Quick Holiday Eating Tips

It is said that you can gain as much as 10 pounds over the holiday seasoon.  That figure may be more exaggerated than the reality, however, many people I have encountered over the years report gaining as much as 5-7 pounds over the holidays. Most likely though, you would gain about 1-2 pounds that would actually stick.

In order to fight over-eating this holiday season, you must be proactive.  Here are few tips to help you get past the holiday gluttony:

Drink a Glass of Water before Eating - You're still going to eat high calorie foods, so you can limit the amount that you eat by drinking some water before your meal.

Eat From the Veggie Tray - A lot of times, you have food that is prepared to snack on before your meal. Eat from the veggie tray. Don't be concerned about dipping it either. It's a heck of a lot better than eating the stuffed mushrooms or eating the cheese balls.

Eat Your Breakfast - You're supposed to eat breakfast anyway. However, you still wait because of the amount of food that will be available later. Eat your breakfast and you will not gorge yourself at your holiday meal.  Study after study shows that breakfast eaters always consume less calories than non-breakfast eaters.  

Stay in the Habit of Exercise (or get in the habit) - If you are exercising, you can still get up and do some activity. Sometimes you eat because you are bored. Go for a walk, throw the football around with your kids (or grandkids), do anything that is active and safe. It will keep your mind away from food. As they say, "out of sight, out of mind."

Eat Small Amounts - Pick foods you really like, but don't get huge quantities. Get plenty of lean turkey, surround your plate with some veggies, then place small quantities of sweet potato casserole, broccoli casserole, bread and butter, etc. (don't mean to make you hungry.) Only get a small amount of dessert as well.

written by

Kelly Huggins, A-CPT

Exercise Science, B.S.

Fitness Together Fitness/Nutrition Coach

SuperFood: Cranberries

Cranberries are a bonafide superfood as the cranberry is one of the top foods scientifically proven to have health benefits.  Cranberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, containing 20% of daily value in one cup.  They also contain fiber and potent disease-fighting antioxidants, which can protect cells from free radicals-- unstable molecules that damage cells.  Cranberries also contain bacteria-blocking compounds (tannins and anthocyonins in particular) that help acidify the urine and prevent E. coli-- the bacteria that causes infections-- from adhering to the urinary tract and bladder cells preventing urinary tract infections!

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

The Insulin Effect of Fitness! (National Diabetes Month)

Besides Veterans Day and Thanksgiving, November is also known as National Diabetes Month. Though there are two types of diabetes, this article focuses on Type II diabetes. If you have it you're feeling the effects of decreased quality of life.  This is quite unfortunate, as it is probably the most preventable of diseases along with heart disease.  Interestingly, Type II diabetes correlates closely with heart disease.

In a world of traditional Western medicine, the medical and pharmaceutical companies are constantly on a search to find drugs to treat Type II diabetes. Interestingly, there are ways to reverse the effects of diabetes without using pills.

Before I go any further, I feel compelled to tell you that if you think you have diabetes (or have been diagnosed), you need to see a medical professional regularly.    Preferably, you would see an endocrinologist. Any way you look at it, you will most likely need medication (like Avandia, glucophage, metformin etc.). Also, I need to remind you of the role of insulin in the body, which is to allow blood sugar to be extracted into the muscle.

To truly beat diabetes, you must eat right and get physical.  As always you need to incorporate the synergistic effect of resistance training (weight lifting), cardiovascular exercise, and supportive nutrition if you want to beat diabetes (related article). Every endocrinologist I have known concurs. Here is the first reason why:

The Insulin Effect of Exercise- When you exercise (with weights and with cardiovascular training), your muscles do a very unique thing. It starts to extract blood sugar without the use of insulin. More interestingly, the body will begin to release glucose (blood sugar) from the liver to balance things out. (That's a really good thing .) Even better, when you lift weights and increase your muscle tone, your muscle will extract more blood sugar even at rest.

Studies show, that many Type II diabetics are able to decrease the amount of diabetic medication as a result of exercise (at some point you usually have to). This is because you become less insulin resistant.  You may even begin to experience fatigue because the medication is greater than the resistance of insulin, thereby bringing your blood sugar too low.  Most doctors recognize this right away and are often thrilled that their patients are making better choices and become healthier.  Think about the money you'll save medications.

There are even some reports that when caught early, diabetes can solely be treated with exercise and eating right. This can prevent you from taking med's and can possibly create physical changes (hormonal shifts) in the body that makes your insulin regulation normal again.  Don't forget that when you do the right things you will also lose the "extra" body fat which contributes to developing Type II diabetes.  However, it should be noted that being overweight is not the sole cause of Type II diabetes.  Conversely, it highly correlates to Type II diabetes because the same lifestyle choices lead to the same symptoms and illnesses.  It is for this reason that weight loss alone is not enough. 

