Raise a Glass!

There are plenty of options for milk alternatives out there on the market, but do they stack up to the real thing? You may select an alternative based on taste, preference, nutrient content, or health reasons. But an alternative may not be the best for you and your body! I support you and your decision on what kind of milk or altnerative you want to drink. I am just here to clear the air between the differences and help you make a more knowledgeable decision for your life and health.

Let's dive in!

Skim Milk- In just one 8 oz glass of milk, there's only 80 calories! Within those 80 calories, there's no fat at all, less than 5 mg of cholesterol, 12 g of carbohydrates, 8 grams of protein, 30% of the daily value of calcium and 25% of the daily value of Vitamin D! Just one small glass of milk packs a good punch of nutrients! Nothing needed to be added into milk in order to make it like this, its all nautral!



Let's compare it to 8 oz of Soy Milk
One 8 oz glass has 110 calories (thats 30 more than a glass of skim milk). There's 2.5g of fat, 15 g of carbs, 5g of protein, and vitamins that are added into the beverage to add some nutrient content. This is the ingredient list for this vanilla soy milk -

• Organic soymilk (filtered water, whole organic soybeans)
• Brown rice sweetener (filtered water, brown rice)
• Natural vanilla flavor with other natural flavors
• Tricalcium phosphate
• Sea salt
• Carrageenan
• Vitamin A palmitate
• Vitamin D2 

Let's look at Almond Milk
 It has only 30 calories in an 8 oz glass of the unsweetened variety, but it has 3.5g of fat, 3g of carbohydrates and only 2g, at most, of protein.  There is a significantly less amount of nutrients in almond milk compared to skim milk!

Let's look at Coconut milk!
One 8oz glass of coconut milk has 80 calories, like the skim milk, but has 5g of fat all coming from saturated fat, 7 grams of carbs, and less than 1 gram of protein!!! This product is also fortified with vitamins in an attempt to up the nutirent content.


For those who are lactose intolerant and rely on milk alternatives in an attempt to get some nutrients, there is a better option! Nestle has a new milk product called FairLife. It comes in Chocolate Milk, 2% and Skim Milk, and the best part is that it is actually made from cow's milk! Now you may be thinking "why is she saying this if I can't have milk because of the lactose!" FairLife is Ultra High Pasturized Milk, meaning that it is heating to an extremely high temperature which breaks down, or denatures the lactose proteins, making it lactose free. Not only is it lactose free, but there's also 50% more protein than regular milk, half the carbohydrate content, and 30% more calcium! Let's look at the nutrient fact panel

Just like the regular skim milk, there is 80 calories, only 6g of carbohydrates, and 13g of protein!! This milk really packs a punch and is great after a tough workout.

NUTRITION FACTS

Serving Size 1 cup (240ml)

Servings Per Container About 7

Amount Per Serving

Calories 80 Calories from Fat

 % Daily Value*

Total Fat 0g0%

Saturated Fat 0g0%

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 5mg2%

Sodium 120mg5%

Total Carbohydrate 6g2%

Dietary Fiber 0g0%

Sugars 6g

Protein 13g26%

Vitamin A 10% Vitamin C 0%

Calcium 40% Iron 0%

Vitamin D 25%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Ingredients: Nonfat Ultra-Filtered Milk, Lactase Enzyme, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D3

Contains Milk. 

Now that you have all this information, it's time for you to decide what is best. You can't milk a soy bean, almond or coconut! 

A Workout For You!

As promised in my last post, today I am sharing my personal workout routine. For a while, I would find workout routines that would look interesting on Pinterest and from Women's Health Magazine, but I realized that they weren't working the best for me nor they weren't targeting what I wanted to work on. We have been learning in my weight lifting class about program design and how to make an effective program for a variety of clients. My own personal goals are to Increase Strength and Tone a bit. If you have the same or similar goals as I do, I highly recommend giving this workout a try. I've been doing it for the past two weeks and I feel great and am starting to see some great results! Cardio is to be done 4 days of the week for only 30 minutes each day. I recommend doing 15 minutes of moderate cardio before starting the exercises and then doing the last 15 minutes of cardio after the exercises are complete. The cardio in the beginning helps to warm up the body and muscle to perform the exercises, and the 15 minutes of cardio at the end helps to decrease the likelihood of soreness the next day. The cardio can be walking, jogging, biking, the elliptical, the stepper machine or anything else that will boost your heart rate. Mixing cardio and weight training exercises helps to tone the body and burn fat, while promoting muscle growth and strength. Be sure to refuel after your workout with a good dose of carbohydrates and proteins to replenish your energy stores and support muscle growth and repair. My go-to post workout snack is always a big glass of skim milk and a piece of toast with peanut butter! If you're interested in getting a workout customized to your goals, message me with your goals! Happy Sweating!

