Another Week at Diabetes Camp

The last week of June I had the pleasure of getting to help out a Diabetes Camp in Noblesville, IN. The Diabetes Youth Foundation of Indiana puts on a week long camp for three weeks every June for kids with diabetes. Commonly this kiddos are type 1 diabetics, but it is a great opportunity to have these kids enjoy a week at camp and have the diabetes taken care of during that time. 

This was my 2nd year back at this camp and it went great. We had a wonderful week! My role is that of a "lunch lady." I am in charge of making the food substitutions for the kids with food allergies or special dietary needs. Last year I had a ton of these kids (like 12-14), but this year it is a much smaller group. I have 2 girls with celiac disease, 1 boy with dairy, peas, peanut allergy, 1 vegetarian camper and another boy with just peanut allergies. My role was to prepare the food substitutions for meals. For example ... on a night with chicken strips, I would get and prepare gluten free chicken strips for the celiac campers. I wouldn't have to prepare their whole meal, just a portion of it. It works well because the head dietitian for the camp, does a great job putting together the menu each year, which includes fruit, vegetables, lean protein and dairy. It is a well rounded meal plan. There is always 1 dietitian each week to help oversee the kitchen area and the campers with food allergies/restrictions. This year we had another addition - a Purdue intern. Her name is Molly and she helped us in the kitchen throughout the week. She just finished her sophomore year at Purdue and is majoring in Dietetics and Nutrition, Fitness & Health. She was a great addition to the kitchen crew and did a great job. 

It was a busy week. When I wasn't working in the kitchen getting meals ready, I was using my time to chart on our NICU babies. Our census has been crazy high this summer in the NICU so we have been busy. It was a great experience as always and I really love being able to volunteer and spend some time each summer out at this Diabetes Camp. If you know of anyone with Type 1 Diabetes then make sure you share the Diabetes Youth Foundation of Indiana website with them and maybe next year they can go to camp! 

Hamilton TV Segment with the ADA on Summer Produce

I had the opportunity to work with the American Diabetes Association of Indianapolis again to put on a TV segment on the Hamilton County TV station located in Noblesville. We got together on Tuesday morning for a live interview focused on Summer Produce. I thought this would be a great topic, because now that summer is here in full force, we have tons of great produce items in the grocery store and at your local Farmer's Market. Everything tastes so much different when it is fresh. 

On the TV segement I showed some recipes and I wanted to make sure that you all had those available to you if you wanted to try them at home. 

Recipes

Make sure you give these recipes a try and if you are heading to this Farmer's Market this week or going to the grocery, try some of these new recipes. 

If you missed the TV segment and are curious as to why I highlighted some of these recipes then check out some information below about the nutritional value of Beets, Tomatoes, and Peaches. 

Beets 

  • Colorful vegetable that is often underutilized and overlooked. This deep red veggie is special because you can technically consumer the whole plant. The beet greens (leaves) can be cooked like a spinach or swiss chard. The fruit of the beets (the red portion) can be cooked as well and has been used throughout history as a sugar source.
  • Beets can help to lower your blood pressure and this benefit comes from the nitrates that are found in this produce. The nitrate is converted to nitric oxide which helps to relax/dilate your blood vessels, improving blood flow and decreasing your blood pressure.
  • There are high levels of folate found in beets and this can be a great whole food source of this nutrient for pregnant women to prevent neural tube defects.
beets1.jpeg

Tomatoes 

  • Are they really a fruit or a vegetable? That is always the debate. Either way they are full of lycopene which helps your body to fight off free radicals. 
  • Tomatoes are full of fiber and this can be helpful for diabetic patients. The fiber helps to fill you up during a meal/snack. The fiber also helps with lower blood glucose levels. If you are wondering how much fiber is in 1 cup of cherry tomatoes ... 2g of fiber. I know it doesn't sound like much, but it does add up over time. 

Peaches

  • Are ready for consumption during May through September. You can tell that your peach is ripe when you can smell it from a distance. When you touch the peach, it feels soft and not too firm. 
  • The bright yellow/orange color of the peach signifies they high amounts of Vitamin C that it has along with Vitamin A for eye sight. The skin of the peach is where all the fiber is located. These nutrients and antioxidants help to protect your cells and prevent cellular damage. 

There are tons of more great summer produce that I highlight in the TV segment, which I will post to my website after the show. Make sure to check it out. Don't forget to try some new produce this summer and take advantage of the all the health benefits these delicious foods have to offer! 

 

Prenatal Yoga

So as you probably now know my husband, Chas and I are expecting our first child in December. It was been a crazy ride so far, but as I head into my 2nd trimester it is wonderful to start feeling better and more like myself. 

I would say that I am a very active person. I enjoy running and doing yoga. I am sure you can tell from my blog that I enjoy being active and can not sit still for too long. With the start of this pregnancy I really struggled with feeling exhausted, nauseated a lot of the time and just lacking that normal vigor for life that I possess. Now I feel like I have come through that and am on the other side. I am starting to feel better and more like my normal self again. 

I have been getting back to running, which has been fantastic and I have made the commitment that I want to regularly attend prenatal yoga classes. For all of you who are pregnant, this definitely pertains to you! I am a strong believer in balance of one's self physically. I think that yoga really helps to accomplish that. You should never do just one type of activity or motion repeatedly so added variety and balance to our routine is important. I know I can tell a huge difference in my own body's alignment when I sit a desk all day or on the coach. I can feel it in my back and doing yoga helps to stretch and strengthen my body.

So maybe you are pregnant and we have never done yoga or you aren't conceived this could be something that could help you.

  • Your body needs and gets more support - With pregnancy your body changes A LOT. Even in ways that you can't see. Your body releases a hormone, called relaxin and this makes your ligaments more stretchy. It is help with labor in the future, but this hormone is released early in pregnancy (~10 weeks). This can cause some pain or movement into joints. Your body requires more support now with pregnancy and doing exercises that promote balance and support will be helpful. Learning safe ways to stretch, strengthen and support your body will be helpful as your body continues to change over the next 9 months to support your growing baby.

