'healthy' posts

You are in charge of your health.

From scheduling your yearly doctor visit to carving out time in your day for 30 to 60 minutes of exercise, you have the power to keep your body and mind in top form. The key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle is to turn this “scheduling” into an enjoyable routine. One of the best ways to do this is to start with the routine that none of us could live without: eating. Here are a few tips to make healthy eating a fun habit:

1. Add color! Colorful fruits and veggies are full of nutrients. Think of meals as art projects and play with color!

2. Mix and match. Choosemyplate.gov shows you how to divide up your plate between fruits, vegetables, protein, grains and dairy. Using that framework, mix and match foods and find the combinations that make your palate sing. Mix it up and make mealtime fun.

3. Get creative with herbs and spices. Herbs and spices are a great way to add depth of flavor to food while limiting salt. Experiment with different flavors!
4. Involve your family and friends. Healthy cooking can be fun and entertaining. Give yourself a reason to look forward to making this a routine!

Healthy habits take time to build so give yourself time to explore and get comfortable with cooking your way to health.

This is especially the case for ...

With the vague hint of spring in the air, many families are gearing up for the onslaught of practices and games that come with spring sports. As the kids strap on their pads and cleats again, keep in mind that a healthy athlete needs more than just good physical conditioning; fueling their bodies with proper nutrition is just as important to keep them competitive!

Nutrition is vital for the health of people of all ages and activity levels but young athletes have higher fluid and energy needs. Nutrition can also help prevent injury and keep your young athlete competitive. Help your young athlete become a nutrition champion before the starting buzzer even goes off!

• For healthy bones...

Picky eaters. We all know at least one, have a child that’s proud to be one, or heck, might have a history of being one (gulp). Every child is unique, hence the approach to picky eating needs to be highly individualized, but here I will outline some general tips on how to establish healthy habits for picky eaters!

The Basic Rules...

There are two truths most of us have to live with on a daily basis:

1. We have to eat to survive
2. Life is busy

These two truths together often mean that we grab for processed foods (chips, cookies, crackers) when we feel hungry. Other times, it’s just easier to order take-out or fast-food in between meetings, classes or appointments. Of course, these foods often have less nutritional value and more calories. With the New Year underway and many of us aiming to shed pounds or improve our nutrition, why not make a resolution to pack your lunch at least 3 to 5 times per week?

Packing your own lunch has many benefits including...

Jingle bells may no longer be ringing in your ears, but the constant barrage of New Year’s resolution pressure probably is! Yet for all the commercials that promise the next great way to shed pounds or get more physically active in the New Year, children are left out of the resolution discussion. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that they shouldn’t be involved in setting healthy goals. Why not turn your New Year’s goals into a family affair?

For children, the goal shouldn’t be “pounds lost” but “healthy habits made.” Set an example for your children by not trying every fad diet but instead making a more concerted resolution to live a healthy lifestyle. Here are some fun ideas to involve your kids in your healthful resolutions...

As a regular gym-goer, every year in January I experience what I call the “New Year’s Influx.” We’ve been plagued throughout the month of December with messages about New Year’s resolutions to live healthier lifestyles, of which physical activity is a vital component. As a result, the population of my gym grows exponentially as people act on their resolutions to exercise.

This gives me the chance to exercise my own New Years resolution: patience!

Whereas usually during my post-work workout, treadmills and ellipticals are easy to come by, now it’s a fight to claim one. And if you’re lucky enough to get one, you get the stink-eye if you’re on there for one second over the thirty minute limit. In spite of the added stress that this causes, as a health educator I always find it refreshing to see a mass recommitment to self-care. Inevitably though, by the end of February, the influx dies down. This phenomenon raises two questions:

Happy (healthy) holidays! Here's a roundup of great tips, recipes, and videos to help you make decisions about what to eat or what to make & bring to holiday gatherings:

• Love pinning and finding recipes on Pinterest? Click to view and pin from our board of more than 100 dietitian-approved heart-healthy recipes.

• Tarynne Mingione, RD, gives some great tips for thinking about portion sizes at holiday gatherings and also how to incorporate more vegetables into your favorite festive foods - click here to read, and also find links to some of her favorite recipes!

• Do you know what is in your holiday cocktail? Dr. Lindquist has some tips for eating and drinking at holiday gatherings. Click here to watch his video with healthy holiday eating tips, and also watch this video with tips on preventing holiday weight gain.

• Chef Eric has ..