DAY 1
Back and Biceps	SETS	REPS
Bicep DB Curl	4	12
DB Hammer Curl	4	12
Cable Curls	3	10
Incline Bench Curls	4	10
Bicep 21s	3	7
Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns	4	12
Narrow Grip Lat Pulldowns	4	12
Bent Over Barbell Row	4	12
Seated Row	4	12
Supermans	3	12
30 Minutes of Moderate Cardio

DAY 2
Legs	Sets	Reps
Smith Machine Squats	4	10
Smith Machine Hack Squats	4	10
Leg Press	4	10
DB Side Lunges	3	12
Russian Split Squats	3	12
Goblet Squats	4	12
Seated leg Curl	4	10
Leg Extensions	4	10
Hip Abductor	3	15
Hip Adductor	3	15
Seated Calf Raises	3	15
Stiff Leg Deadlifts	3	15
Standing Calf Raises	3	15

DAY 3
Chest and Triceps	Sets	Reps
DB Chest Press	4	10
DB Flies	4	12
Incline DB Chest Press	4	10
Incline DB Flies	4	10
Decline DB Chest Press	4	10
Overhead Tricep Extensions	3	15
Skullcrushers	3	12
Rope Tricep Pulldowns	4	10
Tricep Kick Backs	4	10
Bench Dips	3	15
30 Minutes of Moderate Cardio

DAY 4

OFF

DAY 5
Shoulders and Abs	Sets	Reps
Military Overhead Press	4	10
Lateral DB Raises	4	10
Arnold Press	4	12
Upright Rows	4	10
Farmers Carrys	4	20 sec
Bent Over Rear Delt Reverse Fly	3	12
Russian Twists	3	40
Leg Raises	3	15
Weighted Decline Sit Ups	3	20
Reverse Cruch	3	15
Oblique Crunches	3	20  Each Side
30 Minutes of Moderate Cardio

DAY 6
Total Body	Sets	Reps
Jumping Jacks	4	20
Burpees	4	10
Kettle Bell Swings	3	15
Single Leg Dead Lift	3	12
Squat with Upright Row	4	12
Box Jumps	3	15
45 Minutes of Moderate Exercise DAY 7 Off Try this program and tell me what you think!

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.

Fuel up to Play 60!

This past weekend I had the opportunity to work with the American Dairy Association North East (ADANE) and Fuel Up to Play 60 to talk to kids on the importance of eating breakfast and fueling and refueling before and after workouts and play time. Friday I helped set up and participate in a event for Fuel Up to Play 60 at the minor league stadium in my hometown. I was able to meet about 50 kids from local, inner-city schools and show them how teaming up with Fuel Up to Play 60 and their peers can help them get and stay healthy, as well as work toward getting some great prizes like going to NFL games or meeting some NFL players. At the event, the kids all got a healthy breakfast consisting of make-your-own yogurt parfaits, granola bars, fruit and milk. Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, and without it we cannot preform in school or in sports to the best of our abilities.
The kids were all brought to together then for a few introductions and a short talk. First a young farmer talked to the kids about what he does on his family's dairy farm, why he loves farming, and why its an important profession. Then, they had a sports dietitian (my dream job) from Syracuse University come up and talk to the kids about the importance of eating breakfast and was able to demo some smoothies for the kids. She even had some help from Arizona Cardinal's safety, Tyvon Branch. The kids were all so excited to see an NFL player there, and one who really supports Fuel Up to Play 60 and refueling with milk. After the demo, they were sent out onto the field to participate in various stations with different types of physical activity. They played games like a farmers relay and rolled a pair of exercise dice which showed how many reps of a certain exercise must be preformed. After their time at the stations, they were greeted with cartons of chocolate milk for a refuel drink and got to hang out with Tyvon Branch and Oakland Raider's Latavius Murray. The kids were so excited and were asking for pictures and autographs. Before being sent home, they all got a nutritious lunch and left with a smile. Not only was this a day of fun for them, but also a day of learning how to eat right and make healthy decisions all day long.

The following day I was asked to attend and help run a station at the CNY Football Academy with the dietitian from Syracuse University and ADANE. This one day football camp is put on every year and open to kids ages 9-13 in the Central New York area. The camp is a half day program where the kids rotate through a series of stations designed to help them polish their football skills like a running back station, ropes station, and a quarterback station. Along with playing football all morning, they were able to go through a couple stations of basketball as well. The camp is run by Mike Hart, a former NFL player, along with the help of Branch and Murray.
The station I was at was a break station for the kids. We were under a canopy and the kids were able to sit and relax, drink water and take a bit of a break  While they were relaxing, we talked to the kids about breakfast, why it is important, and what constitutes as a healthy breakfast. We had a few examples of a healthy breakfast, unhealthy breakfast and no breakfast. We asked the kids about what they thought about each one, and how they would feel after eating each of the examples. Of course everyone thought that the breakfast that consisted of chips, soda and candy sounded like it would be awesome, but we explained why it wouldn't be the best for them. Sure, that would taste wonderful, and you may get some energy from it, but you'll crash shortly after eating it and not be ready for the rest of the day. The healthy example consisted of cereal, milk, blueberries and walnuts. We stressed to them the great amount of protein and calcium in milk, which helps builds strong muscles and bones. Both of which are very important for growing kids and athletes.
Everyone that came to our station and listened all seemed to be very receptive and responsive to our message. The kids were all so excited to hear that they were getting chocolate milk with lunch too! This was a great opportunity to me to help send out the message to kids and try to instill in them a healthy habit of eating breakfast every day. I got to work with a really great dietitian, which helped to inspire me to stay on my path of becoming a sports dietitian. I look forward to being able to do more events like this in future and continue on my way to being an RD.