  • Strengthening important muscle groups - Prenatal yoga helps to strengthen your pelvic floor, hips and abdominal muscles which will be stretched and pulled in the labor process. The key to keep these muscle group toned - meaning a proper balance between the length/strength of the muscle. This will help with supporting your growing baby, laboring for multiple hours and for recovery afterwards.

  • Better prepared for labor and delivery - Yoga teaches mindfulness, proper breathing and a sense of relaxing. This is helpful in the labor process, because we all want to tense up, be slightly afraid and this will make labor more difficult. Using techniques learned in yoga to do cleansing breathes and to stay calm will help with the flow and even the duration of labor.

  • Connectedness with your baby - Taking the time out of your busy schedule for yourself and your baby helps with feeling connected to this little one growing inside of you. This is also a place to meet other mothers and have a sense of camaraderie with those in class with you. During the class there is lots of mindfulness towards your baby and taking a moment to think about them.

  • Healthier overall pregnancy - Research is showing that mothers do practice yoga tend to have less preterm infants and have a lower chance of having a low birth weight infant. Yoga counts as a form of physical activity and we know that maintaining your physical fitness during your pregnancy leads to better outcomes for yourself and your child.

Hopefully some of these benefits to doing prenatal yoga have started you thinking about maybe joining a class in your local area and becoming more physically fit. I know that participating in prenatal yoga classes (that last over an hour) helps to calm me down after a stressful day, my whole body feels better and I have a much more positive outlook on life. 

Your Local Farmer's Market

I enjoy the fact that now summer is full swing all of the local Farmer's Markets are open and starting to bring in delicious produce. I love being able to support local vendors who feel passionately about growing their own produce and being able to share it with people, like me, who don't garden. I would love to have a garden, but I don't have the space to grow produce, so I rely on my local Farmer's Market to obtain this delicious produce. 

Just this last weekend, my husband and I headed over to our local market in Noblesville, IN. We were able to get red potatoes, green beans and some heirloom tomatoes. They were amazing and the tomatoes were 10 x better than anything you can purchase at the grocery store. We took the dog, walked over to the Farmer's Market and enjoyed the sights and sounds of a local band playing, while we walked around and picked out our produce. I feel so much more connected to my food, when I am able to meet the people who grow it and enjoy fresher produce. 

PROs to visit your local Farmer's Market: 

  1. Fresher, local produce - You have to love being able to eat food grown in the county where you reside. It has such a different flavor than produce from the grocery and more nutrients that haven't been lost in transport. 
  2. Shorter food chain - Most of the food in the grocery store is coming from all around the world. It is picked while it is still unripe, ripens in a store house and then is transported to a store. When you purchase produce from a local market, you are getting cutting out the middle man and getting that produce directly from the farmer, which equates to better quality produce. This also allows you to interact with the farmer and know exactly where your food is coming from (for produce, meat and eggs).
  3. Supporting local economy - When you purchase food from farmers in your community you are helping to support your local economy. That money is going directly to that farmer in your community and staying in your community. That also helps support that smaller farmers who otherwise wouldn't be able to compete with the big, government subsided farms. 

If you are wondering when the Farmer's Market is open in your community check out some of these local Farmer's Market locations (thanks to the Indianapolis Star for this great list of local Farmer's Market locations, times and contact numbers. For additional locations check out there Guide to Farmer's Market newspaper article): 

• Carmel: 8 to 11:30 a.m. Saturdays, through Sept. 27, 5 Center Green, just south of City Center Drive, adjacent to the Monon Trail. Info: (317) 571-2474.

• Fishers: 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays through Sept. 27, 11601 Municipal Drive in the Amphitheater green space. Info: (317) 578-0700

• Noblesville: 8 a.m. to noon, Saturdays, May 17 through Oct. 11, Riverview Hospital overflow lot, 395 Westfield Road. 5 to 8 p.m. Thursdays June 5 to Sept. 18, 839 Conner St., Noblesville Main Street. Info: (317) 776-0205.

• The Original Farmers Market: Downtown Indy: 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Oct. 29. Market Street between Alabama and Delaware streets, Downtown Indianapolis. Info: (317) 634-9266.

• Westfield: 5 to 8 p.m. Fridays beginning June 6 through Aug. 29, Ameriana Bank, 3333 E. Ind. 32. Info: (317) 867-7740.

• Zionsville: 8 to 11 a.m. Saturdays, May 17 to Sept. 27, corner of Hawthorne and Main streets, Zionsville. Info: (317) 873-3836.

Exciting Announcement

If you are friends with me on Facebook than you probably already saw this announcement from yesterday, but if not I thought I would share it via my blog as well. 

Our family will be growing, come December of 2016. My husband, Chas and I are expecting our first "human child" in December. Haha we totally count our little chihuahua Einstein as our first puppy child. He is going to make a great "big brother." We are very excited and eager for this exciting next chapter in our lives. It was quite the surprise, but we believe that God's timing is perfect and we are eager for this next adventure. So stay tuned for lots of nutrition information about pregnancy, I'll be trying out some prenatal yoga as well and working to stay in shape throughout this pregnancy. 

Photo credit to Chas for this amazing picture that we took yesterday. He did a great job editing it and putting it together! 

FitBloggin Conference

I am super excited to be able to attend the 2016 FitBloggin Conference in Indianapolis this summer. I didn't know much about this event until I was contacted by an acquaintance at the American Heart Association of Indianapolis. He reached out to me and told me about the event and thought that I might like to attend. He was right! I think it looked like a great event and something I love to be able to go to!

