Food Safety Tips for the Holidays

All of us, enjoy all the food that is associated with the Holiday Season - everything from the cookies to the turkey. It is so much fun to gather with family and friends, celebrate another year and eat delicious food. For all of the time that goes into making a gorgeous holiday spread, you want to make sure that your meal or appetizers do not end up making your loved ones sick. That is why food safety is so important, especially this time of year. There are some great handouts and information available from the CDC and FDA. Food borne illnesses are a serious issue in the United States causing ~76 million people to become sick each year. The most common food borne diseases associated with meat, poultry and fish are Salmonella, Campylobacter and E coli. Pregnant women, older adults, infants, young children and those with a weakened immune systems are at higher risk for severe infections. 

4 Steps to Food Safety

1. Clean - Always wash your hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before touching or preparing any food. This is the best way to prevent the spread of food borne illnesses. This also applies to all your kitchen equipment and utensils - clean them with warm water and soap, especially in between working with meat and produce.
2. Separate - Keep your meat and produce items separate. Use a separate cutting board for raw meat, poultry and seafood and then use a different one for fresh produce. This helps to prevent cross-contamination. Remember to keep the juices of these fresh meat items away from any already prepared foods as well. 
3. Cook - When you are cooking your meat and poultry items make sure that you are getting the internal temperature of those food items to a safe level. This will ensure that all the microorganisms are killed. Use your food thermometer and make sure that you insert the thermometer correctly into the food item. The AND has a great page on how to properly calibrate your thermometer and use it correctly! 
   • Turkey, stuffing, casseroles and leftovers to 165F 
   • Beef, veal, lamb roasts to 145F 
   • Fully cooked ham to 140F 
   • Fresh ham, pork and egg dishes to 160F 
   • All leftovers should be cooked to 165F 
4. Chill - Once your meal is over, getting your food put away and properly cooled is important. Your refrigerator should be kept at 40F or below to prevent bacteria growth. Any type of egg dish always needs to be kept in the refrigerator. Get your leftovers in the frig within 2 hours of them being out on the table and never defrost your food at room temperature.

Entering the Home Stretch

• It is almost time for our little guy to arrive. It is hard to believe as I am writing this that we are quickly coming to the end of this pregnancy. It feels like not that long ago, I was putting an announcement up on this blog. For all of you who have followed me on social media - Facebook, Twitter and Instagram you have most likely seen a variety of things about my pregnancy over the last 9 months. 

I wanted to take the time and just write up a little summary of my experience being pregnant and looking back over the last 9 months. 

First Trimester 

• Issues with Nausea - This was huge initial struggle for me. I am never sick and I really had issues with a lack of appetite, increased ability to smell things and some issues then with vomiting a few times. I tried a variety of things to help diminish these symptoms. I used Sea bands and they helped a little. I also made sure that I was eating something small every 3 hours (even over night). I would wake up and eat applesauce or crackers overnight. I found that I liked cold food items better than hot items. I also really struggled to eat vegetables so I didn't push myself to eat them. I also took a combination of Vitamin B6 and Unisom to help take the edge off of the nausea. This helped the most and really helped me be able to start eating again and be around food. 
• Extreme Tiredness  - I was amazed at how tired I was during these first weeks of being pregnant. I was wiped at the end of every day and I would get home and just sit or sleep. I was thoughtful for the chance to take it easy and just rest when I needed to, which helped a lot.  
• Sacroiliac Pain - This started for me right away. I noticed pain in my hip/back when I would stand on one leg in the shower or when I was putting on pants. I started doing some research online and found a variety of exercises that would help. I also made sure that I had good posture to help prevent the pain from getting worse. I think getting on this problem before it got worse really helped me throughout the past 9 months.
• Started Prenatal Yoga - This was one of the best things I did throughout my pregnancy - every Tuesday night I did prenatal yoga. I absolutely loved it! In fact, I am going to really miss it when I am no longer pregnant. It helped my sacroiliac pain and helped just to move/stretch. I think it also helped maintain some strength, balance and flexibility which is important in labor. 
• Totally Overwhelmed - This was a very overwhelming time and I am so thankful for a supportive and encouraging husband. Without him, I am not sure I would have had such a positive pregnancy overall and for that I have to make sure he receives all the credit that he is due! 

