Running Through The Heat

I recently shared an article on RD Anna's Facebook page about training/exercising outside in the heat. And I thought this would be a great topic to focus on for a blog post. I have heard this so many times ... "It is too hot to be outside! Oh the humidity is terrible and I can't be outdoors." Yes, there is a time and place that some times it can be dangerous to be outside, but nine times out of the ten that is not the case. If you take a few steps to be prepared and smart about it, exercising outdoors in the heat can have great health benefits. 

1. Make sure the check the weather. There are times when the news stations/weather outlets will issue heat alerts for high humidity or extreme heat indexes. If this is case, then consider running inside or doing some other form of cross training that day. 
2. Stay in the shade. This seems like a no-brainer, but it can make a world of difference. Being in the shade can help to keep you cooler for longer versus running outside in the direct sun. On a hot day the asphalt can increase in temperature upwards of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. 
3. Leave early. When you anticipate hot weather that day, plan your run in the early morning. This should be before the sun rise to help ensure that you are aiming for the coolest part of the day.
4. Shorten your distance. Rearrange your route that you are running shorter loops and either passing a water fountain or a place where you could cool off. That way you are ensuring that you aren't getting stuck out in the middle of nowhere in a dangerous situation.
5. Change your goal. Think about running based on effort versus just strictly based on distance or time. Sometimes with the heat, you are expending tons more energy while running and you are are working harder. This means, it is ok to run less in terms of distance or time, because your body is working just as hard due to the increased temperature.
6. Hydrate! This is key. Before you even leave for your run, drink water. During your run plan to drink plenty of water and after your run, replenish your depleted water stores. On really hot days, using a product like Gaterade, Powerade, Skratch, etc can be a helpful tool to help replace electrolytes that you have lost sweating.
7. Changes in blood/sweat. Your body is working differently in the heat and your more blood to rushing to the surface of your skin to help cool you off. This means that there is less blood going to your muscles and vital organs. This can be dangerous if you aren't staying hydrated and maybe even slowing down your pace to let your body keep up with the cooling process. 
8. Heart is pumping harder. When you exercise in the heat, your heart is pumping even harder to get the blood circulating throughout your body and going to the surface of your skin. With this increased strain on your heart, this could lead to possible issues if you are not staying hydrated and aware of how you are feeling while exercising. The increased heat, increases the work load on the heart and makes your 8 minute per mile pace feel more like a 6 minute per mile pace. There is no shame in slowing down your pace, due to the heat, to help take some of that increased stress off your heart.

So the key to remember to know your limits. As a runner, you know your body and what you are capable of. You are familiar with feelings that your body has when running and you can identify if it is unsafe for you to keep running. Be smart about your outdoor running the heat, but don't use that increased temperature as just an excuse either. 

Pregnancy Weight Gain

If you have been following my blog for any length of time, you can tell that I have started to post more about pregnancy nutrition/wellness since I, myself, have become pregnant. I know that is kind of self-serving, but I do think it is great information and I am just excited to share with you all credible information. I have been trying to space out the pregnancy information, with posts about cooking, running and general wellness topics. If there is a certain topic you want me to research further/more in depth, let me know! 

Ok ... so pregnancy weight gain. I have talked about this before in previous posts, but I wanted to talk specifically about it now in regards to how you gain weight. This was a topic that I was very curious about and wanted to dig deeper. 

In between 22-25 weeks I started to notice that my weight really started to jump up, from ~142lbs up to 147lbs in just a matter of weeks. I have been eating well, counting calories, exercising 3-4 times per week and walking throughout the work day to help my back and stretch my legs. I feel great otherwise, but the scale numbers were really jumping up. I was given a heads up that this might happen from a co-worker. She had mentioned that she noticed this fluid shift around 25 weeks gestation. I started to do some more research and I found a great write up on Expecting Science that explained how this weight gain occurs in the 2nd trimester. We know current pregnancy weight gain guidelines (2009) are as follows: 25-35lbs for a normal weight woman, 28-40lbs for underweight woman and 15-25lbs for an overweight woman. This sounds simple, but ends up being more complicated in terms of how this weight is gained. 