I had to share with you some of the topics at the conference that I am excited to attend: 

  • How to Influence Your Community to Achieve Fitness & Health — Hear from a panel of successful writers, bloggers, social media users, and fitness professionals about the central tenet of why FitBloggin’ exists – how to influence your community to achieve their fitness and health goals. Moderated by Roni Noone, founder of FitBloggin’. 
  • Be a Consistent Blogger…Forever (Blogging & Social Media Track) — Ten fool-proof tips and tricks to be the consistent blogger you have always wanted to be. Posting more often is the key to growth, so learn how to never lose your “blogging mojo.” SPEAKER: Schnelle Acevedo 
  • Super Simple SEO (Blogging & Social Media Track) — Session will cover the basics of how the Google algorithm works, why blogs are gaining more search traffic than ever, and actionable steps to gain traffic for your posts through search. SPEAKER: Jessica Woodbury
  • Fitness for the Minority Population — Explore how the culture of minority populations affects their beliefs and practices on healthy living, diet, and exercise. We’ll also discuss how to communicate with minority communities. MODERATOR: Shera Strange 

I have a passion for fitness & health and being able to communicate with people via social media about health and wellness. Being able to attend this conference is such a fun opportunity for me. I was able to apply for a scholarship to attend and I was picked! I really didn't think that would happen, but thankfully I was able to get most of the registration fee covered and I am super excited to attend the conference and soak up as much information about fitness blogging as possible. 

If you have a blog and enjoy fitness, you should mark July 21-24th on your calendar and set side some time to attend the FitBloggin Conference in downtown Indianapolis! Of course I will be blogging about the event and taking lots of pictures so you will have to stay tuned! 

No matter how slow ... you are out there running!

I read a great article from Women's Running about the pace at which you run. I shared it on my Facebook Page and I thought it was good enough of a topic that I should write up a blog post about it. As many of you may know, I love to run. It was been a thing that I have enjoyed since I was a small child. It is just a part of who I am. I totally understand that those feelings (of enjoyment, delight, eager anticipation) may not be shared by you. In fact you may HATE running. The only time you might run is when you are running away from something that is going to kill you. That is ok. I am not offended that you may not LOVE one of my favorite pass times. I am not going to judge you. I will take some time and encourage you to find something that you enjoy doing that gets you moving, and keeps you active. Find whatever that is and set a goal for yourself and go after it! 

Now maybe a few of you reading this don't loathe running and you have always wanted to complete a race. You probably know lots of people who have run in races, gotten medals, and you think to yourself "if they can do it, surely I can too!" You are totally right! Starting with something do-able like a 5K (3.1 miles). You can run or walk and that is the best race distance to start off with if you are dipping your toe into the this new world of running. In fact the 5K is the most popular race distance! In the USA there have been 8.3 million 5K finishers. 58% of those finishers were women and 42% were men. Isn't that amazing?! If there are 8.3 million people able to run 3.1 miles ... guess what ... you can to! 

Now you might also be thinking "I am so slow, everyone will be passing me." If so, then so what! It doesn't matter. You are out there working hard, sweaty and moving yourself toward a goal. That is the important part and how long it takes you, means nothing. Lots of people feel self conscious when they run. That is totally normally and with time that feeling will slowly go away. Most of the time people, are not watching you and if they are, you should be proud of yourself that you are out there running as they sit in your car and just drive by. 

If you need some encouragement make sure to check out the Women's Running article about why running slow doesn't matter. It always makes me sad when people talk about running and then follow it up with the comment "well I am just slow" or they put themselves down. We need to stop doing that and take pride in the fact that we are out there exercising and trying to be the best versions of ourselves. If you need a training program help you accomplish your goal of running 3.1 miles then check out the Couch to 5K app on your smart phone. This is a great program to tell you exactly what to do to get yourself in shape to run in a safe way. So grab a buddy (a person or a dog), pick a goal and get yourself outside and moving! 

Least Healthy City in America

Well the results on in ... the most healthy city in America ... (drum roll please) ... is Washington DC. The American Fitness Index (put together by the American College of Sports Medicine and the Anthem Foundation) released their yearly rankings for the the healthiest cities across America. There are 50 cities on the list total. Unfortunately my city, the place where I reside, came in as the least healthy city in America - at #50 Indianapolis, IN. 

Top 10 cities: 

  1. Washington DC
  2. Minneapolis 
  3. Denver 
  4. Portland 
  5. San Francisco 
  6. Seattle 
  7. Boston
  8. Salt Lake City 
  9. Hartford, CT 
  10. San Diego

The criteria that went into these rankings  include the city's desire to focus on wellness, including environmental factors, like walking paths, parks and access to outdoor activities. They also assess personal health and how much Americans in these cities are making a concerted effort to be active. 

For Indianapolis, we have 33% of our population that qualifies as obese (BMI of >30kg/m2). And our parks department only spend $24 per person on maintaining/building park areas. And if you look at the number of people who live within a 10 minute walk from a park, that total is only 32%.  When you compare that to the number one healthiest city, Washington DC, they spend $346 per person on their parks, they have 96.3% of their population within a 10 minute walk from a park. Their obesity statistics are much better at 25% of their population = obese. 

This is a huge difference and if you think about the culture of Washington DC compared with Indianapolis you have more people driving in Indianapolis and less people walking to/from their homes/work. Hopefully Indianapolis can take this information and work to better our parks and provide areas for people to be outside and get active. This is going to have to be a shift in priorities to put more money into the parks department, but I know that it can make a big difference in all of our lives. 

Information/statistics from - www.today.com

Celebrating My 2 Year Anniversary

It is crazy to think about that I am now celebrating my 2nd anniversary at St Vincent Women's Hospital and working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit there. I remember being so nervous about leaving my job at St Elizabeth in Lafayette and wondering if I could like St Vincent's as much?! It has turned out to be an amazing transition and I am so glad that I took that leap of faith. 

I have absolutely loved the challenge of working with all the complicated neonates in our NICU. It is amazing to be part of that team that works each day to save lives. I have seen such a wide array of complex medical issues and gotten to be part of so many tiny miracles. I have enjoyed working with all the staff at St Vincent as well. The doctors are phenomenal, the nurses are super caring and all of the staff cares so much about what they do. I count myself lucky to be part of this amazing team. 

So much as happened in the last 2 years since starting at St Vincent in the NICU ... 