Second Trimester 

• Return of Energy and Normal Activities - Getting into this second trimester was wonderful. I felt "normal" and like my regular self again. I had my energy back and I could do all the things that I would normally do - work, exercise, fit in errands after work, cook dinner and clean the house. I am the type of person that is always moving and doing something. I didn't exercise as much during the first trimester, because I was so tired, but I got back into my normal routine of exercising for about 30-45 minutes every day. 
• Have the Chance to Travel - Since I was feeling better, it was great to take the time and travel some during this time frame. We went to Fort Wayne over the summer for a baseball game, got to travel to Ransburg for a couple of weekends and made a big trip out to the East Coast for a wedding. We enjoyed being able to see some family and friends. 
• Labor and Baby Preparation - We took this time to make sure that we got as much done as we could prior to our little guy arriving. We put together our baby registry, re-organized our house to accommodate baby things, took our Bradley Method child birthing classes, and started to purchase some items for the baby/his space. We also took time for the two of us, myself and my husband. We wanted to appreciate and cherish all of this time that we had left with just the two of us.
• Monitoring Weight Gain/Counting Calories - This was very important to me to make sure that I was eating enough, but not over doing it. During the first trimester, I didn't gain or lose weight. I just maintained my normal and that was perfect. During this second trimester, I wanted to make sure that I didn't gain too much weight too quickly. To help provide myself with reassurance, I started counting my calories. This has been such a helpful tool to keep my weight gain appropriate. 

Third Trimester 

• Continue to do most normal activities - As I moved into the third trimester, not much changed. I noticed that starting around 30 weeks gestation, I started to show a lot more and started to feel more pregnant. I have been able to still do most of all the things that I want to do. I still run, but the time has slowed and it has gotten harder. I ran two 5Ks during this trimester and I was so excited to be able to do that. I didn't win my age group, by any means, but I didn't come in last! To balance out my slower running pace and the increased toll on my body, I made a normal routine out of going to the gym and using the elliptical. This has been easier on my joints and still allowed me to be active. 
• Started to slow down a little bit - In these last final weeks before Baby Busenburg's arrival, I have started to notice myself slowing down. I am bigger and he is growing well and I just take a little longer to move around. I notice that I get more winded when I go up the stairs and if I sit in one position too long, it is uncomfortable. These have really been the worst of my complaints. I have been so thankful for an uncomplicated and boring pregnancy. 
• Eager Anticipation - I think both Chas and myself are getting more and more ready for Baby Busenburg to make his arrival. We are both as ready as we will be to start this parenthood journey and I know that I will be happy to have my body back. It will be lovely to finally see our baby's face, not be kicked randomly throughout the day and be able to sleep on my belly again. I know we will have lots of other new challenges to face, but I have an amazing husband who is going to be right there by myself the whole way! 

Holidays, Moderation and Stress

Now that Halloween is over and we are into November, the holiday season has officially started.  This means lots of gatherings with friends and family and of course food! Celebrating holidays is very tightly associated with delicious meals and sweet treats. It can be challenging to always navigate this time of year in a healthy way. In addition, to the tasty food temptations, we normally are under additional stress to plan a Pinterest perfect party or give that one of a kind gift to our family members. Being able to balance the stress of the holiday season in a healthy way in terms of our minds and body is very important. Hopefully some of this information will help give you some peace of mind.

Tips for Handling Stress in a Healthy Way –

• Stick to a budget. We all love to spend money during the holidays from clothes, to gifts, to food and travel expenses. It can be an expensive time of year. Take some time now to plan what you can realistically afford in terms of gifts this year. Think about your travel expenses and make sure that you set aside some money for those additional costs. Having a plan will help ensure that you are successful in sticking with it. There are ways to give gifts to co-workers or family members that are more cost effective, like baking goodies to give out or putting together fun gift baskets with items from thrift shops or the dollar store. The goal is to determine your budget ahead of time and then stick with that goal. This will help decrease that stress about money and stretching yourself too thin financially.
• Plan ahead. This ties in to the previous point about putting together a budget. Figure out how you want to structure your time during the holiday season. What goals/traditions do you really want to do and then what things are not necessary to accomplish? If you are able to take time off, how are you planning on spending that vacation time? Have a plan in place so you know what to expect and that helps you feel less stressed. Have conversions with family ahead of the holidays to determine what days you will get together and mark that on your calendar. By looking at your schedule ahead of time, you can work hard to not over book yourself and still enjoy the holidays with lower amounts of added stress.
• Don’t abandon your health. This can be challenging during the holidays to not totally throw healthy habits out the window. Take time to work in some physical activity into your vacation time from work. Go on a walk with your family or play in the back yard with your grandkids. If you have a pet, take the dog for a walk or head to your local park. Even, shopping at the mall could be made into some extra physical activity by walking some extra laps in the mall or parking really far from the mall entrance. Try to break up your sitting intervals, even when you are traveling by stretching, getting up and moving around. In addition to exercise, try to set yourself up for success through what foods you are eating. Before you head to the holiday neighborhood party, grab a healthy snack: a cheese stick and an apple, so that you aren’t famished and don’t over indulge on the holiday cookies.  If you are going on a road trip to see family, pack a healthier lunch with you so that you aren’t tempted to stop at the drive through to grab a bite to eat. Taking a little bit of time to plan through how you can stay active and make healthy choices, will go a long way this holiday season in helping you feel better about yourself.
• Take a moment for you. More often than not, the holidays have us rushing around to see family and friends and not taking time for ourselves. There are some holiday traditions or fun things that you probably love about this time of year and making sure that you pause, and enjoy that moment is important. If you love to watch Christmas movies while drinking hot chocolate, plan one night where you sit on the couch and watch the whole movie, while sipping on your hot chocolate and you enjoy that little tradition. Finding time to take a moment will help you to feel grounded and enjoy the holiday season amongst all the hustle and bustle. 

