Managing Stress Levels

For many college students, and even adults, the end of the semester and into the holiday season can be a very stressful time. 3 weeks are normally packed with 10 page papers, tests, quizzes, study guides, and final exams. For those out of school, the end of the year is full of end of year reports, reviews and trying to close the books for 2016. Stress may feel like its starting to consume you, but you can control it. Lots of time stress can cause people to eat more unintentionally, get less sleep, and cause loss of focus. But there are simple ways to combat your stress and keep you on a smooth path to reaching your goals. Here are a few simple idea that can help you manage your stress levels-

1. Meditate/Self-Reflection- When feeling overwhelemed and don't know what to do next, take a step back and have a few quiet minutes to yourself. Turn on some soft music, turn the lights down, and breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Allow yourself to drift from your current state to one that is quiet and peaceful. Breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth makes you breath slower and helps to lower heart rate. Once you feel yourself getting calmer and relaxed, continue on with your work or studying with fresh eyes.

2. Get Some Fresh Air- When feeling stress or overwhelmed, taking a break and go outside. Going on a walk or just sitting outside in sun reading a book can help you refresh your mind and help you push through the workload. Soaking up some warmth and Vitamin D from the sun can help revitalize your brain.

3. Eating a Wholesome Meal or Snack- When you start to get hungry, reach from nutrient dense foods that will help you feel full and satisfied. Try grabbing some almonds, or carrots with hummus to fill you up with healthy fats, protein and vitamins.

4. Take a Quick Nap- Sleep will help your brain reset and be revitalize to help you power through. Being tired can distract you from being the most productive you can be. Short 20 minute cat naps can provide you with enough rest time to get your through the day.

5. Exercise- Elle Woods from Legally Blonde was right when she said "Exercises releases endorphins and endorphins make you happy!" Exercise can be an escape from all your work and help you clear your mind for a fresh start after. Exercise is also a proven stress reliever!

Remember, all this work and busyness is only temporary!

Eating Well at Your Thanksgiving Feast

Thanksgiving is just a few days away, and that means lots of family time, and lots and lots of food. But you don't have to be nervous about spoiling your healthy eating habits because of the holidays. You can enjoy all the food and still stay on the right track! 

I won't be having a normal Thanksgiving this year. I am actually meeting my parents and brother out in Arizona for a few days for vacation and to celebrate Thanksgiving. Our dinner is going to be at a seafood restaurant so I don't believe I will be having a regular Thanksgiving meal. However, yesterday my friends and I celebrated Friendsgiving. We made turkey tenderloins, stuffing, green beans, masheb potatoes, and an apple crisp pie. The dinner was absolutely delicious and I am so happy we were able to get together before we all go home for a few days.

If you're still trying to think of things to add to your menu for Thursday, https://diningwithadinergirl.blogspot.com/ has some great ideas and tons of tasty recipes to be sure to satisfy everyone. And she's my mom too!

So now to the good part; how to make sure you're not going to go overboard at dinner.

Let's start at the appetizer- Try everything! Don't feel like you have to limit or cut things out because you're watching what you eat. Get a plate, put a little bit of everything on it and then slowly munch on it 'til dinner time. By putting it all on your plate and portioning it out first, you will make sure that you're not over-stuffing yourself before the main course. And having only a little bit of the heavier appetizers won't throw you off at all.