  • We moved from Lebanon to Noblesville
  • Chas quite working for the Boy Scouts and went to graduate school full time at Ball State 
  • Chas got a graduate assistantship to help pay for school
  • I passed a test and became a Certified Specialist in Pediatrics (CSP) 
  • I also attended the Childhood and Adolescent Weight Management Training 
  • I launched this amazing website ... www.RDAnna.com 
  • Worked with social media and various news outlets in the greater Indianapolis area to share nutrition education with the community

It has been amazing and I am excited for what the future holds. It will be amazing to continue to be part of this team and get to learn so much more about neonatal nutrition.

Experience with Interviewing

I have spent the last week doing interviews for a formula room technician position at our hospital. As one of these RDs at our hospital, we help to oversee that formula room area and help with the hiring process. This has been a great opportunity to get some management experience. I also think that using formula technicians/diet technicians is a must for that job and helps bring the skill level in that area up to par. I believe that the chance to interview for a job is a great opportunity to practice how you introduce yourself, communicate with people you don't know and to answer questions in a polished way. I think that even if you are interviewing for a position is a great opportunity to get practice with first impressions. Being good in an interview takes practice! 

I thought that I would share some tips that I think might help people when it comes to interviewing well. Obviously, these opinions are all my own and would apply to my area of practice, dietetics in a hospital setting. 

  1. Arrive on time. Make sure that you know exactly where you are going and give yourself plenty of time. It is better to sit in the car or lobby for a few moments before the interview, rather than rushing and arrive late. Plus it shows the people you are interviewing with, that you will be a reliable employee. 
  2. Dress professionally. Also dress to impress! Make sure that you are wearing business professional clothes, closed toed shoes and tights/hose with a dress. There is nothing worse than being too casual. It is always better to be over dressed and make an impression that you are serious about this job than under dress, which can come off negatively. 
  3. Shake hands and smile. When you enter and leave the interview space, thank the people that are interviewing you and shake their hands. Make this a firm, confident hand shake. Also remember not to be seated until the person that has brought you into the room sits or gestures for you to sit down.
  4. Ask questions. Stay engaged with the interview. Think of questions to ask ahead of time and this shows a level of interest/engagement with the interviewer. This also allows the interview team to get to know you. It is hard to some one to make a decision about you if you don't speak up and least carry on a conversation. 
  5. Be proud of who you are and what you want to accomplish. Take yourself seriously and be proud of what you have accomplished. This is different than bragging or boasting. Play up your skills and really sell yourself, because this interview team will make a decision based on ~30 minutes of time with you. 
  6. Send a thank you note. Follow up with whomever you interview and send a thank you note. It is amazing how many people don't take the time to do this! An email would work, but ideally a hand written note goes a long way! Out of 5 interviews we did last week we got 1 thank you via email. That one person that took the time to say thank you will be remembered.

Good luck with your next interview and take the time to enjoy it. This is a great learning opportunity and hopefully things will work out and you will land that job. 

Artificial Sweeteners ... Yes or No?!

Over the last several years there has been a variety of research done in regards to artificial sweeteners. Now in our food supply we have tons of foods/beverages that are made with artificial sweeteners to decrease the overall calories. Is this really the best thing? I have set out to answer this question for the American Diabetes Association of Indianapolis. I have been asked to do a nutrition TV segment and a talk with a diabetes support group on this topic. 

Getting ready to our Artificial Sweeteners segment on Hamilton County TV with Carol Dixon from the American Diabetes Association in Indianapolis.

Getting ready to our Artificial Sweeteners segment on Hamilton County TV with Carol Dixon from the American Diabetes Association in Indianapolis.

I really enjoy being able to do research and increase my own knowledge on a topic and help to clear up confusion that is out there in the media. So here we go ... updated synopsis of the information that I have read and put together on the effect of artificial sweeteners on our bodies. 

  • What are artificial sweeteners? These are compounds, that taste sweet, and are used in place of regular sugar. You may have heard of sugar substitutes, nonnutritive sweeteners or noncaloric sweeteners. They are all the same thing. The theory behind them comes from the fact they are sweeter than sugar so you would use less to obtain the same level of sweetness and that decrease the amount of calories being consumed. 
  • What is the history behind artificial sweeteners? Saccharin (or as we know it Sweet N' Low) was actually discovered by accident at John Hopkins in 1870 when researchers were working with coal tar and cigarettes and ended up creating saccharin. They realized the tip of the cigarette tasted sweet and that was the beginning of artificial sweeteners. These compounds were also found to cost less to use and that helped to influence their surge in being used as a food additive.
  • What are the Pros/Cons of artificial sweeteners? I think that there are two sides of everything and I believe that artificial sweeteners have some positive and negative qualities about them. I hope this information helps you make an informed decision about using artificial sweeteners in your daily life.
    • Pros: 
      • Decrease overall calories - This has been the main reason that artificial sweeteners have gained popularity, because they decrease the calories in sweetened beverages and food. This can be helpful when you are trying to decrease your overall caloric intake to lose weight. More research is being done to look into how effective this small decrease in calories is to overall weight loss. 
      • Creates sweetened options for diabetics - These artificial have been helpful to the diabetic community to provide them with "sweet" food options that may not cause the immediate spike in their blood glucose levels. As a RD I do not think simply substituting regular sugar for an artificial sweeteners is a positive. You need to make healthy choices and not feeling justified in eating the whole sleeve of cookies just because they are "sugar free." 
      • Fine in moderation - I think of artificial sweeteners as a tool. They can be helpful if you want to decrease calories, or need to watch your blood glucose response. Having 1 Diet Coke a day is fine, but having 4-5 Diet Cokes per day is not ok. Everything in moderation and that applies to artificial sweeteners as well. 
      • Variety of products = variety of options - There are so many different types of artificial sweeteners now. Often these artificial sweeteners end up having an after taste, but with the variety of products you can find one that you prefer. Just remember moderation with whatever product you choose.
    • Cons: 
      • Still contains calories - The thing about artificial sweeteners is that they are not "free of calories." You use less of them, because they are sweeter than sugar, you don't consume as much and the calorie amount is low. If it is low enough that it doesn't have to be accounted for on a food label, then it can be labeled as "calorie free" or "low calorie." For example 1 packet of Splenda = 3.3kcal and if you were consume 12 of those packets in your coffee then you would be ingesting 40kcal. So nothing is free of calories, it comes down the amount of that artificial sweetener being consumed. 
      • Brain perceives sweetness and may trigger insulin release - There is more research that has coming out looking at the relationship between artificial sweeteners and your insulin response. So when you eat an artificial sweetener, it tastes sweet, sends a signal to your brain to release insulin from  your pancreas, the artificial sweetener isn't absorbed like glucose and you experience hyperinsulinemia (or high insulin levels). If this happens routinely it could cause you to become insulin resistant. Obviously, more research needs to be done, but it is interesting finds and could have a big impact on the artificial sweetener market in the future. 
      • May alter gut flora - Research has also been looking at how your body deals with artificial sweeteners in your GI tract. Since they aren't absorbed the same way as sugar, this can cause a change in your prebiotics/probiotics in your GI tract. This ultimately creates a different microflora in your gut. That could have other secondary ramifications. Again, it will be interesting to see what that means for people consuming artificial sweeteners on a regular basis. 
  • What do you recommend? It all comes down to moderation. The FDA has ruled artificial sweeteners as safe and if consumed in moderation I think they be a great tool to limit your calorie intake and if you are diabetic can help control your blood glucose levels. If you want a beverage or something sweetened with an artificial sweetener, make sure that you fit in some water. That is always the best thing to reach for when you need to re-hydrate. More research will be coming out in the next several years and I excited to see how this affects our recommendations regarding artificial sweeteners.

