National Eating Disorders Awareness Week

The last week of February every year is deemed National Eating Disorders Awareness week. During this week, organizations, clubs, work places and schools try to educate people about eating disorders and prevent them. About 20 million women and 10 million men suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their lifetime, and 4 out of every 10 people have suffered or know someone who has suffered from an eating disorder. That's right, anyone at any age can get an eating disorder.  These include anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, or an eating disorder not otherwise specified.

So what are anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder?
Anorexia is considered a psychiatric disorder characterized by an unrealistic fear of weight gain, self-starvation, and conspicuous distortion of body image. Patients starve themselves because they see a number as determining their self worth. This can lead to death in the most severe cases.
Bulimia is also life threatening and very dangerous. The person will consume large amounts of food then try to rid themselves of the food or calories by purging, excessive exercise, fasting or  laxatives. Bulimia results from an excessive concern about weight control and self-image.
Binge Eating Disorder is similar to bulimia, but without the excessive exercise, vomiting, fasting or use a laxatives. A person will eat excessive amounts of food in one sitting. The person will eat uncontrollably, eat when not feeling hungry,  or eat when the are feeling down, depressed, sad or bored.

Treatment for such eating disorders can cost up to about $1000 a day if sent to an inpatient clinic. Treatment often includes seeing a doctor regularly, receiving psychiatric or psychological help, seeing therapists like an art or music therapist, and seeing a dietitian. This network of support can really help a person get back on their feet and get them to a healthier relationship with foods

I am really passionate about helping those with eating disorders, not only because of me being a nutrition student and learning about them, or being the Vice President of my university's chapter of Project Heal ( A nonprofit organization which raises awareness and money to send patients to receive the treatment they need and that the insurance will not cover), but also because I suffered from an eating disorder when I was in high school. I saw my weight as something that determined my self-worth and ability to be an athlete, which ended up getting in the way of me being an athlete. I went from 149 to weighing 106 pounds in 3 months.  I had to see a doctor regularly to check up on my progress, talk to a therapist to get to the root of my problem and see my true self worth and loving who I am, and had to visit a dietitian regularly to help with my relationship with food. That is where I was inspired to become a dietitian; she made me feel so welcome, accepted, and comfortable. I wanted and was willing to change my lifestyle and work with others to change theirs. I like to workout and eat right, but still like to treat myself with goodies that mom and dad like to make. I am now 5 years free of an eating disorder and am accepting of myself and my flaws. That's what makes me unique and what makes me beautiful.

Eating disorders are a serious thing and can be tough to deal with. But loving yourself and not listening to what the media says is the perfect body type or if we should have a thigh gap or not  (definitely not), can lead to your success and being able to help others succeed.

 

 

 

For more information about eating disorders, here are some good sites to look at-
http://theprojectheal.org/


http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/

http://www.eatright.org/resource/health/diseases-and-conditions/eating-disorders/understanding-eating-disorders

Knowing Your Labels

One of the biggest issues in the nutrition field  is that not many people know what all the nutrition jargon means on the packaging of the foods they buy and eat. I have read multiple articles about this, and with each article I read, I learn something new about what different things mean on these labels. Like what the different is between all natural and organic. Or antibiotic free or hormone free. Here's a few labels and their meanings I think are important to know and to help you know what you are buying

For meats, these are common labels and their meanings:
- American Grass Fed Certified-No antibiotics are used at all during the animals life time
- Animal Welfare Approved-No antibiotics are used for growth or disease prevention. Animals are only given antibiotics if they are sick. Welfare and hygiene are fully addressed
- Certified Humane- No antibiotics are used for growth or disease prevention, some welfare and hygiene practices are used
-No Antibiotics/Raised with no antibiotics- drugs are not used for any purpose, but if they do not have the USDA seal, then they cannot be fully relied on to be antibiotic free
-Organic- Animals have not been given antibiotics, and sick animals that have been treated with antibiotics, cannot be considered organic. They can be given Antibiotics before they have hatched, or on the day they were born and still be considered Organic.
-Grass-Fed- not all meat that has been grass fed has been raised without antibiotics. Look for the AGA certified label stating at that they have no been raised with antibiotics
-Natural/All-Natural- Has nothing to do with antibiotics, hormones or any other drugs that may be used at all. This label just means that no artificial ingredients have been used and was minimally processed
-No hormones- Does not have anything to do with antibiotics used for growth. Pork and Chicken cannot have any hormones added to them, so whether the package is labeled with this or not, there are no hormones used or added.
- Raised without Antibiotics for growth promotion- Antibiotics are used for disease prevention and treatment
( Info obtained from Consumerreports.org)