• A lot of the weight gained during the 2nd trimester is water weight. There is a large fluid shift that occurs and by the end of the 2nd trimester, mothers have doubled your blood supply. That is a huge fluid shift and that increasing scale number is more likely fluid compared with fat accumulation or even baby's weight.
• Pregnant women also don't gain weight neatly week to week. All of us gain/lose weight at various rates and often it is not consistent. So a large increase over a couple of weeks isn't surprising, especially if weight gain was low in the weeks prior. 

I thought this graphic was a huge help in better understanding pregnancy weight gain. As you can see about 20 weeks gestation the mother's blood supply really started to increase and the weight of the uterus and breast size also increases. As anticipated, during the 3rd trimester the baby's weight increases and that starts to be the main growth area that occurs prior to delivery.

Making sure that you are aware of your weight gain, and keeping track of it is important. Your weight gain might also not be completely predictable. That is ok! If you are looking for additional information for weight gain recommendations then read this short article from Pregnancy & Newborn. They touch on weight gain during pregnancy and even losing weight afterwards. Your body is an amazing thing and its ability to adapt and grow is really neat, even if it feels slightly unpredictable. 

Kids Eat Right

I know that I kind of missed the mark with this post. It is a little late, because August was Kids Eat Right Month and I know it is now the beginning of September, but I am think this is such a great topic that we should continue to talk about it into September. 

As many of you know, I am a pediatric dietitian and I feel passionately about good nutrition for our kids. This week I am was asked to put together a display booth as a Elementary/Jr High Wellness Night at a private school. I also have the chance to be on Indy Style again talking about school lunches (tune in tomorrow at 9am on WISH TV). I thought this would be a great topic for the blog this week and really focus in on recommendations for school-aged children.

There was also a great news article that was released at the end of August from the American Heart Association talking about children and sugar consumption. This statement came from research put out in the publication Circulation, looking at how sugar affect children's overall health. The recommendations are that children/teens (ages 2-18 years old) should not be consuming more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar per day. Added sugars are classified as table sugar, fructose, honey found in processed/prepared foods or beverages, sugar that is added to foods at the table or eaten separately. It has been determined that children eating more than this per day (> 6 tsp added sugar) are often consuming more unhealthy food items. 

Now you have to be wondering what in the world can you do to cut back on your child's sweet treats? Well thankful there is a great handout from the USDA on this exact topic. 

In addition to just sugar intake, overall diet is important as well for children to grow/develop to their full potential. As a parent/caregiver, the responsibility falls to you to help make sure that your child is getting the proper nutrition that they need. You should be aiming for a well-rounded, balanced plate at every meal. I know that feel intimidating, specially if you have a picky child. But keep offering healthy options and encourage your child to take at least 2 bites of each food item offered at that meal. 

Your child's plate will be smaller compared with yours, but it should still contain all of the above mentioned food groups (Fruits, Vegetables, Protein, Grains and Dairy) with each meal. Now I know it can be challenging to fit in vegetables with your breakfast, so if that doesn't happen every morning, make sure to offer another vegetable at lunch/dinner and move a fruit to a snack in the afternoon. 

Tips for a Healthy School Lunch

1.  Incorporate fruits and vegetables in a fun way. Variety your produce options in the lunch bag. Use different dips throughout the week with the veggies (hummus, ranch, sunbutter) or with the fruit (like yogurt). Cut up the fruit/vegetables so that your child is more likely to eat them. 
2. Make the bread on their sandwich whole grain. This could be sliced bread, crackers, pita or a wrap. You can have a variety of types of sandwiches (lunch meat, PB&J, chicken salad). 
3. Have a snack for them in their bag for later in day – for the ride home on the bus or in between school and a sports practice. Make this something easy to carry that doesn’t need an ice pack – granola bar, crackers, dried fruit, or nuts.

If you  have more questions or want more information about planning healthy, meals for your family, feel free to get in touch with me! Have a great Monday and hope your Labor Day weekend has been amazing! 