Monday Motivation

I am not sure how your Monday has been, but I wanted to share with you some Monday Motivation to help keep you on track with your health goals.

We are going to jump right in. So have you been hitting your physical activity goals? Back up, wait a minute. Do you have a fitness goal? Everyone should. Whatever your goal is for yourself .... walk 20 minutes per day, strength train 3 days a week, run outside at least 3 days a week .... whatever that goal is for yourself, you should be moving toward it. 

http://tinyurl.com/z5ze8r3

http://tinyurl.com/z5ze8r3

Now that we have established, you should never skip a Monday work out here is why ... you are setting your week up for success. On Monday, you have the opportunity to set the tone for your week. 

http://tinyurl.com/z5ze8r3

http://tinyurl.com/z5ze8r3

Whatever your favorite form of exercise is ... do that! I got myself to the gym today. I was so proud of myself. I hadn't been in about 3 weeks due to being busy, gone on Spring Break, taking a class, evening activities, but today I told myself I had to go. It was gross and cold outside, so I got dressed in my work out gear, headed to the gym and lifted weights for 40 minutes. It was great, because I felt how much strength I had lost over those previous 3 weeks. I normally do 15 repetitions and 3 sets of each exercise - I was dying. That was good motivation to plan another day this week to spend some more time lifting weights to help build strength for my half marathon in May.

Get started today! There is still time to fit in some form of physical activity. I sat ALL day at work charting on babies and making phone calls. My afternoon has entailed as much movement as possible - walking the dog for 30 minutes, doing 40 minutes of lifting at the gym, standing in the kitchen to cook for 30 minutes and doing 30 minutes of yoga. Find ways to move more and meet those fitness goals that you have set for yourself! 

Childhood and Adolescent Weight Management Certificate Program

I had the opportunity to attend the Childhood and Adolescent Weight Management Certificate Program in Indianapolis last week. It had been a goal of mine for the last couple of years to attend that program when it was closer to where I live. They offer the 3 day program twice a year and they rotate the sights all over the country. This spring it was in Indianapolis! I just had to go, because it would have been cheaper and less travel compared to going to another state for this training. 

Now you might be wondering what this training is about. It is focused on combating the obesity epidemic in youth and the goal is for RDs to be able to learn more about this issue and be better equipped to work with patients to help them become healthier. To complete the certificate program you have to complete required readings, complete a pre-test (score minimum of 80%), attend the 2 1/2 day program and then complete a post-test (scoring a minimum of 80%). At the end of all this you get to claim this certified training on your resume and gain useful knowledge in this specialty area. 

So even if you aren't an RD, I did learn some interesting information that you might find interesting. 

  • Children ages 2-19 - 32% of them are obese and 21% of children ages 6-10 years are living in food insecure homes.
  • It is projected that by the year 2072 - 80% of everyone in the United States will be obese (BMI >30kg/m2). 
  • 60% of children 10-14 years old have a TV in their bedroom. Research has shown that kids gain 1 extra pound per year when they have a TV in their bedroom compared with children who didn't have a TV in their bedroom. 
  • Children are often the main target for intense and aggressive food marketing and advertising efforts. Often this is NOT for healthy, food options.

I know some of those statistics are depressing, but I think it helps to realize how big of a problem this is for children and this isn't a problem that goes away in adulthood. This weight gain trend often continues as the child gets older and continues to be a problem throughout the child's entire life. 

There are lots of things that we (as a community) can do to help our youth be healthier now and for the future. 

  • Make an effort with your children to limit screen time, get outside a move more and purchase healthy food for your home. 
  • Try to eat out less and make being healthy an entire family commitment. 
  • Support health/wellness initiatives in the local school systems. 
  • As a parent or caregiver, demonstrate healthy behaviors for your children. 

I wanted to share this video from the FNV Campaign (Food and Veggies) that is a partnership from the Healthier America and Let's Move Campaigns to help encourage healthier food marketing to Americans. I just wanted to leave you on that note and encourage you to make healthy choices for yourself and your children. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day ... Eat Your Greens!

Today is St. Patrick's Day! That means that you should be wearing something green and maybe eating some traditional Irish food. Or if you aren't one for cabbage or potatoes, then reach for some other wonderful green vegetables. Lots of times vegetables get over looked and some people don't even like them. 