This time of year is so special and being able to manage your health and stress levels in a healthy way will help to ensure that you finish 2016 off right and greet 2017 on a positive note. Hopefully some of these tips will be helpful as we gear up for the holiday festivities. Remember, stick to your budget, plan ahead, don’t abandon your health and take a moment for yourself over the next month and half. By utilizing some of these recommendations, you will feel better and enjoy this wonderful time of year! 

Packing A Healthy Lunch

I had the opportunity this past week to give a Lunch and Learn presentation to a local Indianapolis business. It was for National Healthy Lunch Day and it was on behalf of the American Diabetes Association of Indianapolis. I have done a variety of things along side the ADA here in Indy over the past couple of years. They are a great resource in the greater Indianapolis area and I was happy to put together a presentation about Packing a Healthy Lunch. This is a topic that affects everyone, because all of us have to eat and all of us should be eating something for lunch. The goal is to make that food we put in our mouths, a healthy choice. 

Goals for Packing a Healthy Lunch
Include at least 3 food groups …
•Fruit (sliced apple, fruit salad, banana)
•Vegetable (salad, cut raw veggies, steamed veggies)
•Protein (meat, nuts, peanut butter)
•Grain (pasta, bread, pizza, etc)
•Dairy (slice of cheese, yogurt) 

Plan a snack
•Include one of the food groups you didn’t have at lunch.
•Pair protein with a carbohydrate
•Peanut butter and an apple
•Greek yogurt with granola

•Prepare enough at dinner for left-overs and portion out the left-overs for lunches.
•Make a large batch of lunches on Sunday: Cut and bag all of your fresh veggies/fruit for the week. Portion out the chili for the week into individual lunch portions.
•Keep healthy staples on hand. Always have some lunch meat, lettuce and tomato in your refrigerator for a sandwich, if needed.
•Pack what you like - Don’t force yourself to eat something you hate.

Taking the extra time to pack something healthy for lunch can really have a big impact on your health. If you are bringing healthy food to work, you are most likely going to eat it and consume healthier food choices. You will also save money, because eating out for lunch on a regular basis is more expensive. There is a little time in preparing those meals, but it is worth it! 
 

The Bradley Method

In lieu of Baby Busenburg's anticipated arrival at the end of December, my husband and I decided we needed to take some birthing classes. We are first time parents and obviously have never done this whole baby, birthing thing before. We wanted to find some birthing classes that were in depth and really outlined what we needed know and how the whole labor process works. 

St. Vincent Hospital offers birthing/baby classes, but unfortunately, that wasn't quite what we were looking for in terms of in depth knowledge. I have heard great things about the classes, but we really wanted to know all the details. This lead us to the Bradley Method. I had a co-worker that went through this class series back > 20 years ago and she found it extremely beneficial. I was able to locate an instructor on the northside of Indianapolis. This class series is normally 12 weeks long and it teaches you in depth information about pregnancy, the birthing process and even after delivery. The main goal of the Bradley Method is to deliver a baby naturally, without the aide of medications. This is a little different class compared with Lamaze classes (which focuses on just breathing techniques), because the Bradley Method emphasizes physical fitness and healthy diet to help support a healthy pregnancy and natural birth. This was in line with our goals with this pregnancy and hopes for delivery. The other main emphasis of the Bradley Method, is the husband assisted coaching. Both the Mom and Dad are involved in the classes and have roles. The Mom is obviously going to labor and birth the baby, but that whole time the Dad serves as the coach and provide encouragement for the mother. This was another key thing, we wanted from our birthing classes, support/encouragement for the Dad and not have the classes be only about the Mom.

I just wanted to discuss this birthing method, because I think it is great and has been such a positive experience for us and lots of women out there are unaware of this birthing technique. I went ahead and compiled some information from The Bradley Method website summing up the process and how this technique is helpful to woman preparing for birth.