Healthy Weeknight Meals

If you are anything like me, you kind of dread cooking dinner during the week. With a full time job, after work activities, trying to stay up on your fitness, the Olympics on TV ... there is so much vying for our time in the evenings. Sometimes the last thing we want to do is sit down and cook an elaborate meal. I thought it would be fun to put together a list of some great recipes that you could print and maybe implement in your weeknight dinner rotation. Here are some of the criteria that I was looking for when I compiled this list: Meals taking < 30 minutes to prepare, easy to use ingredients, using healthy ingredients (variety of vegetables, fruits, lean protein) and minimal clean up afterwards. 

List of Recipes to Try: 

Vegetarian/Summer Recipes

1. Orecchitette with Roasted Peppers, Arugula and Tomatoes
2. Grilled Tempeh Skewers
3. Two Bean Soup with Kale
4. Seared Tofu with Sweet Chili Sauce
5. Chipotle Black Bean Burrito
6. Carrot and Black Bean Crispy Tacos
7. Sweet Potato Kale Frittata

Sandwiches

1. Waffle Iron Turkey Melt
2. Pulled BBQ Chicken with Coleslaw
3. Caprese Sandwiches
4. Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa
5. Chicken Parm Sub

Meat Recipes

1. Couscous with Chicken and Root Vegetables
2. Sriracha Teriyaki Meatball Bowls
3. Balsamic Steak and Berry Salad
4. Creamy Salmon Chowder
5. One Pot Lasagna
6. Bacon and Brussel Sprout Penne
7. Thai Shrimp Soup
8. Corn and Ham Risotto

Hopefully you find this post helpful in at least exposing you to some new recipe ideas. Take them, try them and see what you or your family think about them. I always love encouraging people to try new foods and new recipes. Cooking should a fun experience and during the week I think if you stick to simple, quick meals that helps to make the whole process of preparing healthy meals fun again! 

Getting Back Into A Healthy Routine

It is the middle of August and school is back in swing. The summer is officially wrapping up. That means that fall is just around the corner. Now is a great time to get back in healthy lifestyle habits. Over the summer we are all on crazy schedules, between vacation time, traveling, eating delicious fried foods at your local fair and going to cook outs, we all need to get our health plan re-prioritized. I love the summer festivities as much as the next person, but some times it is nice to get back in a healthy routine. 

So where do you start? What do you start thinking about first? Let's begin with food ... what you choose to put in your mouth. 

1. Make the choice to bring a healthy lunch to work. Believe or not this is huge. Eating out can be such a stumbling block to your health. Take the extra time to plan some easy, healthy lunches to take with you to work. If you are stuck and can't think of anything new then CLICK HERE for some great ideas. You can prepare these foods ahead of time and then pack them up so they are easy to grab when you head out the door.
2. Pack healthy snacks for the day. Most of us all get hungry between meals and that is perfectly normally. We should be eating 3 meals a day with 1-2 snacks. So picking healthy snack options is so important. Something that provides fiber, nutritional value and some protein will help keep you filling full until your next meal. For some good healthy snack ideas, CLICK HERE.
3. Meal plan during the week and schedule your grocery shopping. In order to be able to put together healthy lunches and snacks for the week you need to take some time to head to the grocery store. Always make out a list of things that you need and stick to that list. This will help ensure that you are choosing healthy options and that you are not spending too much money. For some good tips to navigating the grocery store, check out this post from earlier in the year - Navigating the grocery store in a healthy way.
4. Only have healthy foods on your counters. This might not seem like a big deal, but what you have visible in your kitchen will have a huge influence on what you end up eating. For example, I had some delicious, candied popcorn out on my counter from a party last week and every time I walked past that popcorn I would eat some. It got to the point that I had to put the left-overs into the cabinet so that they were out of sight out of mind. Needless to say, after moving that popcorn my strong desire to eat it ALL quickly faded. Set yourself up for success and have healthy food items within easy reach if you are hungry.

What you eat is of course important, but your physical activity has a huge role to play in your overall health as well. 

