Nutrient Brief: Powerful Pecans

No matter how you pronounce it, pecans are another “nut”ritional powerhouse.  Pecans are the only tree nut native to America, cultivated mostly in the south and central parts of the country.  Thus, they have become a staple in many southern recipes.  Steer clear of the pecan pie though—one traditional slice can contain 500 calories or more! 

Stick with fresh or roasted pecans, with as little added sodium or sugar  as possible.  As with other nuts, while nutritionally dense, pecans are also calorically dense due to the high percentage of fat per serving (about 195 calories per one ounce serving) so enjoy in moderation and always be aware of portion size. 

Some of the benefits include:

*High antioxidant content has been shown to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, cancer, and quite possibly some neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

*Great source of mono and polyunsaturated fat which contributes to a lowering of LDL “bad cholesterol” and raising of HDL “good cholesterol”.

*A one ounce serving contains more than half the daily recommended serving of the mineral manganese, as well as calcium, zinc and phosphorus on the mineral side and vitamins A, E, and several types of B vitamins.

*Nuts make a great on the go snack  either alone or paired with fresh or dried fruit—just portion out small containers so you have some handy to take with you wherever your winter travels lead!

written by:

Katie Jensen, CSCS
Psychology, B.S.
NPTI Graduate

Nutrient Brief: Pumpkin Power

Pick up almost any of the cooking magazines out for this month, and you will see that there are any number of ways to whip up a tasty dish utilizing that bright orange gourd we so often associate with the fall season (Lighter Pumpkin Pie recipe).  Pumpkins are actually a vitamin and mineral powerhouse, including both the vibrant flesh and crunchy little seeds.

As we suggest in our Nutrition Together program, it is best to get a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables in your diet as each color is indicative of different nutritional benefits.  The orange of the pumpkin is telling of the abundance of Beta-Carotene (converts to vitamin A in the body) which is important for healthy vision, as well as antioxidant properties that bolster the immune system and possibly defend against cancer-causing free radicals.  The flesh of the pumpkin also contains the following:

• Only 50 calories per cup, with approximately 3 grams of Fiber
• Good source of Vitamins C, K, & E
• Over 500 mg Potassium per serving

The seeds (also known as pepitas)  also little nutritional gems.  If you have a nut allergy, seeds can be a great way to get some healthy essential fats into your diet.  The oil in the pumpkin seeds has been shown to help decrease blood cholesterol levels.  They are also a good source of the major minerals magnesium and phosphorous, as well as trace minerals copper, iron, zinc and manganese.  You can easily roast a batch of your own after you carve your pumpkins this Halloween, or add them raw to salads and soups.

Katie Jensen, CSCS

Fitness and Nutrition Coach

Learn about Nutrition Together program.  Our clients rave about it!

September Tip of Week 3: Eat Squash

It’s the time to take advantage of this season’s star vegetable: squash. Super low in calories, high in fiber and nutrients—here are some tips: roast spaghetti squash until soft, shred with a fork and serve as a low calorie pasta alternative; stuff roasted acorn squash with wild rice, and cranberries; make butternut squash into a delicious and 
nutritious seasonal soup.

Squash article with special Nutrition info

Healthy Alternatives to Trick-or-Treating

Healthy Alternatives to Trick-or-Treating

As you know, childhood obesity is still on the rise. It seems to be a never-ending battle to keep your kids away from sugar filled treats. There seems to always be parties, special occasions (that happen more than occasionally), and a lot of eating out. Halloween is the epitome of all gluttony. So, what do you do? Other than giving kids candy, there are things that they can do other than get that “sugar high.”

Here are a few ideas:

Trade Candy For Toys - I actually learned this idea from a child psychologist a few years ago. This is how it works. Go ahead and do the regular door-to-door Trick or Treating. Once you have all the candy, you can give your child the option of trading in candy for toys (or cash). You can make each piece worth a certain amount to apply to a toy or have them trade in their entire loot for one really nice toy. Be sure you mention the idea before you actually take them out. This will give them the opportunity to think about what they want. You’ll probably be surprised that your child would rather have a toy (something that lasts), over candy.

Go To An Event - Many churches and community centers have events on Halloween. They’ll be some candy there, but the kids are more into playing games and doing events. You know, vigorous activity. Check with your church, synagogue, or local community center to see what they’re doing.