Here are some that show up on many different labels, across many food groups along with their definitions:
-"Free of..." or "Fat Free"- only trivial amounts in each serving
- "Good Source"- has at least 10-19% of the daily value per serving
- "Less"- contains 25% of less of a nutrient or calories than the reference food
- "Light"- 1/3 less calories and 1/2 the fat
- Light in sodium" - amount of sodium in one serving has been cut in half
- "More"- contains at least 10% more of the Daily Value per serving than the normal food. Other words used to describe this are fortified, enriched, added, extra and plus
- "Reduced"- Food has been altered to have 25% less of a nutrient or calories than the normal food

What's for dinner?

I decided to mix it up for this post and talk about and share a recipe I made for my boyfriend and I the other week. I love to cook, and that is very important when you're in school for nutrition. Especially when you have to take 3 cooking classes and labs in order to graduate! However, I discovered my love for cooking and baking long before college started. I regularly help my parents with dinner prep at home, and at least cook dinner once a week while at school for my boyfriend and I. Dining hall food gets pretty old pretty fast. When boyfriend suggested the other week that we should make dinner at his apartment before I went home for the weekend, I immediately when on Pinterest to see what tasty, easy and nutritious meal ideas I could find. He suggested something with chicken and rice because he had been making a lot of pasta lately, and had a lot of chicken in the freezer his mom bought his before he came back for the second semester. I found many, many recipes that sounded really appealing, but most looked like they would take over an hour to make. I was losing hope of finding a chicken and rice dish until I found One-pot Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli and Rice. It sounded easy and really tasty, especially with the broccoli and cheese in the recipe. We both agreed on it and headed to the store after we were both done with class. This recipe was really easy, super quick, cheesy, and we both loved it! Lots of leftovers, and it has something from every food group!

Easy One-Pot Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli and Rice

Ingredients           

• 1 lb Chicken breasts, boneless skinless                                                           
• 2 1/2 cups Broccoli florets                                                    
• 2 cloves Garlic                                                    
• 1/2 Yellow onion, medium                                                       
• 2 1/2 cups Chicken broth, low-sodium                                      
• 1 cup White rice, long grain                                 
• 1 tsp Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper                                                  
• 3 tbsp Olive oil, extra virgin                                                    
• 2 cups Reduced-Fat Shredded Cheddar cheese, sharp

Instructions

1. In a large skillet or pan, sauté onions in two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Once onions soften, increase the heat to medium high and add chicken to the pan.
3. Brown the chicken pieces and add the garlic. Cook for about 1 more minute.
4. Push chicken to one side of the pan and add additional tablespoon of olive oil to other side.
5. Add the uncooked rice in the olive oil and saute it for a couple of minutes.
6. Add the chicken broth to the pan and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pan with a lid.
7. Cook chicken and rice mixture covered for about 12 minutes.
8. Sprinkle the broccoli evenly over the chicken and rice mixture and stir to combine.
9. Continue to cook covered another 8 minutes on low, or until broccoli and rice are both tender.
10. Remove from heat and stir in half a cup of cheese.
11. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and cover with a lid, letting it sit for 1-2 minutes or until cheese has melted. Serve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keeping you on track with your New Year's Resolution

It's January and many people know what that means, it's time to get that gym membership, get new work out clothes, clear the pantry of all that junk food and start fresh. Let's look as some numbers about resolutions:
-45% of Americans make a resolution for the new year
-10% of those who make the resolutions are actually completely successful
-1 in 3 people ditch their goals by the end of January
-66% of all goals are fitness or nutrition related

If you're one of the millions of Americans with a fitness or nutrition goal, I'm here to help you reach that goal and help you change your life. But here are some things you should keep in mind when making your resolutions and setting those goals.