1. Schedule your work out time. If you want to start a new habit, then you need to set a time to practice that new habit. This applies to working out. Pick a time each day that you are going to do some intentional exercise. It doesn't have to be the exact some time everyday (if you schedule is varied), but you need to plan at the beginning of the day to exercise at a certain time. If it is helpful, set an alarm or a reminder in your phone to encourage you to get up and exercise. 
2. Find some time of special class/activity that you really enjoy. I think this is important. Find a class or some type of activity that you enjoy and pay to participate. I have taken up prenatal yoga classes and every Tuesday night I spend 1.5 hours at the yoga studio doing yoga and it is awesome. I look forward to those classes each week and it is such a treat to get to take that time for myself. If could be a class at a gym, spinning at a studio or even joining a running group in your local community. 
3. Get some new work out clothes/shoes and get invested. When you spend a little money on something you are just a little more invested. Go ahead and get that new pair of running shoes and then schedule regular times to run. Find a running buddy and enjoy this social time in your new running shoes/outfit. Also signing up for a race can provide great motivation in helping to ensure that you are actually training and getting ready for the event. So whatever it is you decide to do, get invested! 

So I have something fun for you ... a GIVEWAY! Take a couple minutes and fill out the form below. I have a gift card to Marsh Supermarket for you (this give away is not sponsored by or associated with Marsh). Write out 2 goals that you have for yourself to help make your health a priority. I want to encourage you to set goals and then work on accomplishing them! Good luck and I am excited to get lots of entries!

Enter to Win a $25 Gift Card from Marsh

2nd Trimester ... 2nd Wind

I have decided to work on a couple of pregnancy posts about nutrition, but also just about healthy living in general. I am in my 2nd trimester of my first pregnancy and I do not claim to know much about pregnancy. This is my first time going through this, but I have been learning a lot. Now that I am at 21 weeks I feel so much like my "old self" (pre-pregnancy) again. My 1st trimester was a little rough. I was exhausted, felt nauseous a lot of time and found food NOT appealing. It was challenging to not feel like myself and I have to admit I struggled with having a positive attitude. Since feeling better, I have had a much more positive outlook on life. I thought I would put together a list of things that might be helpful for you if you are pregnant or to share with someone you know who is pregnant. 

Our little kiddo at our 20 week check up/ultrasound

Tips for Healthy Living while being Pregnant 

• Keep moving and make time for fitness - I feel so passionate about encouraging pregnant women to stay active! A lot of women that I know, tend to stop exercising and I think that is a terrible idea. You need to keep up your fitness and this 2nd trimester is a great time to focus on that, because you normally feel better, have more energy and are still small enough that you can do various forms of exercise. Find something you enjoy ... walk more, run, work out at the gym, take a yoga class, swim or aerobics classes. Take time each week to staying active and use this time for your own health, but also for your babies health. This can also help to keep your weight gain appropriate. 
• Track your food and activity - I have been counting calories and tracking my physical activity this pregnancy. It was been great to know that if I am hungry and have calories left, I can eat a snack, but if I am hungry, I don't have calories left, I need to drink water and hold off on the snack (if possible). There is a peace of mind in tracking your calories when you know you are needing to gain weight, but don't want excessive weight gain. I have been using MyFitnessPal, but there are lots of nutrition/activity tracking apps out there. Find something that works for you and use it on a daily basis! 
• Get that To Do List DONE - I have experienced a surge in energy this 2nd trimester and I am taking advantage of it. I have been working on projects around the house and getting baby planning done so that I don't have to worry about it in the future. It has also been nice being able to work on things this summer and having the help of my husband, who is out of school for the summer. I have made of list of things that need to get done before the baby arrives and I have been going through things and just checking them off. Make out a goal list of things you want to do, set a time table for those projects and then start working on getting those items checked off. 
• More than just  "pregnant" - I  have never been the type of person to define myself by my circumstances. This whole pregnancy, I have not wanted this experience to "change" me. I am still myself, but I just happen to be pregnant for 9 months.  I have been so blessed to have a supportive husband who has helped to remind me of that and not use this pregnancy as an excuse for anything. This has really helped my attitude and I hope this encouragement is helpful to you as well. 
• Enjoy this time - I have heard from so many people that this 2nd trimester is one of the best parts of pregnancy. You feel good, you aren't huge yet and you can still so many things. I have taken that advice to heart and I have been working hard to enjoy this time. I have been doing fun things with my husband and trying to be thankful for this time before our little one arrives. I encourage you to take time to be thankful for what you have and enjoy this season.