Well I encourage you today to find some dark green veggies and incorporate them into your diet. Research as shown that dark green, leafy, vegetables are perhaps the most potent super food on the planet. The great thing about dark vegetables is that they contain high amounts of Vitamins A, C, E and K and well as some B Vitamins. They are great sources of calcium, magnesium, iron and potassium. All of those leafy greens provides lots of fiber and that is good for your digestive health. Vegetables are low in fat and carbohydrates. This is fantastic for weight loss and helps keep you feeling full and control your hunger. Fiber has been shown to help with elevated cholesterol levels as well and blood pressure control. If you have issues with blood sugar control then consuming more fiber can help to slow the absorption of carbohydrates into your bloodstream following a meal. These leafy greens also contain a fair amount of water and this helps to count towards your hydration needs for the day. 

There are so many positive effects from regularly consuming leafy greens, there is absolutely no reason why you should grab some from the store and starting using them in your meals at home. Enjoy this festive holiday and remember to eat some yummy leafy, greens as well!  Here are a couple recipe ideas to try ... 

  • Roasted Brussel Sprouts
    • Chop up brussel sprouts after you have washed them. 
    • Spray or drizzle with olive oil. 
    • Season with your favorite spices. 
    • Roast in the oven - broiler on high for ~10 minutes or grill on the grill. 
  • Italian Spinach and Pasta Soup
    • Ingredients: 
      • 2 cups dried pasta, cooked 
      • 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth 
      • 1 (15oz) can of no-salt-added kidney or great northern beans, drained, rinsed 
      • 1 (14.5oz) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes 
      • Italian seasoning to taste 
      • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 
      • 4oz frozen or 4 cups fresh spinach 
    • Method: 
      • In a medium pot over medium-high heat, bring broth to a boil. When broth is boiling, add beans, tomatoes, Italian seasoning and pepper and bring to a simmer. Add spinach and cook until softened and bright green. 
      • Place pasta (about 1 cup per serving) into soup bowls, ladle soup over the top and serve.
    • Nutritional Information: 
      • Per serving - 210 calories (10 from fat), 1g total fat, 420mg sodium, 40g carbohydrates (9g dietary fiber and 6 g sugar), 10g protein 

Fueling Up For Your Next Half Marathon

I have had the pleasure over the last several years, to do a presentation at Tri-N-Run, in Lafayette, IN. This is a fantastic triathlon store just off from Purdue's campus. I have really appreciated being able to partner with Tri-N-Run and do nutrition presentations for them over the years. I enjoy being able to travel back up the Purdue and talk about something that I love, sports nutrition. If you live up near Lafayette and need any running shoes or triathlon gear, go check out their store! 

This past Monday, I had the opportunity to talk about fueling for your next half marathon. As many of you may know the Indianapolis Mini Marathon is coming up in May. It is a HUGE deal in Indianapolis. In fact is the largest half marathon in the United States of America and the 7th largest running event in America. So if you have signed up to participate in this amazing race, you might be wondering about what you should eat to prepare for this event. Your nutrition, during training, the night be before, during the race and afterwards has a huge impact in your performance. 

Obviously there is a lot of talk about when it comes to fueling for your race. If you want more in depth information, feel free to contact me and I would be happy to meet with you personally. I am going to share a few commonly asked questions that I get from people when they are thinking about fueling for an endurance event.

What should I eat during the race?

  • This is a common question and to answer it appropriately you need to go all the way back to metabolism. I know, stick with me. Your body utilizes the carbohydrates that you eat, changes it into glycogen, which is then stored in your muscles and liver. The goal during an endurance activity is to keep your body fueled enough to not dip into your liver and all your muscle storage of glycogen. If you use all the muscle glycogen you will dip into fat stores and you will start to feel like you have "hit a wall." Using a gel or another carbohydrate containing product will keep your body using that form of carbohydrate for energy and more gradually using your stored glycogen. 
  • There are lots of different types of gels and chews, the key is to find one that you enjoy and you can tolerate well. You want to practice with these products, because you might find that you tolerate certain ones better than other. I do well with a product called Huma Gels. This gel is made from chia seeds and doesn't contain maltodextrin (a common carbohydrate that can cause GI distress). I love the flavors and the texture (it is like applesauce). 
  • It is recommend that you consume these gels or chews every 45 minutes during your endurance activity. So that equates to 1 gel every 45 minutes you are running your race. Practice with this while training and see if you can tolerate that schedule. 

Do I need to carbo load prior to the race?

  • This is a common train of thought ... you need lots of carbohydrates the night before to fuel your race the next day. That is now an "old school" philosophy and not still recommended. What you eat 2-3 days prior to the race has a bigger impact on your body than what you eat the next before. If you want to eat pasta then do that 2-3 days prior to the race, not necessarily the night before. 
  • Make sure you stick with familiar foods 3 days prior to the race. Don't be adventurous and try new things. Stick with foods that you know you digest well and that you can handle prior to your race. 
  • Some people find that they have to limit the amount of fiber they had prior to the race. I personally do better with a large salad with protein the night before the race. I do normally eat a fair amount of fiber and I can tolerate that prior to a race. (It is about to get graphic .... you have been warned. If you don't want to read about bowel movements, skip to the next bullet point). It helps to facilitate GI movement and a a nice bowel movement the morning of the race. 
  • Make sure that you eat something the morning of the race as well. Whatever you tolerate best. I prefer cereal, milk and a banana. Some people like bagels with an energy drink. I know that I have to avoid anything with too much fat - like breakfast meats and eggs. 
My most recent race, back in February in Zionsville, IN - The Groundhog 7 Miler

My most recent race, back in February in Zionsville, IN - The Groundhog 7 Miler

Hopefully these have been some helpful recommendations as you gear up for your half marathon race. If you are racing in the Indianapolis Mini Marathon ... good luck and enjoy the training. You will do awesome! Remember to practice with your nutrition and find something that works well for you! 