1. Be realistic. You're not going to be losing 5-10 pounds a week, and you may not even see big changes right away. That is perfectly okay. Your goal should be losing between .5-2 lbs a week. That is a safe amount to be losing without hurting your body in the long run. This is equivalent to losing about 10% of your body weight within 1 year. This may not seem like much, but even losing just 10% of your body weight significantly helps your health and adds years back on to your life when you're over-weight to obese.

2. Find and stick to a workout plan. You don't need to spend hundred of dollars a month on personal training sessions to get healthy. You can go online and find any workout that will fit your needs, free or paid for. One of my favorite places to find new workout ideas is on the Women's Health Magazine website ( womenshealthmag.com). They post new workouts and exercises daily that are all free. There are  cardio plans, weight training workouts, workouts using just body weight, and even some videos showing you how to do different workouts. They also review workout equipment, like different fitness bands.
If you can't get to the gym on your lunch hour, after work, or, if you're feeling ambitious, before work, trying taking a small walking break every few hours around the office or the building. This gets the blood pumping and your heart rate up to help burn those extra calories. It will even help you be more focused once you sit back down and get back to working. And maybe when you get home find a workout video on tv! Many cable providers have exercise on demand channels that have short 20 minute videos that you could do while dinner is in the oven or before going to bed. The best part, other than not having to leave your house, is that many of them are free too!

3. Take days off.  So many people believe that in order for them to be successful with their weight loss and fitness goals think that they must go to the gym every day. That is not true. Your body needs rest days. Don't over work yourself. If you're working out 7 days a week, by the time you get to day 6 and 7, you won't be able to put your all into your workout and get the total benefits!

4. It's okay to treat yourself sometimes. Just because you're on a diet, does not mean that you can't occasionally enjoy a cookie or a small piece of pie. Yes, you shouldn't be having cookies daily or eating pie all the time. But it is important to treat yourself. If you cut all of these foods out of your diet for good, your are not establishing a healthy relationship with food. One cookie, one piece of cake, one piece of pie is not going to kill you. It's important for you to enjoy this stuff sometimes and not be scared of it.

5. Don't completely change your diet. When you drastically change your diet to lose weight, you decrease your chances in becoming successful. If you didn't eat kale beforehand, you're probably not going to want to eat it straight up now. Try taking the recipes you made before your diet and tweak them a little. Use whole grain pasta instead of regular pasta. Whole grain pasta has more protein than the regular, which will keep you fuller, longer which reduces snacking. Substitute leaner cuts of meat for the fatter ones; for example, have chicken breast or turkey instead of chicken thighs. Use romaine lettuce in your salads instead of iceberg, and while you're making that salad, try a vinaigrette instead of using something thick, like a creamy Caesar, ranch or blue cheese. Maybe take out those frozen and canned vegetables for fresh vegetables from the produce section. Cooking Light puts out recipes that are lighter twists on those heavy classics, but they still all taste great!

Keep these tips in mind while your working toward your goal, and you'll start seeing results and feeling better!