• This birthing method, teaches woman and their partners how to stay a low risk pregnancy. Obviously, there are things outside of our control, but there are a variety of techniques that can help set your pregnancy for success and to keep you as a low risk pregnant woman. 
• Relaxation is a key component in this birthing method. Staying relaxed helps your labor to progress naturally and helps you, as the laboring mother, feel more confident in knowing what to expect and anticipate. 
• This method also utilizes a birthing coach as well. This is a very important role and is normally filled by the husband or partner. This coach is there is to help support the mother and help protect her during this labor process.  We liked this aspect of the classes, because we wanted both of us to be involved and it be a team effort. This birthing method encourages that idea of teamwork. 

I wanted to just share our birthing classes with you, because I think more people need to be aware of the different ways to give birth. It does not have to be a painful experience or something that you don't feel/remember. If you are a low risk pregnancy and want to have your baby naturally there are great resources out there to help you accomplish that goal. I believe that this is the best way to have a baby for the mom and for the baby. I really appreciated finding a birthing method that encouraged woman to be strong and encouraged their husbands to have a key role in the birthing process. If you have any other specific questions about the classes, feel free to let me know. We are wrapping up our class series next month and are so thankful for the time we took to attend the classes, do the homework and hope that come December, all the prep will pay off when Baby Busenburg arrives. 

Holiday Food Makeover

It is the time of year. The holidays are under way. Halloween has just wrapped up and now November has started. That means that Thanksgiving is coming at the end of the month and then Christmas next month. I love the holidays and all the festivities that come with the holidays (the food, the family get togethers, the travel, etc). One of the big ways that Americans celebrate is with food. That means that most get-togethers include food and normally the options aren’t the healthiest. This can be overwhelming for people to know how to navigate that holiday spread and know how to make smart choices. 

If you have the opportunity to cook food for your Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday get together then consider making some healthy swaps to those recipes. 

1. Tweak the sweets – This incorporates making healthy options available for desserts. You can definitely include your traditional pumpkin pie, but also put together a fruit salad, which is a healthier option. This is going to have less added sugar compared with the pie and will have more fiber from the fruit, making a much friendlier diabetic choice. 
2. Cheers to good health – Make sure to watch out for added sugars and calories in festive holiday drinks. This includes regular soda, sweet tea/lemonade, and alcoholic drinks. There can be a lot of added calories hiding in these beverages. Make sure to space out your drinks with glasses of water. Set a goal to make every other glass, a glass of water versus only drinking sweet tea or that delicious mixed drink.
3. Bake healthier – If you are in charge of cooking food for your next holiday party then consider some healthy swaps you can make when baking. You can substitute applesauce or bananas for the fat source (like the butter or oil) in various dessert recipes. You can also use greek yogurt in place of sour cream. These simple substitutions can help to decrease the overall calories in the dish you are putting together. 
4. Spice it up - Lots of us love to use salt to enhance the flavor of the food that we are preparing. This isn’t always the best thing for our heart health. Consider using over spices to add flavor that don’t contain salt, like sage, garlic, pepper, Italian seasoning or cumin.  
5. Brighten your meal – As you load up your plate, make sure to fill your plate with ½ fruits and vegetables. Your plate should be colorful and not just filled with starches like white potatoes, yellow corn and a white roll. Brighten up that plate with over colors from the rainbow such as orange carrots, green salad, red cranberries and yellow squash.  
6. Skim the fat – When your recipe calls for a full fat item like heavy cream, butter or whole milk, consider using skim milk, low fat cheese or margarine instead. This will help to decrease the overall fat being added to the dish and cut the overall calories. If you feel like the flavor would be jeopardized with this change, then add in some extra spices that are not just salt. 
7. Swap the grains – If you just have to have your dinner roll with your holiday meal, consider using a whole grain roll in place of just a white roll option. This is more diabetic friendly, because the whole grains will break down to simple sugars slower and this will help prevent a sharp blood sugar spike. This can be applied to crust of pies even. You could use half the flour in your pie crust as whole grains and then the other half white flour. This might change the texture of the pie, but might be a fun, new way to make a traditional recipe a little healthier. 
8. Go easy on the gravy – When you ask for the gravy to be passed over to you, make sure that you don’t send your turkey swimming in it. Use the gravy in moderation. If the meat or potatoes have good flavor, they might not even require gravy poured over them. This is just an extra calorie source and not always necessary if you are trying to make healthier choices.