I have learned so much during these last 21 weeks of being pregnant. It is crazy to think this journey is half over and by the end of the year, we will met our little kiddo. It is exciting and I am thankful for this chance to learn so much about myself and being able to better relate to those pregnant women that I work with at the hospital. 

Side note - After I typed up this post ... we had our Gender Reveal party and we found out that we are having a little baby boy! So that is exciting news and just had to share that with you all! 

Eating Healthy on the Run

With the summer starting to wrap up and school gearing up in next few weeks, I thought it would be helpful to take a look at some tips to eating healthy on the run.  We are all busy with the craziness of school schedules, evening activities and our jobs, it can be nice to have a plan to keeping your health and wellness on track! 

1. Meal Planning
   • Take time to set out a meal plan for the week. Pick a day, the same time each week for this menu planning.
   • Make a grocery list and stick with it. 
   • Keep the MyPlate in mind for meals.
2. Have Go To Snacks
   • Purchase individual snacks or bag up your own. 
   • Stick with the portioned sized snack product. 
   • Toss the snacks in your bag, car or purse so you have them when you get hungry.
3. Do NOT Skip Lunch
   • Even if you are busy, grab a bite to eat. 
   • Pack a healthy lunch the night before or pick something healthy up from the cafe. 
   • If you wait to eat you will be famished later. 
4. Brew Your Own Coffee/Tea
   • If you want to save $$$, make your favorite beverage at home. 
   • You can control the additive (cream, sugar) and this can = less calories. 
   • Get a a good thermos and take  your favorite beverage with you. 
5. Follow the 3-P's
   • Plan - Create a menu plan for the week. Find quick and easy recipes online. Save these recipes and create a cycling menu. 
   • Purchase - Shop when you are NOT hungry to avoid buying unhealthy foods. Stick with your list. 
   • Prepare - Plan to take the time to cut up your produce when you get home and cook meals on the weekends to take as lunches throughout the week. 

Pregnancy Nutrition Misinformation

I have felt this "need" to write up a blog post about pregnancy nutrition. As a now pregnant woman, I have heard so much misinformation about pregnancy nutrition that I kind of want to address a few of these issues. I have always felt as a Registered Dietitian that it is so important to have all the scientifically accurate facts when it comes to your health. So hopefully you find some of this information helpful and insightful for yourself or someone that you know who is pregnant. 

Pregnancy Nutrition Myths Unmasked 

1. "You are eating for two" This is one of the most common things that I have heard lately. Unfortunately I don't believe that as a pregnant person you should be operating under this assumption. Not until your third trimester should you be increasing your calorie intake significantly. 
   • 1st Trimester - do not consume any extra calories. Continue to eat your normal, healthy diet. Nausea is often challenging at this time so finding foods that sound appetizing is important. Try to balance your fruit/vegetable intake and make sure to aim for small, frequent meals if nausea is an issue for you.
   • 2nd Trimester - it is recommended to consume an additional 340 calories per day. That is not a lot of extra calories. If you enjoy sweet treats, that could easily just be 1 donut or 1 Starbucks drink a day worth of calories. To help keep our calories under control, it might be helpful to count your calories. I have been using MyFitnessPal to help keep tabs on my calorie limits per day. Also continue to be active and make sure that you are exercising on a regular basis. 
   • 3rd Trimester - this is where your baby ends up growing the most. You need an additional 450 calories per day. Make sure that if you are adding calories, you are choosing healthy food items to increase your intake of - fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and dairy options. Keep up on activity during this trimester as well. As you increase in size, some activities can be challenging but do what you can and try not to become a couch potato. 
2. "Pregnancy cravings are a thing" Now this is a comment that causes a lot of contention among people. I think that lots of time, people use this myth as an excuse for their excessive weight gain. We, as people, have cravings and have foods that we really love. For example, I got some Albanese gummie bears and they are weak spot for me. I love them and I could sit and eat the whole package. I know this though and I choose most of the time not to buy these "trigger foods." It is not that I am pregnant that I want them, it is because I find them delicious and I have always had a weak spot for them. I have also had certain foods that during pregnancy sound more appetizing than others. I have really grown to LOVE bacon recently. Again, I don't think that this is a craving or a food item that I eat excessively. I think that mindful eating and maintain moderation is the key to success in life and in pregnancy. 
3. "Your baby will get whatever nutrients it needs from you, so what you eat doesn't matter" There is a grain of truth to this myth. Your baby needs certain nutrients and if you are not eating a well-balanced diet, the infant will try to obtain these missing nutrients from your body. Calcium is a great example - if you aren't consuming enough dietary calcium, your unborn baby will start to pull calcium from your own bones to meet their growth needs. Now with that said, your diet as the mother, if very important. You need to maintain your own health and meet the needs of your growing child. What you eat has a huge role to play on your child's overall health (in utero and after they are born). 