-E

Super Drink

We've all seen the billboards and commercials with celebrities posing with a fresh milk mustache asking "Got Milk?", and we've all seen the advertisements asking if we have had our 3 servings of dairy today. But do you really know how great milk is for the body and our growing bones?? Sure it has 9 essential vitamins and minerals in just an 8 ounce glass, but getting those 3 servings of dairy a day can help with prevent major diseases! Its especially important to get adequate amounts of calcium and iron by the time you're 30, because that's when bone capacity reaches its max. But don't stop drinking and eating dairy once you've hit 30! Receiving adequate amounts of Calicum and iron for your whole life continues to decrease the risk of problems like osteoporosis, fractures and bone loss. In just one 8 oz glass of skim milk, there's only 80 calories, 8 grams of protein, and 13 grams of carbs. Much better choice than having a glass of soda that is about twice the amount of calories and carbs, with zero grams of protein and absolutely no vitamins or minerals. But even with whole milk, 2% and 1%, you still get all the added benefits of the vitamins, minerals and macronutrients! So next time you pour a glass for the little ones in the family, pour one for yourself too! Your body will thank you.

Athletes are also turning to chocolate milk as a refuel drink after a tough workout. The body needs those calories, carbs and protein after breaking a sweat to help the muscles grow. Athletes at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York love having chocolate milk so much after a workout, the head of sports nutrition, Clint Wattenburg, with the help of the American Dairy Association and Dairy council put in refuel stations in the crew clubhouse, in the gyms, and in their hockey arena. The student athletes love it! There are able to go and get a snack and a glass of milk after practices and games for free. Instead of buying expensive protein for post workout drink, try mixing up a glass of chocolate milk. 

Lastly, I need your help! Can you believe that local food banks do not get enought money to give milk to all their patrons? The American dairy association and dairy council are teaming up with the food bank for their Give A Gallon campaign. Just post a picture on social media of you sporting a milk mustache and tag it with #GiveAGallon and $1 will be donated to the food bank to help buy milk for needy families. I did it today with my grandma! 

Just remember to tag it with #GiveAGallon and a donation is made!  

-E

Pinterest Diets and Detoxes

As the avid Pinterest pinner I am, lately I have seen many post on their health and fitness pages about diets boasting that it will make you lose 10 pounds in 7 days. Wow! It sounds pretty awesome just looking at it on the surface, but in reality, its just a recipe for another dieting fail. In school I learned that an average, healthy, weight-loss is about .5lb to 2 lbs a week.  Eating an excess of 3500 calories a week, or about 500 extra calories a day, based on the average 2000 calorie a day diet, can make someone gain a pound a week. Therefore, by cutting between 250-500 calories a day, you'll see about a pound of weight loss a week. Losing 10 pounds in 7 days sounds like a dream! But in reality, most of the weight you'll be losing is water weight, which is easily gained right back. Rapidly weight-loss is the easiest way to guarantee you will gain it back as soon as you've finished with the diet. Not to mention your energy level will be lower, making you feel tired more often.

This 10 pound, 7 day diet tells people that they should be consuming about 1000 calories a day. My peers and I have learned that the minimum amount of calories the body needs a day to do all of its processes and function is 1200 calories. Without these calories, your body will not function as it normally would, making you feel tired, unmotivated, hungry and have some digestive issues.

Another thing about this diet is that you pretty much avoid fat and carbohydrates. These are 2 of the 3 major nutrient sources, the third being protein. Carbohydrates provide quick energy, and can be stored in the muscles for later use. And fat is used to make hormones, be stored as energy, and help provide protection to the internal organs. Significantly cutting these out of the diet or drastically reducing the intake of them will have negative outcomes. A diet like this is proven to be unsuccessful and weight rarely stays off. Your best bet is to cut down on highly processed foods, do a mix of cardio and strength training exercises between 3-5 times a week for about 30-45 minutes , and try to reduce caloric intake by about 250-500 calories a day, nothing more than that.

Lastly, do not believe that juice detoxes are the best thing out there for you. Our bodies have a special organ that already filters out toxins that we may ingest and helps to purify our bodies, its the liver. Its whole function is to make sure that there are no toxins within us. We do not need some super expensive juices or shakes to do that for us when our body does it for free! And by blending up fruits and vegetables, all you're getting to eat while doing the detox is carbohydrates, because fruits and vegetables are made of starch, glucose, and fructose, which are all carbohydrates. There is little protein in these "wonder shakes", therefore you feel hunger much faster than when consuming protein. Protein promotes satiety, which means it helps you feel fuller longer. It fights off that hunger feeling.