Food & Nutrition Magazine Article - The Stone Soup

I was excited to share this with you all, because I thought it was neat. I have been asked to write up/share some blog posts that I had up on RDAnna.com. There is a magazine that is run through The Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics called Food & Nutrition Magazine. This is a lovely print magazine and I absolutely love reading through it whenever it arrives at my house. They have a blog called The Stone Soup, which is a great compilation of posts from RDs all over the country. I had been talking with them for awhile about posting something, but it took me forever to get around to it. 

Well I submitted a couple of options for them about various nutrition topics and they chose one about endurance nutrition/running. I just had to share this with you! I was so excited to have this wonderful opportunity. If you want to read my article on the Food & Nutrition website then CLICK HERE.

I also had a great shout out on Twitter from @foodnutrimag and I was excited about that as well. Any time something that I write or share has the chance to reach a wider audience, I can't help but get excited! 

Scary Halloween Facts

Today is Halloween! October 31st! That means if you haven't already, you will have little ghosts, goblins and princesses showing up to your door and asking for treats and goodies. I hope you were able to read the post from last week about the Teal Pumpkin Project and possibly put together some allergy-free treats for your trick-or-treaters. 

I also wanted to share with you some scary Halloween nutrition facts, because it is fun and ends up being eye opening. These statistics are brought to you by Daily Burn. 

• Americans spend ~$7.4 billion dollars on Halloween candy, costumes and decorations each year. 
• Americans purchase 90 million pounds of chocolate during the week of Halloween. 
• There are 41 million potential trick-or-treaters between the ages of 5-14 years old in America.
• Each year, 35 million pounds of candy corn is produced for the Halloween/Fall season. 
• If you ate an apple cider donut, you would have to do 54 push-ups to burn it off (~330kcal). 
• Do you love the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte? If you drink a tall (~380kcal) you need walk for 134 minutes to burn off those calories. 
• Did you know there are 10.5g of sugar in a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and this happens to be American's favorite Halloween candy.
• You would have to do 17 minutes of burpees to burn of 1 bite-sized Snickers bar (~160kcal).
• Wondering how much your pillowcase can hold in terms of candy - 1,690 pieces of candy to be exact. 
• On Halloween, children collect any where from 3,500-7,000kcal worth of Halloween candy in their pumpkin pails. 

I don't want you to know that I don't love Halloween, the treats, goodies and decorations. I love celebrating holidays, but I think it is important to remember that you or your child do not need ALL the Halloween candy. Trying to keep moderation at the fore front of your mind is the main message. Enjoy your time trick-or-treating, taking pictures and dressing up. Just try to be active, burn off those extra calories and make sure you have a healthy dinner before you head out. Have a safe and wonderful Halloween! 

Navigating Food Allergies on Halloween

This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. Every year I try to take some time and make sure I talk about the Teal Pumpkin Project. This program is sponsored by the Food Allergy Research & Education group and its main focus is to provide all kids safe treats this Halloween. This campaign was launched back in 2014 nationally and has gained lots of traction over the last 2 years. 

For kids with food allergies, it is not safe for them to eat candy, because often these sweet treats contain dangerous allergens. This project wants to encourage people to provide non-food treats for trick-or-treaters so that they can still participate in the Halloween traditions, but not have to worry about their food allergies. To participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project follow these simple steps: 

1. Have non-food treats available for kids to pick up. It is easy to find Halloween themed goodies at your local grocery store, party store or craft store. Plus, these are great goodies to hand out to all the children, because they are going to get plenty of sugary treats.
   • Bubbles 
   • Pens/pencils 
   • Glow sticks/necklaces/bracelets 
   • Vampire fangs 
   • Stickers 
   • Bouncy balls 
   • If you don't have time to run to the store to find these goodies - go ahead and purchase the Essentials Kit from FARE Teal Pumpkin Project and get it shipped directly to you! 
2. Put out a teal pumpkin in front of your home, on your porch/in your entry way. Incorporate your family and paint your teal pumpkin today! 
3. Display the FARE Teal Pumpkin Project sign  explaining what the teal pumpkin means.

Pregnancy Glucose Test ... What this means?!

So if you have ever had a baby or know someone who has had a baby, you have probably heard about the pregnancy glucose tolerance test. This is a test that is done between 24-28 weeks gestation to determine if you body is properly utilizing glucose. If your pancreas is struggling to produce enough insulin to uptake the glucose in your blood stream from the food you have eaten, then you would be diagnosed with gestational diabetes. If you have already been diagnosed with diabetes prior to pregnancy, then you will not have to complete this test. 