Main Course-
When selecting your piece of the turkey, go for breast meat. You'll be getting  lots of protein and cutting out the fat that is in the thigh and drumsticks.
Vegetable- It's best to just go with vegetables that were steamed or pan fried. I know green bean casserole is mighty tasty, but it is full of saturated fat and lots of calories. Choosing steamed vegetables will leave you room for other sides and for dessert, where the casseroles will fill you up fast.
Potatoes- If you normally have mashed potatoes and baked potatoes at your feast, choose the baked potato with the skin still on. The skin of the potato is full of vitamins and mineral and fiber too, which will aid in digestion. If you only have mashed potatoes or scalloped potatoes, grab yourself about a fist size worth of potatoes and skip all the butter. Instead of butter, put gravy on them. It is more nutrient dense than butter is, and a lot less fatty and calorie heavy.
Biscuit- If you really, really want to add a biscuit to your plate, try to save it to be the last thing eaten. Use all your calories for the stuff that is nutrient dense, and if you're still hungry at the end, then indulge in the biscuit or roll. They are often high in fat and empty calories, which could have been ate through more vegetables and poatoes.
Stuffing- This is my favorite part of the meal. I love the stuffing my mom makes, especially because she puts sausage and mushrooms in it. Start with about a half a cup on your plate, and if you're still hungry after you finish everything else, go back and get more.

Dessert-
Pie has always been a staple in my house for Thanksgiving, especially apple pie. When cutting your pie, or even piece of cake, cut your piece to about 2 inches wide, or the size of your pinky finger. You can still enjoy your dessert without spending 1000 calories on it!  If you have cookies, limit yourself to about 2 small 2in diameter cookies. You can enjoy dessert and still feel great too.

Basically what I am trying to get at with this post, is to listen to your body. Eat slow and when you start to feel full, stop eating. Your body and brain knows when you've had enough to eat. If you're still hungry after your first plate, grab a little more. Just be conscious of what you're putting on your plate and how much you're eating and then you won't feel bad the next day.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Whats on my Plate?

Ever wonder what a nutrition major eats? Wonder if its healthy or if I practice what I preach? Well the answer is, I do eat nutritious foods most of the time but, I have no problem with treating myself. One thing nutrition majors hate to hear when they sit down for a meal is; "Why are you eating that? Aren't you supposed to be eating only nutritious and healthy foods and staying away from the bad things?". My response is always, "I consciously made the decision to put this food on my plate and if I want to treat myself every once in a while, then why not!"  Just because you are watching what you are eating, doesn't mean you can't treat yourself or make it so you can't have anything that tastes good.

This is what I ate for the day and the justification in the choices I made:

Breakfast (9 am)
For breakfast I had an 8 oz glass of chocolate milk, an apple and whole wheat toast with peanut butter. I chose the toast because it is whole grain and it is very important to fuel your body with carbs and protein at the beginning of the day. Whole grains contain some protein which can help you feel fuller longer and provide energy for the body to get going in the morning. The peanut butter contains protein as well, but also has healthy fats. These fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. These types of fat can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. I had an apple in order to get some vitamins and minerals that may be lacking from just having toast for breakfast. Apples are also high in fiber which can aid in digestion. The chocolate milk was chosen to provide 9 essential vitamins and minerals that the body cannot make and have to get from food sources, and to provide more protein in my breakfast.

Lunch (12:30 pm)
For lunch, I had the leftovers of a sandwich that I got a few days ago. However, this is an easy sandwich anyone can make and it is full of protein and nutrients. It was a hard roll with presto, which is full of healthy fats due to the olive oil and pine nuts in it, lettuce, tomato and mozzarella. The mozzarella is a great source of protein and is lower in fat than other types of cheeses. I knew I would need more than just a half a sandwich, so I paired it with carrots and honey mustard. Carrots are high in Vitamin A, K, dietary fiber, and biotin, and I added the honey mustard just to spice up my carrots a little. I had a glass of green tea with it, which has been shown to provide antioxidants to prevent illness and help boost metabolism!

Snack (2:30 pm)
 I had class all afternoon and knew that I would need something to hold me over until dinner time, so I grabbed the single serving pack of dry roasted almonds on my way out of the door. I love the way they taste and they are full of heart healthy fats and protein to keep me feeling full until dinner time.