Guest Blog Post: Journey

With this previous week being National Eating Disorders Awareness (NEDA) Week, I wanted to turn the spotlight on this topic and hopefully start some productive conversations. I hope you were able to read my Reality of Eating Disorders post. If you didn't take the time to read it, please jump over there, because it is a great segue into this post.

I wanted to share my experience with an eating disorder with you, but this story isn't mine to tell. I was not the person struggling with this condition. I experienced an eating disorder, as an observer, and watched my younger sister fight this disease. I have asked her to share with you her experience. She agreed to write about her journey.  

Eating Disorder is an ugly term located somewhere on the spectrum of mental illnesses. For me, my eating disorder sat right next to Depression, tugged at its pigtails in class, didn’t do the reading and copied down answers during the exam.

I identified my depression long before placing a term to my struggles with food. And after identifying my depression, I realized that it had always been there. Thoughts of suicide, beginning at age seven or eight, had practically always been a part of my life. I considered it normal, as normal as the social isolation which played a huge part in my upbringing. Homeschooled until eighth grade, I consistently found it difficult to the point of physical discomfort to interact with others my age. Although I attended public high school and spent four years at a university, my social anxiety remained.

Much personal research over recent months has led me to realize myself as an individual with high functioning Autism, more commonly known as Asperger’s Syndrome. Those with an Autism Spectrum Disorder often possess intense singular interests or obsessions, becoming upset and disoriented if unable to pursue said interests or fulfill a routine built around them. Some of my clearest, recurrent memories from high school involve my parents, sister and myself in the car on the way to visit family or attend an event. I’m asking frantically, in classic broken-record fashion, what time we’ll be home. What time will I be able to go running? Can I take my running shoes? Will we be home before dark?

To say that my life revolved around Track and Field/Cross Country in middle school and high school would be a bit of an understatement. I never missed a workout. I arrived at school early to do sprints up and down the length of the building. Classes on meet-days were spent with my head on my desk, visualizing the race ahead of me. Lucky racing socks, sports bra, head band, pre-race songs, and of course food were essential for me to feel stable.

But high school doesn’t last forever.  A stress-fracture along with normal hormonal changes had dampened my athletic success, causing me to split my attention between running and art, my other stand-alone interest. Attending a university to study graphic design seemed like the best course of action. It was at this point that my internal identity was forced to change, exuding pressure to shrink the idea of myself as an athlete. Obsessive behavior has no on/off switch. There is no quick and simple way to transfer attention from one focus to another for an obsessive individual. As I put more effort and time into art school applications, less time was devoted to running and my comfort routines associated. This half of myself exploded into panic mode, bringing the full fury of an obsession scorned during the summer following graduation. I continued to run every day but felt directionless without a team. I needed a goal. A competition, in which I could show progress. My weight was the obvious answer.

I didn’t like how I looked. College Orientation had left me feeling misplaced, anxious about being in a new environment with totally new people with whom to build relationships. Numbers on a scale became, for me, direct indicators of my worth. Depression gave back-bone to a blossoming eating disorder, magnifying feelings of isolation and proposing a physical reason for my social anxiety. To assign responsibility for a life-time of social mal-ease not only to oneself but to physical appearance, is undoubtedly warped. However, depression possesses a tremendous ability to skew one’s perception of reality. The eating disorder presented a standard and an “attainable” goal towards which I could direct myself during a period of intense transition. Depression seized hold of my anxiety, guilt (in regards to my anxiety and when I failed to meet my disorder-induced goals) etc. and fed off of it, triggering extreme periods of apathy, frustration, increased thoughts of suicide.

Spring of my Senior year, my weight clocked in at roughly 170lb. Throughout the Summer and early Fall, it dropped approximately thirty pounds to just under 140lb. To be clear, as someone who ran every day, I had never been overweight. The weight lost was healthy weight. From mid-Summer until the Spring of my Freshman year of college, I never had a menstrual cycle. A body fat index test at the gynecologist’s office reported my body fat content to be roughly 13% with at least 19% necessary for a period to take place. I was proud of these numbers, having physically sweat and shrunk myself to reach them.

I would have continued to push myself to lose more and more weight. I wanted to drop below 130, 120, 110, however low I could get. Thankfully, my mother and sister encouraged me to meet regularly both with a dietician and a licensed counselor. It was well into the following year before the weight began to slowly come back and for my period to return to a regular rhythm.

Neither my struggles with mental stability (depression and/or eating disorder) nor my story as an occupier of the Autism Spectrum, especially not my rough transition into university life are unique. Eating Disorders are, as a spectrum unto themselves, all too common among young girls, boys, men and women of all ages. But they never exist in a vacuum. Understanding where they originate is a journey for the individual. After moving up to a healthy weight and repairing the direct damage done by the disorder, I was able to take a step deeper within myself and address it as a comorbid effect of my depression. In recent months, identifying my depression as an intense situational response to life-long social anxiety and misunderstanding as an Aspie (person with Asperger’s) has helped me to understand myself. There is nothing wrong with the way that I think or relate to people. It is different, yes and at times frustrating for everyone involved, but I need not feel shame in my personal habits, quirks, routines or obsessive urges. I relate to people best one-on-one and don’t need to feel guilty or uncomfortable about wanting to limit my social interaction, let alone compensate by attempting to mold myself physically in hopes of creating a more acceptable version.

Even though I have moved beyond my active struggle with disordered eating, the mindset remains, like a dormant virus. It has no discernable effect from the onlooker’s perspective but is always present. It has influenced large and small decisions about how I live my life. I no longer run but walk as a means of enjoyment and transportation; there are no scales in my home and never will be; I shut my eyes at the doctor’s office when they take my weight; and I remember the mindset is still present when I look in the mirror and instinctively turn to the side to check the profile of my stomach. The mindset is here to stay. It is a part of who I am. All I can do is learn to understand where it comes from, what gives it power. Taking the power away from my anxiety/disordered thinking and assigning it to myself is a daily process. But there is no battle more worth fighting than the one for your own happiness and quality of life.  