What exactly in the glucose tolerance test? The test begins with you consuming a sugary, liquid solution that contains 50 grams of glucose. You have to consume all of this liquid within 5 minutes. Then you wait for 1 hour and you have your blood drawn to test your blood sugar (or the amount of glucose circulating in your blood stream). If this number comes back elevated, then you will have to repeat the study with a 3 hour tests, where you take the solution and have your blood drawn at the 3 hour mark to see what your blood sugar is and if it is elevated then you have gestational diabetes. 

Your fasting blood sugar should be < 95mg/dL 

Your blood sugar 1 hour after taking the solution should be < 180mg/dL 

Your blood sugar 2 hours after taking the solution should be < 155mg/dL 

Your blood sugar 3 hours after taking the solution should be < 140mg/dL 

So now that I have established what the glucose tolerance test is, I wanted to discuss briefly about what this test shows. As a dietitian at a Women's Hospital, we see a lot of women with gestational diabetes and some women that just missed the mark for being diagnosed, but they failed the 1 or 2 hour blood sugar checks. As a Registered Dietitian, who works with these babies in the NICU, I think that we need to do a better job at educating our mothers about a healthy diet/lifestyle even if they just barely passed their glucose tolerance test. Often, if you pass it, then you physician doesn't really focus on diet or exercise and lots of Moms just assume they can continuing eating whatever and it won't have an affect on their baby. There was an article that I came across from Health Day talking about how diabetes during pregnancy can produce negative outcomes for your baby. This research was released at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Germany this week, I thought this was a well timed article and good for mothers to be informed. Your health, as the mother, has a huge impact on your child's birth and health outcomes. This is important for us to remind pregnant woman, that your health matters and making the effort to watch what you eat not only is helpful to you, but also your unborn baby. 

Hopefully some of this information is helpful and you can share it with a pregnant friend or family member. I am had the chance to participate in my very own glucose tolerance test this past week and thankfully I passed with flying colors. All my blood work came back great and that was a huge relief. It is nice to be reassured that things are going well! 

Being An Adventurous Food Traveler

We had the chance to travel out to Maryland this past week for a wedding. We took the opportunity to turn this trip into a little "babymoon." We hadn't gone on a big summer vacation or anything this year, because we have been saving money for the upcoming arrival of our newest addition at the end of December. So with this wedding out in Maryland, we decided to make a long weekend trip out to the east coast and were able to see Salisbury and Baltimore Maryland and ventured up to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

One thing we love to do when we travel is make an effort to only eat at local restaurants. There is too much good food in the world, to eat at a chain restaurant when on vacation. This trip was no exemption to that rule. 

Eastern Shore, MD - 

• Rise Up Roasted Coffee - This was a super hip and cool coffee shop in the middle of Easton, MD. This shop actually was where the coffee roasting happened for the coffee that this store sold. They had a delicious smoked salmon bagel, a very smooth latte and a fantastic atmosphere to just hang out in for a little bit. We ended up just hanging out at this shop for a good 1.5 hours. It was neat to watch the employees roast the coffee beans that they sell. We picked up a package of their fall seasonal roast and are excited to have use it for our coffee at home. 

• The Atlantic Hotel - We ventured over the Berlin, MD from Easton and checked out a historic hotel that had a cute, little restaurant attached. The town of Berlin is near the coast of Maryland. The lunch we got was yummy. I had a crab chowder and Chas got a crab roll sandwich. We were able to sit outside on an enclosed porch and enjoyed a quick walk around the downtown area after our luncheon. 

• Specific Gravity Pizzeria - For dinner we checked out this pizza place in Salisbury, MD on the recommendation of a our friend, Lee. This is supposedly the best kept secret in Salisbury. We had a pizza with chorizo, manchego cheese and fried shrimp. It was absolutely amazing! One of the best pizzas I have had. The crust was thin and the manchego cheese was delicious. Then we also got DOUGHnuts for dessert and that just ended the meal on a high note. I definitely recommend it if you find yourself in Salisbury, MD.  

• The Barlett Pear Inn - The wedding that we traveled all this way to attend, we held at this adorable inn. Immediately following the ceremony there was a reception with amazing hors d'oeuvres. It was such a nice venue and they had a beautiful spread for us to snack on.

• The Red Roost - This local establishment is kind of in the middle of nowhere in the country. It was such a neat restaurant. I am so glad that we got to go and eat blue crab that were caught right there in the Chesapeake Bay area. I have to admit at first I really struggled, but it was a great experience and so much fun! 

Philadelphia, PA - 

• Famous 4th Street Delicatessen - This restaurant ended up being our 2nd option for our brunch date in Philly with my sister, but it was so worth the walk. The restaurant was so beautiful and the food options were so diverse. The portions were huge and it tasted delicious. I got Challah french toast and Chas had an amazing Reuben sandwich. 