Go To a Movie or Rent a Movie and have a Party - At the movie there will still be some treats, but it will be a heck of a lot less sugar than what you would get trick-or-treating. If you rent a movie and have a small party of friends at your home, you can have more control over what your child eats (popcorn is a good idea). They may even enjoy it more than going from one house to another anyway.

Give something other than Candy - At Wal-Mart, at a dollar store, or online, you can buy tons of little boxes of stickers, removable tattoos, and Playdoh and put them in decorative little plastic bags.   This is something that my family does each year and it’s a big hit.  Kids come back to our house trying to get more!

Do a Combination of These Ideas - You don’t have to stick to one particular idea. If you have to give candy, that’s cool.  Just consider mixing it up with other things. 

Before I get blasted by the “let kids be kids” crowd, let me once again remind you that there is a predominant childhood obesity epidemic in the U.S.  In the state of GA, childhood obesity is at 40%.  

The tradition of Trick-or-Treat has only been around for a short period of time (origins of Trick-or-Treating), of which was mostly driven by the candy industry.  The origins of Halloween actually involved more apples (which explains candied apples) and other real foods as it celebrated the fall harvest.

I’m all about kids dressing up and having fun, however, it can be achieved without candy.  In my experience it’s not the kids who complain about me not giving candy, it’s the parents (go figure).  Considering the situation we are in with childhood obesity, isn’t it about time we create a new tradition?

written by
Kelly Huggins, A-CPT
Exercise Science, B.S.
NPTI Instructor

Fitness/Nutrition Coach

Take Back Control of Your Exercise Routine this Fall (Word Count: 564)

With kids going back to school and summer vacations coming to an end, it is the perfect time for you to take back control of your life by getting back into a regular exercise routine and getting back on track to living a healthy and fit lifestyle. To help you get back into the fitness groove this fall, we offer the following three tips for re-activating and enhancing your exercise routine.

Go Back to Basics

If you’ve taken a break from your regular exercise routine during the summer months, you may be eager to jump back into where you left off before your exercise hiatus. When getting back into your exercise routine, though, it is important to start with the basics to get your mind and body acclimated to a regular, consistent exercise regimen. If you jump back in too fast and take on more than your body can handle too soon, you run the risk of sidelining injuries, early burnout and fatigue – all conditions that can keep you out of the fitness studio well past the summer months.

Get Moving

According to the World Health Organization, physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for all global deaths, with 31 percent of the world’s population not physically fit.¹ As a society, we need to make a concentrated effort to get our bodies moving to not only increase our mortality rates, but to put ourselves in a more positive position to live a physically fit and healthy lifestyle. To get started on increasing your body’s movement, you can make some simple changes every day that can make a big difference to your life. For instance, take a 30-minute walk each evening with your family, ride your bike to run errands instead of driving, replace workplace breaks in the kitchen with walking breaks around the block, turn off the television and play an active game with your family instead of laying on the couch, or sign up for a recreational sports league for increased weekly movement and friendly competition.

Make It a Habit

When exercise becomes a part of your daily schedule, it quickly becomes less of a chore and more of a habit. You can make exercise a habit by doing your workouts at the same time each day, creating a routine you can follow and adapt on a daily/weekly/monthly basis, and including a support group environment (trainer, friends, family) that provides accountability and encouragement. When exercise becomes a habit, you help to eliminate the mental tendency to skip a workout and create a more positive mind set that is focused and dedicated to exercising regularly.

Changing your current lifestyle – even when it’s for the good – can sometimes feel overwhelming and intimidating. By breaking up your overall objectives into more manageable smaller changes like the ones listed above, you can create a foundation that will lead you to successfully meeting your lifestyle goals. The expert trainers at Fitness Together can help guide you through your journey of re-activating and enhancing your fitness routine this fall by creating a personalized health and fitness plan that addresses your specific goals and needs. Give our studio a call today to jump start your exercise routine and begin feeling better, looking better and performing better than you ever thought possible.

provided by:

Kelly Huggins

¹World Health Organization (WHO)

Go for Healthy Factor over Convenience Factor: Pack your kids healthy lunches

Pack your kids healthy lunches

A lot of times parents go for the convenience factor instead of the health factor.  Throwing in a juice pouch that claims to be healthy because it has vitamin C or calcium does eliminate the fact that it has additives and sugar.  Besides, you're spending a lot of money on what is primarily water.  So, perhaps you can just give them a water bottle.  Better yet, a reusable BPA free bottle and add lime, lemon, or a small amount of O.J. to give it flavor.