The Reality of Eating Disorders

This week is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (#NEDAwareness). Now you may be thinking - I don't have an eating disorder, I don't know anyone who has struggled with an eating disorder, I will never struggle with my relationship with food?! Well you would most likely be wrong ... food issues do not discriminate. Eating disorders are a complicated condition that can affect all aspects of your life and affects people who are close to you. This is struggle that faces men and women, young and old, and those who are overweight or thin.

These statistics break my heart. All of our young girls and boys need to be viewing themselves in a positive light and not having a negative viewpoint about their body image. Forget all the stereotypes about eating disorders and embrace these statistics. More people struggle with their body image and self confidence then ever before and we need to help meet this problem head on. 

So what can you do? Start with this screening tool from the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) and see if your are viewing yourself, your weight, your issues with food need some additional help and support. CLICK HERE for the survey. Remember that eating disorders affect all types of people, so please don't judge people based on how they look. All of us struggle at times with your self-image. Be supportive of one another and if you have concerns about a loved one's relationship with food, talk with them and be that safe person for them to confident within. Overcoming this condition is a challenging and something that is never fixed. It is a constant struggle and that love and support is always needed. 

Stay tuned for my next blog post (hopefully later this week). I have a special surprise that hopefully you all will find insightful and enjoy reading. Stay tuned! 

The Power of Yoga

I love yoga. I have been doing yoga since I worked at the National Institute for Fitness and Sport in Indianapolis back in 2010. That was my first real exposure to a yoga class and I liked it. It was quite challenging and I am not flexible, but I loved the way that I felt afterwards. I felt like the "kinks" were all working out in my body. I know that sounds kind of silly, but it was true. Now that I have learned more about yoga I am convinced that it is helpful in restoring balance, flexibility and decreasing stress levels. As we all are aging our bodies are breaking down and we are becoming less flexible. Older people tend to be prone to falling or having back pain. All of this is due to not taking care of your body. Yoga helps to restore that physical balance and flexibility which can be very helpful. There was an article that was published on the NIH (National Institutes of Health) website about Americans who practice yoga report a better well being. 80% of people doing yoga reported lower stress levels. 2/3 of these yoga participants also were more motivated to exercise.

If you are new to yoga or never tried it before then I encourage you join a class or get on YouTube and try some poses out. I absolutely love the channel Yoga with Adriene. She has great videos and this Yoga Beginners Video is great if you are just starting out. 

If you have been wondering about trying to work more yoga into your life I would encourage you to do a series of yoga classes or YouTube videos. Doing a little bit each day is a great way to increase your flexibility, decrease your stress and create a healthy habit. I highly recommend Yoga Camp with Adriene. 

Take the time this week and pull out your mat and do some yoga. Start slow and just work out the kinks and reduce that stress. You can even do yoga with your loved ones or your animals. Einstein is a huge fan of yoga and loves stretching out after a long day. Enjoy! 

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New Facebook Page! Like it! Love it!

I wanted to write a little blog post about my NEW and updated Facebook page. I have made a separate Facebook page for RDAnna and all my nutrition related posts. I have been posting nutrition information to social media for years, but I thought I would create a separate page to make things a little more professional. 

Take a minute and LIKE my RDAnna Facebook page and follow me so that you can continue to get awesome nutrition information, updated blog posts and some videos in the future. I am starting a new project that will be helpful to RDs in NICU formula rooms around the country and I am eager to share those on social media as well. Thanks for the "likes" and the love! 

Joining a Gym and Strength Training

Strength training time as arrived! Raise your hand if you are excited .... ok I wasn't really either. Going to the gym and actually lifting weights is something that I kind of dislike. It is not my favorite thing to do, but it is so important. I am getting ready for another marathon in the fall. That means that I need to start strength training now! 

I joined a gym across the street from the hospital where I work so that I could stop by on my way to/from work. That way I would be more likely to actually go to the gym + it was really cheap. Win and win! 

So why is it important to strength train before an endurance event? Excellent question ... one that I asked myself. Lots of times we think of strength training as putting on lots of muscle, but the main goal is to build some muscle and strengthen the muscle you do have. This strengthen muscles allows it to work more efficiently when you doing endurance activities. For example, strengthening your hip flexors will help to make sure that extra stress isn't placed on your quads/hamstrings which could cause knee pain with continued endurance activity. Getting your body stronger in general will help to prevent injuries. That was my main purpose in hitting the gym ... avoid future injuries. 

So now that I had a place to lift weights I had to actually decide what I wanted to do. I really enjoy classes, but this gym doesn't have classes so I have to lift on my own. Thankfully they have machines that I can use to work the upper body, chest, and legs. The big thing that I have been focusing on is getting a total body workout for 45 minutes on the various machines. That way I work arms and legs and hips too. This should help to prevent future injuries from running, which is the main goal! 

Now you might be wondering what in the world would you for exercises at the gym for ~40 minutes? I found myself in that exact same predicament. I started with a goal. I wanted to get a total body work out in the time that I had available (~45 minutes).  I started with the machines at the gym and developed a routine. I alternate how I begin my time at the gym - between legs and arms first.  I started with 2 sets of each exercise and completed 12 repetitions. The goal was start to build a base strength, because I knew that it would be helpful for endurance activity. Now I have worked up to 3 sets of 15 repetitions each. 

  • Bicep curls 
  • Tricep extensions 
  • Deltoid pull downs 
  • Sled press 
  • Hamstring curls 
  • Quadricep extensions
  • Hip adductor and abductor exercises 

I recommend that if you have been thinking about getting out that and joining a gym. You should do it! I normally dislike gym establishments, but I have been impressed with the results that I have started to see. I have gotten stronger and I think this training will help my marathon training starting this summer. If you head out to join a gym, make sure that you pick a place that meets your criteria, will help you accomplish your goals and is on our normal route of travel. You are much more likely to actually go to the gym if you are already driving past it each day. Happy lifting!