• Jasmine Rice - This local Thai spot has a couple of locations in Philadelphia. We got to meet the owner, and he was extremely nice. I had some friend jasmine rice with vegetables and tofu and it was delicious. It is was light and full of flavor. Chas had some wonderful Tom Yum soup. 
• Menagerie Coffee - This local coffee shop is where my sister use to work. I was excited to be able to go and see it. It was super cute and the cold brew coffee we had was quite good. It had a great atmosphere and I would see it being a great place to hang out at, drink delicious coffee and work on things.

Baltimore, MD - 

• Cafe Jovial - This little cafe was right down the street from the townhouse that we stayed at in Baltimore. It got good reviews online and we walked down there for lunch. The owner was nice and the hot sandwiches that we ordered were quite tasty.
• Sabatino's Italian Restaurant - As our last stop, we walked over to Little Italy in Baltimore and checked out some of the local restaurants. We ended up stopping at this local place and enjoying some traditional Italian food before heading to the airport. Chas ordered a shrimp alfredo and I had some gnocchi. The pasta portions were quite large. It was all very good and a fun place to stop before we headed out of town.

I am not sure if you have heard of or watch my YouTube, but Sorted Food is a great channel with some fun guys who do a great job at promoting new foods. They had a great blog post up on their website about being an adventurous eater and trying new things - CLICK HERE to read the post. Here were a few of my favorite comments that they made ... "every meal is exciting, and you have the best stories to tell," These are two of the best parts of eating out and trying new things in my opinion. 

I would encourage you when you plan your next trip to scope out some of the potential eating establishments in the area and try to find some local food to eat. Now I also like to try to make sure that there are some "healthier" options available as well. Even though it is vacation, it is important to try to remember the importance of a balanced diet. 

Not All Formula Is Created Equal

I decided to put together this blog post because I work in a NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) and we work with a lot of breastmilk and baby formula to feed our patients. This is my area of expertise and I had the pleasure of recently attending lunch with a formula rep and talking about formula. This luncheon, brought this topic to the fore front of my mind - Not all formula is created equal. I don't want this post favor one brand over another. I just want to bring some facts to light that you might find helpful. My perspective is that for all babies, breastmilk is best and is a very unique substance. We have worked for years and years to try to create a formula that mimics breastmilk. For some of our babies in the NICU, we have to add things to the breastmilk to increase nutrients because our patients are born early and breastmilk isn't designed to meet their unique nutrition needs. 

That being said ... I wanted to discuss all the different types of formula and how there are various brands. In the US, we have Similac, Enfamil, Gerber and Store brand options. All of these companies abide by rulings set out by Congress in the 1980s, referred to as The Formula Act. This piece of legislation has been around for awhile and unfortunately hasn't been totally updated since then. There have been guidances given for the formula industry and an example in includes the health claims made by formula companies (September 2016).  Baby formula always ends up being a controversial topic. Thankfully all of these companies continue to create and work on new research in the area of baby formula even though the standards they have (required by law to follow) are now ~35 years old.  There are lots of different types of formula options within each brand and some times the options can be overwhelming for parents. The main focus that I wanted to bring to your attention is that the brand name formulas may cost more, but there is more research being done in those products and they are up to date with the best nutrition compared with the generic products. Just so you are aware, the generic version of the formulas are the older recipes from the brand name companies. This means they may not contain some of the important nutrients that we have discovered and are now able to add to formula. This means that as the consumer you are getting a product that is based on older research and may not be as helpful for their baby's growth and development. This is the one time in your baby's life when they are eating 1 food item to get all the nutrients that they need to grow and develop. Whether it is breastmilk or formula this is a very unique time for your child (the 1st 12 months of their life). 

For example, we have learned that DHA (docosahexaenoic acid or omega-3 fatty acids) and ARA (arachidonic aicd or omega-6 fatty acid) are very important for brain development in infants. These fatty acids have been around awhile and most of the generic formulas that I looked at had at least DHA in them. Another important phytonutrient that is now being added to formula is Lutein. It helps with eye health and is a carotenoid that has an important role to play in brain function/development. We didn't necessarily have this information back when the Formula Act was put together so if you read the label for a generic baby formula and make sure that these formulas have these nutrients added. Most of the ones that I glanced at, did have these nutrients added, which was reassuring. These nutrients are naturally found in breastmilk and has we do more research they are being added to infant formulas as well. 

I wanted to also just touch on the different types of baby formula so that you know what you are looking at when you go to the baby aisle of the grocery store. There are lots of options and often the challenging is just determine, which product is appropriate for your baby.