If you or someone you know has diabetes, this is the time to take back control of your body and improve your quality of life.  Make every effort you can to fight the disease instead of letting it defeat you.  A long-term, comprehensive fitness and nutrition program is what you need.  If you don't know where to start, seeking the help of a professional fitness coach (at Fitness Together of course) is a good idea!  Your fitness and nutrition program has to evolve and be more progressive.  Quick weight loss gimmicks do not work long term.

written by:

Kelly Huggins, A-CPT

Exercise Science, B.S.

NPTI Instructor

Fitness Together - Fitness/Nutrition Coach

October Recipe 2

October Recipe - Pumpkin Apple Butter Spread

Pumpkin Power Article

Pumpkin Power Article

MYTH: Skip breakfast - Consume Less Calories

Just like mama told you, "breakfast is the most important meal of the day".


Don’t skip breakfast thinking you “save up your calories”. There is more to food than calories in versus calories out.  The interesting thing is multiple studies show that people who eat breakfast consume fewer calories than those who don’t.  By the end of the day, non-breakfast eaters become ravenous. You’re ready to mow down on a bag of chips or cookies, or pull over to your favorite fast food restaurant.  There are a few reasons for this; however, the main reason is related to regulating your blood sugar and insulin balance. 

The Insulin Connection

Any time you eat, you will increase your blood sugar.  As blood sugar (glucose) increases, you release insulin into the body.  If you go without eating until midday, your blood sugar levels decreases.  This is when you get to starvation mode.   Read- Understand your Hunger Level.

Because of other physiological factors that affect your emotional state, your judgment as to what you eat becomes impaired.  Instead of choosing fruits or vegetables, you’re prone to eat a processed carbohydrate that is high glycemic and possibly high in fat.  This puts you into a yo-yo eating pattern the rest of the day, as you release more insulin than what was needed.   You begin to dip back down below your blood sugar level.  This causes you to get stressed, maybe even get a headache.  To relieve the pain (whether emotional or physical), you go back to eating crap.  Forgive my French, but you know it’s true.

Want some research?  Go to MrBreakfast.com.  

Before I leave with, "you need to eat breakfast," you still have to eat a sound breakfast.  Pop-tarts and doughnuts with coffee is not a good solution!

Here are some tips about breakfast:

• Prepare-  Know what you’re going to eat the next morning before you get up.  You can go as far as preparing it the night before.  Moreover, you can make something like an egg dish with veggies in it and keep it in the fridge.  It could last you all week!
• Create a routine-  If you’re like me, I have a routine in the morning of taking a shower, etc.  A part of that routine is eating breakfast.  At first, it may be tough, but give it some time.  Eating breakfast will be like brushing your teeth.  
• Get up a little earlier-  Hitting the snooze button over and over is not going to make you feel any more rested.  So, you might as well get up.  If you’re not a “snoozer” then set your clock to wake up 15 minutes earlier and go to bed 15 minutes earlier.
• Get the right combination:  Include a starchy carb, a fibrous carb, and a lean protein. A traditional breakfast could be oatmeal (starchy carb) with vegetable omelet (veggies = fibrous carbs, eggs = protein).  Getting the right combination of food is vital for any meal to regulate blood sugar.
• Keep it easy-  Understandably, you may not have time cook in the evening or morning.  There are a lot of things you can do ranging from cereal to protein shakes.  

written by:

Kelly Huggins, A-CPT

Exercise Science, B.S.

Fitness Together - Fitness/Nutrition Coach

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

September Nutrition Tip of Week 2: Eat Fall Superfoods

Fall is a great time to change up your nutrition repertoire for the new season. Take advantage of fall’s superb array of superfoods: pumpkin, root vegetables, Brussels sprouts, kale, chestnuts and pomegranates. So eat up and enjoy this season’s bounty in good health!

Curried Pumpkin Lentil Soup with Kale

Makes 7-8 cups

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups pumpkin puree- fresh or canned
• 6 cups vegetable stock or water+veg bouillon
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup canned crushed tomato
• 1 cup dried lentils (soak 1 hour beforehand)
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 Teaspoons curry paste
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• 3 cups chopped kale

1. Heat a large pot over a medium flame and add the olive oil and minced garlic. Sauté a couple minutes until it is lightly browned. Add the pumpkin puree, vegetable stock, water, crushed tomato, lentils, lemon juice, and spices.

2. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may need to add a bit extra water if it looks like it is getting very thick (like applesauce or denser) or starts to burn. Once the lentils are cooked, add the kale and cook an additional 5-7 minutes.