As to food, give them fruit, carrots, and a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread or a potato roll (if you're going gluten free try Rudi's).  Don't tell me that the only thing your kid will eat is junk.  Just a little over 50 years ago, the only option they would've had would be to eat is real food.  On occasion, maybe once a week, you can throw in some chips and a cookie.  But these should not be your staples.

Once again, if you eat healthy lunches, they are more likely to eat what is given to them as well.

In health,
Kelly Huggins

Understand your Hunger Level!

One of the most common mistakes people make is waiting to eat until you’re starving.  When you’re in this state, your judgment is going to be significantly impaired.  As the saying goes, “ready to eat a horse.”

Most likely though, you’re going to reach for something sweet like chocolate or ice-cream, or something salty like chips or crackers.  You don’t eat a little.  You eat a lot.

One key to preventing this is to eat while you’re moderately hungry.  Don’t wait till you’re starving.  The scale on the right gives you an idea of when you should eat.  You should stay between 3-7.  When you eat this way, you stay between 3-7.  However, if you allow yourself to go all the way to 1-2, you over do it and wind up at 8-9.  This causes a vicious cycle.  Remember, it’s okay to eat.  The more often you eat, the wiser choices you tend to make. 

Here are a few tips on hunger:

• Eat regularly-  Starting with breakfast, shoot for 3 meals with healthy snacks in between. 
• Have ready available, nutrient dense snacks-  Snacks should be nuts, trail mixes, fruit, dried fruit, carrots, protein bars, etc.
• Never buy groceries while hungry-  When you go to the grocery store on an empty stomach, rest assured, you’re more likely to buy on impulse.  When you buy on impulse, you usually buy comfort foods.
• Drink water-  Drinking water may not take away the craving you have at the moment, however, drinking water regularly throughout the day keeps you hydrated.  This decreases some of the physiological stresses you may incur, which in turn causes emotional/mental stress.

written by:

Kelly Huggins, NASM CPT CES, A-CPT

Exercise Science, Georgia State University

Fitness/Nutrition Coach

Teach your kids to eat breakfast by Eating with them!

As a nutrition coach for over a decade, I have discovered that many parents do not eat breakfast with their children.  Though they tell them to eat breakfast, they often find it challenging for them to eat it.  Even worse, for the kids who do, parents will often throw a granola bar at them and have them eat it on the way to school.  This is a dangerous pattern that will lead to unhealthy eating behaviors.

If you want your child to eat a healthy breakfast, eat breakfast with them.  I'm usually out of the house before my kids are out of bed, but my wife prepares and has breakfast with our children.  She doesn't give them Pop-tarts and calls it breakfast.  Instead, she cuts up bananas, gives them blueberries, whole grain waffles, and eggs with a glass of water (not juice).  You know, healthy stuff.  By the way, they love it!  Why, because it's what we eat too.

This is just one more thing we can do to stop childhood obesity.

Kelly Huggins

Parents. . .Eat Your Words! (provided by ACE Fitness)

Parents. . .Eat Your Words!

Are you pleased with your progress toward healthful nutrition and fitness habits, but frustrated with that of your children?

Do you suspect that the lunches you send to school are traded or thrown away? Do you shudder at the sight of your pantry shelves displaying high-fat snacks and sugary cereals that you vowed you would never buy? Can you really win the battle against advertising, peer pressure and kids’ love affairs with sugar and fat?

The Bad News and the Good News

Kids today are fatter and less fit than previous generations. The rates of childhood obesity began to level off around 2006, but are still high at around 16%. And research shows that overweight children are more likely to become overweight or obese adults. Being overweight as a child even puts youngsters at risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes at a young age.

Food companies spend millions of dollars on television advertising to convince children that high-fat, high-sugar, processed foods are worth eating. Food is consumed because it’s cool, fun or comes with a free toy, rather than for its impact on health or even for its taste.

So what’s a parent to do? Eat your words! The fact is that parents who have adopted a lifestyle that includes healthful foods and regular exercise are living role models for their children.

We know that the behaviors children see most often at home are the ones they will be most likely to adopt for themselves, and parents’ efforts to promote healthy food habits do make a difference. Eat at least one meal together as a family each day, so that your children can regularly observe healthy eating habits.