Different Types of Baby Formula - 

• Cow milk protein-based formulas. Most infant formula is made with cow's milk that's been altered to resemble breast milk. This gives the formula the right balance of nutrients — and makes the formula easier to digest. Most babies do well on cow's milk formula. Some babies, however — such as those allergic to the proteins in cow's milk — need other types of infant formula.
• Soy-based formulas. Soy-based formulas can be useful if you want to exclude animal proteins from your child's diet. Soy-based infant formulas might also be an option for babies who are intolerant or allergic to cow's milk formula or to lactose, a carbohydrate naturally found in cow's milk. However, babies who are allergic to cow's milk might also be allergic to soy milk.
• Protein hydrolysate formulas. These types of formulas contain protein that's been broken down (hydrolyzed) — partially or extensively — into smaller sizes than are those in cow's milk and soy-based formulas. Protein hydrolysate formulas are meant for babies who don't tolerate cow's milk or soy-based formulas. Extensively hydrolyzed formulas are an option for babies who have a protein allergy.

*In addition, specialized formulas are available for premature infants and babies who have specific medical conditions.

My intent with this blog post is not to make you hate formula or purchase only a certain type of formula. I just wanted to make sure that you knew how much research goes into infant formula and how it is always being updated and our knowledge base is growing. Breastmilk is an amazing substance that women's body can produce and we have spent lots of time and money trying to find ways to create a formula that mimics what nature can create. I am a huge proponent of additional research and I am always excited to hear what companies have learned and are able to add to their formula products. 

If you end up with questions about formula, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me and I would be happy to talk with you more about this fascinating topic of infant nutrition! 

Fall Has Arrived ... Everything Pumpkin!!!

Fall has officially begun as of September 22nd; however, at least here in Indiana the weather is still behaving much like summer. Fall happens to be my favorite time of the year. The cooler weather, crisp breezes, cute clothes, warm drinks and fun activities like apple picking, trick or treating and Thanksgiving have me all excited. This is also the time of year that pumpkins have exploded onto the food scene. You can find everything pumpkin flavored now ... from your coffee to your cereal. Have you ever wondered, besides the delicious flavor of the pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, is there a health benefit to pumpkin? 

The beauty of the pumpkin is that it is a simple food item. It doesn't have an overly strong flavor so using spices blends can create delicious and unique dishes quite easily. You can make pumpkin sweet or savory and there are tons of recipes online that can help you incorporate this festive gourd into your weekly menu. 

Health Benefits of Pumpkin

1. Helps with your eyesight. Pumpkin contains over 200% of your daily value of Vitamin A and this fat-soluble vitamin is important to help your eyes work appropriately. They contain beta-carotene which is a carotenoid - this creates the orange color and produces Vitamin A in the body. 
2. Helps with meeting weight loss goals. Pumpkins contain a lot of fiber and this helps you to feel full and eat less with meals. There are 3 grams of fiber found in 1 cup of pumpkin puree for only 49 calories. Produce tends to be high in fiber and that is helpful in weight management. 
3. Heart healthy seeds. The pumpkin seeds contain heart healthy fats, which can be helpful reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease. These seeds do contain more calories compared with the puree due this fat, but in small amounts this can easily fit into a healthy diet. 
4. Improve your mood. Besides containing healthy fat, these pumpkin seeds also contain tryptophan. This amino acid breaks down to another amino acid product called, serotonin, which is helpful for sleeping and this can help your mood. This can help you rest and taking that time for you, can help to improve your outlook on life. 
5. Loaded up with potassium. There is a lot of potassium found in 1 cup of pumpkin puree (564mg) and this is more than what you would find in a banana. This is an electrolyte that your body replaces after working out to help keep your hydration status in balance and feeling good. If you have a tough work out in the heat and sweat a lot, consider some pumpkin puree to help replenish your potassium stores.
6. Boost your immune system. There are lots of vitamins and minerals found in pumpkin, another vitamin is Vitamin C that is found in high quantities. This Vitamin C is helpful in boosting your immune system and helping your body ward off disease. One cup of cooked pumpkin puree contains 11mg of Vitamin C or 20% of your daily value (if you are a woman). 
7. Skin protection. The carotenoids that we mentioned earlier, help to keep your skin healthy, smooth and strong. This is a great added bonus as we head into the fall and drier weather and we all want to protect our skin from the elements. 

So as you reach for your pumpkin flavored whatever ... consider picking up some pumpkin puree and using it in a new recipe this week. Unfortunately all of these health benefits can only be achieved through consuming the pumpkin puree itself and just the pumpkin flavoring that is often added to food items. Go ahead and Google/Pinterest some pumpkin recipes and try to incorporate some of this amazing fall superfood into your next meal! 

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.