For more information about maintaining a healthy weight during pregnancy, check out the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website. One of the biggest challenges for pregnant women is to maintain a healthy weight. This has a huge impact on their own pregnancy and their infant's health. Take the time to make this a priority and if you have additional questions, let me know! 

Fit Bloggin' Conference 2016

I had the opportunity to attend the Fit Bloggin' Conference in downtown Indianapolis this past weekend. It was a great event! I am so glad that I took the time to go and it kind of pushed me outside my comfort zone. 

I attended the conference from Friday through Saturday. There were great speakers talking about their own weight loss journeys, books they had written, TV shows they had been on, research they have been doing and tips for becoming a consistent blogger. I have attended a variety of conferences over the years, but most of them relating to nutrition/feeding conferences and so this was the first time I had actually attended a conference about something else. It was great to have a chance to meet people from all over the country and get to learn about how they organized their blogs/social media presence. I was encouraged to take the effort and become more consistent with my own blogging. I try to blog every week, but I am going to work to make sure that my blog comes out at the same time each week. I also was encouraged that my platform looks great and may not have as many readers as I would love. I am working on that and had some great ideas of search engine optimization. 

It was great to be able to just listen and observe the people that I met. I have never been in the situation of trying to lose a large amount of weight, so I found it so good to be able to listen and have a better understanding of how to work with these individuals. I also was encouraged to continue to serve as that dietitian professional in my community as a resource of scientific evidence and hopefully provide a clear, and helpful message in regards to nutrition. 

Favorite Parts/Memories: 

1. Attending the fitness sessions each day. I had the chance to attend a total of 4 fitness classes that were offered over the 2 day conference. They were great and I loved everything that I learned. From using Valslides for the first time from Valerie Waters, to learning about the application Swork It, doing Zumba and attending a session hosted by Lifetime Fitness. It was great! I was so sore afterwards, but it was a ton of fun. 
2. I enjoyed the breakout sessions and being able to listen to a great discussion lead by David Garcia who has the website Keep It Up David. To learning how to become a consistent blogger forever by Nellie and getting to learn from her and her blog Brooklyn Active Mama.  I also learned so much about search engine optimization from Jessica Woodbury and her blog Don't Mind the Mess.  I also loved being able to meet fellow dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner and get to speak a little bit with her. She has done was amazing things on TV and has a great website/instagram account - check her out!

Overall it was a great experience and Fit Bloggin' did a great job hosting this event. I was hoping to meet even more people, but due to some airline issues some speakers/attendees were unable to come. I am so glad that I had to chance to attend and for being made to feel right at home in a brand new environment for me. If you are a blogger and work in the fitness arena and want to attend next year, I definitely recommend it! 

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

• Recipe for Beets topped with Feta crumbles
• Recipe for Tomato Salad with an Edamame Succotash
• Recipe for Grilled Peaches

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.

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.

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.