Stack the Deck

It is a good idea to stock the kitchen with a majority of healthy items, keeping in mind that kids want some of their favorite foods, which may be sweet and/or salty. Save these foods for once-in-a-while treats, and make their regular snacks healthier.

Buy pretzels, which are low in fat, instead of greasy chips. Keep cut-up vegetables and ready-to-eat mini-carrots in the refrigerator. Sprinkle air-popped popcorn with grated parmesan cheese instead of butter. Check out www.eatright.org for a list of more healthy snacks for kids.

A good way to get kids involved and committed to healthy eating habits is to involve them with the food shopping and preparation. There are lots of children’s cookbooks on the market; select one that emphasizes ways to modify your kids’ favorite foods rather than eliminate them. Children who feel competent to select and prepare food will make more intelligent food choices. www.MyPyramid.gov has some great educational tools for teaching children about balanced nutrition and physical activity.

Balance Is Everything

The key to keeping kids happy and healthy is to strike a balance between foods that are good for them and those that just taste good, and between leisure or TV time and physical activity.

This brings us to the other side of the healthy living equation. The most obvious impact of inactivity on kids is the strong association between the number of hours spent watching TV or playing computer games and the level of obesity among youngsters.

Children should engage in 60 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, if not all, days of the week. Encourage kids to get outside and play tag, jump rope or get involved in sports.

Make physical activity a family affair. Go for a bike ride together, play catch or walk the dog. This will motivate you to get some exercise in, while simultaneously setting a great example for your kids—and creating lifelong memories. It’s a win-win-win situation!

Fitness Transcends into your Work life!

Fitness Transcends into your Work Life

Studies show that businesspeople who exercise usually out compete their counterparts! A few years ago I got an interesting phone call from the employer (let's say his name is Ed) of a client (let's say his name is Mike).  He started the conversation with the question, "What the heck are you doing to Mike?  He's not the same guy!" Though Mike had a physical transformation and lost a lot of weight, this was not what Ed was referring to.  He was talking about the change of attitude that Mike had.  He mentioned that Mike seemed more confident, less stressed (i.e. less mean as they got in frequent arguments), he was becoming a better leader, was doing a better job, called in sick less, et cetera.  He just went on and on.  Of course, we continued to discuss the benefits of a well-rounded fitness program that extends beyond physical changes.  By the end of the conversation, I was lined up to do a speaking engagement at his office of about 35 employees and he scheduled to start training with me. Through the years, I have had the pleasure of training and advising clients with a diversity of professional careers.  Regardless of the type of profession one belongs, they all share similar benefits as it relates to eating right and exercising.  Knowing that Labor Day is right around the corner, I cannot think of a better time to talk to you about just a few of those benefits as it relates to you and the workplace. #1 Improve Self-Esteem-  If you look in the mirror and you're not too happy with the way you look, you express that "self-image" to everyone else at work.  Studies show that if you are overweight, you tend to be more depressed and less self-confident.  Whereas, those who exercise regularly and reach an optimal, realistic weight are much more confident and happy. #2 Improved Mental Capacity- With as much information and workload you have to deal with today, it is important to keep your mind clear and sharp.  If you want to exercise your mind better, you must exercise the body.  This will lead to greater productivity. #3 Less Stress-  The pressures of work can take its toll on the mind and body.  In their article "The Making of a Corporate Athlete" (Harvard Business Review), Jim Loehr and Tony Swartz state, "emotional and mental recovery can only be achieved by incorporating the elements of weight lifting, cardiovascular exercise, eating right, and getting plenty of rest."  As experts in worker productivity, they have found that those engaged in exercise programs work fewer hours, yet get more done. There is no question that a proper diet and exercise program makes you more productive, less sick (decreased absenteeism), and more confident.  Sadly, many people use the excuse that they have "no time for exercise," because of their work schedule.  However, by simply doing the opposite, you can actually get more done. provided by: Kelly Huggins, A-CPT Exercise Science, B.S. Fitness Together - Fitness/Nutrition Coach

September Nutrition Tip of Week 1: Eat an apple every day

It’s fall, a new season, time to be greeted by the crisp early morning fall weather. Fall also means apple season! Apples are packed with fiber, healthful plant chemicals, vitamins and minerals. They are portable, perfect on-the-go snacks and incredibly low in calories. Sweet, juicy and crisp—eat one every day!

Take a trip with the family or friend and pick you own- http://www.pickyourown.org/GA.htm