Dinner (5:30 pm)
I was in a time crunch to get something to eat before class and going to the gym later so I decided to throw some chicken on the George Foreman Grill we have at my apartment, steamed up some broccoli, and made couscous. After the chicken was grilled and the broccoli was steamed, I threw them into a frying pan with olive oil, garlic and cheese and made a simple skillet meal with couscous as a side. Couscous is one of the 7 Mother Grains and a whole grain which are needed in a daily diet. The broccoli is full of antioxidants and vitamins, and the cheese gave me another serving of dairy and protein on my plate. Chicken is one of my favorite meats just because it is so versatile and easy to prepare. Its a really good source of protein, and a very lean meat. Milk again accompanied this meal.
 

Post Workout Snack (10:30 pm)
After a tough workout, I was feeling a little hungry and needed a pick me up to replenish carbohydrates burned during cardio and take in protein to help me build more muscle after a weight lifting circuit. My snack included a piece of bread and a tall glass of milk. The key to post workout snacks is to have it be a 2:1 Carb to Protein ratio. Your body really needs to replenish the carbohydrate stores after burning many of them off during exercise.






This is basically what the jist of my diet is daily. It is really important to make sure that meals are balanced between carbs, protein and fat, and that you are getting vegetables and fruits in your diet to get all the vitamins and minerals needed to function in our daily lives.

Restaurant Menu Navigation Tips and Tricks

I've heard many people say that because they are watching what they eat, they cannot treat themselves to a nice dinner out. One dinner out is not going to kill your diet, nor do you have to have high caloric meals when you do eat out. I'm here to help you make some good eating decisions when you aren't in the comfort of your own kitchen.

Eating out can be little intimidating for anyone wanting to eat more nutritious foods and trying to steer clear of the more calorie and fat laden foods. But it doesn't have to be! There are a lot of resources out there that can help you make better decisions when out to eat. Many restaurants have a low calorie menu, or offer their nutrition facts on their website. There is even a series of books that tells you what to eat and what not to eat at many popular fast food chains (I own one of them and like to look through it before eating out, but a lot of the time their suggestions are not offered anymore or they are not what I would eat). But there are ways to tell if an entree or dish is high in calorie and fat without doing research ahead of time! There are sneaky words that restaurants put into descriptions of their foods which can be direct giveaways that the food may be more energy dense rather than nutrient dense.
 Look out for works like-
Au Gratin, Basted, Battered, Hollandaise, Bottomless, Breaded, Buttery, Casserole, Cheesy, Country-Style, Covered, Creamed, Creamy, Crispy, Escalloped, Fried, Giant, Loaded, Platter, Smothered, Stewed, Stuffed, Volcano, White Sauce
Most likely if the menu item has any of these words in it, its going to be a bone-sticking meal.

However, if you really want to have one of the higher calorie entrees, ask for a box once your entree is delivered. Cut the portion in half and put it in the box to take it home for another meal. What they give you at a restaurant is normally about 2-3 times more than what you really should be eating or would eat at home, so by cutting it in half and putting it aside, you're really saving yourself from feeling over full and eating too much. Also, if they offer a lunch portion or even a half portion, order the smaller portion to ensure that you won't over stuff yourself or eat too much.


Here are some lighter choices at different types of restaurants:
Mexican Restaurants- Chicken Enchilada or Beef Tacos
Seafood Restaurants-Blackened of Grilled Fish
Pizza Joints- Thin Crust Pizza or Mixed Vegetable Pizza
Thai Restaurants- Cashew Chicken
BBQ Restaurants- Pulled Pork Sandwich
Italian Restaurants- Penne Puttanesca or Linguine with Garlic and Olive Oil
Diners- BLT or Grilled Cheese
Steakhouses- Filet Mignon or Grilled Tuna Steak

Here are some words that can signal potentially healthier options-
Baked, Broiled, Boiled, Broiled, Fat Free, Fresh, Grilled, High Fiber, Light, Marinated, Poached, Red Sauce, Reduced, Roasted, Seasoned, Steamed, Stir-Fried, Vegetarian, Vinaigrette, Whole Wheat