So before you try a miracle diet or a detox, question the claims it makes. Ask yourself, does this make sense?
-E

A summer of exposure and learning

I has been quite a while since my last posting on my blog so I'm going to fill blanks up to now. I finished my second semester of freshman year back in May and achieve a GPA of 3.53!! My parents and I were very pleased with this considering the second semester had a much heavier work load than the previous semester. I came home from school for the summer and started my new job as a barista at Starbucks right away, working about 30 hours a week, and even picking up a few shifts as a waitress at the Italian restaurant I began working at when I was 15. During my time off the job, I went on a few vacations too! I spent a week in mid-July in the Caribbean with my family and got to go to Disney for a week with my best friend from high school.

One of my favorite parts of the summer was being able to spend a couple days with sports dietitians. The company my mother works for works very close with dietitians in promoting dairy in the diet and chocolate milk as a refuel drink. I was able to be an intern for them this summer and got to meet some really awesome dietitians who are at the top of their field. The first dietitian I shadowed was Clint Wattenburg from Cornell University. He attended school there, was an All-American wrestler there, and now, started the sports nutrition program for athletes there! His resume is amazing and very extensive. He is an avid supporter of my mother's company and has brought their Fuel Up to Play 60 program to most of their varsity teams. We talked about what his average day is in the office, the meetings he does with many of the athletes to watch the dietary plans and how well they are fueling their bodies for the best performance, showed me some of the research he is doing there, and even gave me a tour of some of the athletic buildings and talked of his plans to bring a large refueling station in a few of the athletic complexes. Last year they put in a refueling station in the Crew club house and the athletes loved it! At the refueling stations they are able to grab a healthy snack like a banana, half of a peanut butter sandwich, apple or a nutrition bar before or after a practice or meet/match/game. They are also supplied with a large selection of regular white milk and chocolate milk that come right from their dairy on campus. The first refueling station went over so well that he is putting in more in some of the athletic complexes. Overall, the day was very interesting and I got to see an actual Sports Dietitian in action.

The second opportunity I had was with the New York Yankees, and it was a dream come true. I flew with my mom and her boss to New York for 2 nights and stayed in Harlem. Their company has a large sponsorship with the Yankees and with the summer meals programs for the 5 boroughs of New York, and also sponsors a summer baseball camp through the Yankees, which was where I spent my day. We arrived late Monday night, so we just had dinner and went to bed. But Tuesday, the alarm went off and I shot out of bed to get ready for the day. I was so excited. We got to the stadium around 9 in the morning, checked in at Gate 2, the offices entrance, then were sent up to the Audi Suite where I would meet Natalie Rizzo, a dietitian that works with the Yankees for their summer camps. Natalie was just finishing up her dietetic internship, part of which she did with the Yankees. She has been doing the nutrition segment of these camps for the past 5 years and really enjoys it.  She would come to every week of the camp and talk to the little leaguers about healthy eating and the right fueling to play. The talks went on for about 20 minutes and we did them about 6 times. The kids loved it! They were so intrigued the moment she started talking! It seemed like they were really getting what she was saying and really enjoyed it too. At the end of each session, the kids were given a carton of chocolate milk and they all left with a smile. It was great to see how sports nutrition is applied to not just collegiate and professional athletes, but to little kids too. We were also sent over to one of the borough pools to see how the summer lunches program worked. Anyone under the age of 19 is able to get a healthy, nutritious and yummy lunch for free, every week day in the summer. Everyone that was there was so excited to be able to get food, hang out and even hear former Yankee, Mike Torres speak about proper nutrition.  After that we walked around the stadium a bit and had lunch before running back to the hotel to get changed for the game. We had awesome seats, got a few autographs and had an amazing time!

This summer was very busy, but very fun and interesting. I am so happy I was able to get the opportunity to shadow people in the field that I working to be in, and I cannot wait to see what else will happen as I continue on my road to being an RD.