It was such a welcomed surprise to have all of them there. 

I feel that being a Registered Dietitian means I am a nutrition expert. Four years of college and a year long internship had provided me with a fantastic base of knowledge to help interrupt/communicate nutrition recommendations to the public. Lots of time the media if filled with people talking about nutrition and they don't always have the correct information. I love being able to speak to people and provide accurate nutrition recommendations. Being the recipient of this award was so great and I am so honored. Thank you for the nomination Angie and I hope that there are lots of other dietitians getting out there in communities and helping people make healthy choices. 

The 2015 Indiana Dietetic Association Media Award! 

My Dad and Chas' Mom after the award presentation.

Marathon Training

I am on week #16 of my marathon training schedule and on Saturday (April 18th) I will be running my first marathon ever. I posted back at the beginning of March about how I was water jogging. If you missed out - check of that blog post HERE. I made an effort each week to get to the pool twice a week and water jog for 60 minutes. It has been a fantastic experience. I have been so thankful for that opportunity and I think it has helped with my recovery after long runs. 

I never thought that I would be getting ready a marathon. I have run 7 half marathons over the past 5 years. I started with a half marathon in Illinois after working at NIFS (National Institute for Fitness and Sport) and was inspired by my boss who was an iron man competitor. I thought I could run 13 miles. Up until that point I had never really run over 8 miles. After that first half I started to get hooked. Then in 2014 I decided that I wanted to try to do a marathon. My goal was to run a marathon in November of 2014, but that didn't happen. I was kind of disappointed, but decided I should do 26.2 miles before I turn 27 years old (at the end of April). So on Saturday I will complete my first marathon - 26.2 miles while 26 years old. I never imagined that 5 years ago when I ran my first half marathon I would be running a marathon in the future. 

August 2010 - Very first Half Marathon in Illinois with my sister Ivana. 

It has been an amazing learning experience in discipline. I trained the entire time outside. I don't belong to a gym and I had to run outside. In the rain, snow and ice. There were a lot of firsts for me - first time running in sub-zero weather, first time running over 13.1 miles and first time running for more than 2 hours. 

If you have ever wanted to run and thought about a marathon. You should do it! It is challenging and there were days I didn't eagerly anticipate my cold run outside, but it was worth it every single time. 

Looking forward to Saturday and rocking out 26.2 miles! 

Healthier Chocolate?!

There was some research that came out of the University of Ghana about the processing of cocoa beans. It is pretty exciting, because there are ways to make "healthier" (more antioxidant rich) chocolate that tastes sweeter. If you are interested in learning more about this research article, here is a clip from CBS about the research - CLICK HERE.

This research found that in this process, prior to roasting, the cocoa beans are allowed to rest and sit in storage for up to 7 days and this lead to a increase in chocolate flavor (sweetness) and more antioxidants. These antioxidants are preserved when the roasting occurs at a lower temperature and in the end creates "healthier" more antioxidant rich chocolate. This system is then being considered as a new way to process chocolate around the world. 

Have you wondered about the percentage that is sometimes on chocolate bars? Or wondered why dark chocolate is talked about has healthy? Well it all comes down to those antioxidants in chocolate. That is why this research is so intriguing to the food science field. The health benefits of chocolate lies in the antioxidants and there are more of those found in darker chocolate. That is why chocolate bars are labeled with the percentage of cocoa powder included. This is a ratio of the cocoa powder to the milk/added sugar. 

As a reference point a Hershey bar contains 10% cocoa powder. That is the minimum that is mandated by the FDA. Then other bars (like Godiva or Ghirardelli) start off having ~50-70% cocoa powder. These make a great transition chocolate if you are use to the sweet Hershey bar, but want to try something with more antioxidants. Then working up to bar like Endangered Species that has 88% cocoa powder. 

If you missed the segment that was on FOX59 on the evening news - CLICK HERE to see the clip.  

Grocery Store Tour with Fresh Thyme

Tuesday evening I had the opportunity to work with the American Diabetes Association in Indianapolis and put on a grocery store tour at a local Fresh Thyme store on 82nd Street. It was a great opportunity to help provide people who some healthy tips about navigating the grocery store. It can be extremely challenging to know what items to purchase, what is the best time to buy certain fresh produce, what wheat bread means and how alcohol may affect your blood sugar if you are diabetic.  These are all issues that you can run into while navigating the grocery store. 

Here are some great tips to help you next time you head to the grocery store: 

1. Make out a plan for the week. It helps to know what recipes you want to prepare at home during the week. I dislike having to go back to the grocery because I forgot something, so make sure you make a plan. Then planning out your meals/recipes for the week will help to create your grocery list.
2. That is a good segue into the second point. Always make a list! This is a must. You can't head out of the house without a list of things that you actually need. Check the items in your pantry and refrigerator and only put the items on your list that you need. 
3. When you get to the grocery, stick with that list. Don't get distracted by the tempting foods, only purchase the items that you wrote down on your list. This also will help to stick with a budget and may help to save you some money. 
4. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store. In most traditional grocery stores the fresh produce, meat and dairy items are located on the outside of the shopping area. All of the processed food items are in the middle items/freezer sections. 
5. Purchase produce that is in season. This is important to help make sure you are getting delicious produce and not spending too much money on fresh fruits/vegetables. There is a great chart that is put out by Purdue --> Click here for the Harvest Calendar for Indiana. 

Eating Healthy During Pregnancy

So as many of you might know I work at a Women's Hospital and I end up working with quite a few pregnant women. It is so important to make sure that you are eating healthy foods while pregnant because your diet has a huge impact on your baby's health and wellness. I wanted to outline just a few of the recommendations that we had displayed in our cafeteria today. 

1. Variety of Foods - This is key! Variety helps to ensure that you are getting different vitamin and minerals in  your diet to help protect maternal stores and promote appropriate fetal development. It is essential to consume folic acid when pregnant to help prevent neural tube defects - the recommended amount of 0.4mg per day. Folic acid is found in dark, left vegetables (lettuce, spinach, kale, etc) and beans (legumes, lentils and black beans. Try to work in 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. The goal would be to consume 3 servings of protein a day. This is minimum and honestly if you are carrying multiples then you need to eat more protein. You need 1000mg of Calcium each day to support pregnancy. Some women aren't big milk drinkers so trying to include other dairy items in your diet is essential (like cheese and yogurt). 
2. Prenatal Vitamins - Taking your vitamin everyday is a must! This helps to ensure that you are getting ALL of the nutrients your body needs during pregnancy. I like to think of taking a vitamin as an insure policy. Even if we try to eat healthy and get enough fruits/vegetables in each day we aren't always perfect and taking that vitamin helps to make sure that you are still getting enough B Vitamins, Vitamin C, Folic Acid, etc. Prenatal vitamins now include added DHA (omega 3 fatty acid) to help with brain and eye development. 

Hopefully you found some of these pregnancy recommendations helpful. If you are wondering what to eat during pregnancy and how to plan meals this is a great video from Baby Center and has a dietitian talking about meal planning. CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO