Wellness

@ Moraine Valley

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Heart Healthy Tips!

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RD Approved Heart Health Tips!

With the holiday season behind us (and hopefully soon this winter weather!), it is time to refocus your goals and get back on track with healthier eating and more activity. What better time to start than National Heart Month?

Did you know that heart disease is the #1 killer of Americans? Check out this 10 tips below to lower your risk!

1) Get moving! Incorporate more physical activity every day, outside of scheduled workouts. Walk when possible, take the stairs, and park further away from the entrance. Wearing a pedometer such as a Fitbit can also increase your day to day activity.

2) Maintain a healthy weight.  Research shows the higher your BMI, the more at risk you are for heart disease, diabetes, and other health problems.

3) Ditch the salt shaker!  Trimming your sodium intake to 1500 mg or less a day can help keep your blood pressure levels within normal range. (Normal blood pressure is less than 120 mm Hg systolic AND less than 80 mm Hg diastolic or <120/80)

4) Increase the Omega 3’s.  Aim for at least 2 servings a week of an oily fish such as salmon or a heart healthy nut such as almonds or walnuts.

5) Aim for 5 (to 9) a day!  Fruits and vegetables pack quite the punch!  The more produce you eat, the higher your intake will be of heart healthy soluble fiber and antioxidants  Your fruits and veggies help fill you up, as well as helping to ward off that hunger.

6) Quit smoking!  Smoking can damage your entire circulatory system, and increases your risk for coronary heart disease among other problems.  Enlist the help of your physician and contact your local hospital for Quit Smoking programs.

7) Maintain healthy cholesterol/blood sugar levels. Many people don’t realize how much of a role your cholesterol levels and blood sugars play in your heart health.  The Heart Association considers diabetes one of the six major controllable risk factors for cardiovascular disease.  Aim to reduce or keep your fasting blood sugar under 100 mg/dL.

8) Fiber is your friend!  Did you know that a diet high in fiber can actually reduce your blood cholesterol levels?  For men aim for 30 grams/day, and for women 25 grams/day. Oatmeal, produce, nuts, whole grain cereals, breads and pastas are a great source of fiber.

9) Watch the Fats!  We can’t talk about a heart healthy diet without discussing fats, the good vs. the bad.  Kelly suggests you aim for most of your fat intake to come from heart healthy sources such as nuts, seeds, vegetable based oils like canola or olive, and avocados.  Decrease the saturated and trans fats when you can, found in many processed foods such as fast foods, packaged snack foods, and fatty, darker meats such as pork, beef, sausage and bacon.

10) Keep a log. Keep a log of your foods can help you determine what lifestyle choices you need to focus on. By writing down everything you eat and drink you become more aware of what foods you are consuming. You can also try a electronic app such as Lose It! Or MyFitness Pal.

Kelly Devine Rickert MS RD CSSD LDN
MVCC Wellness Coordinator

Avoid These Diet Pitfalls in 2021!

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Looking to meet your 2021 goals?  Want to jump start that weight loss?  Here are some diet pitfalls I often see and how to avoid them.

Diet Pitfall #1: Skipping Meals
Skipping meals only leads to being more hungry later in the day which leads to overeating and loss of control in the evenings.  Start your day with breakfast, then try and eat something every 3-5 hours to maintain steady blood sugars.  Skipping meals or fasting does NOT equate to long term weight loss.

Diet Pitfall #2: Eating diet, sugar free or fat free foods all day
Real food will fill you up and satisfy you. Eating 4 sugar free Jellos will not.  Eat real, wholesome foods. Fruits, veggies, nuts, eggs, whole grains, protein, etc.  You will feel better, look better, have more energy and less cravings.

Diet Pitfall #3: Not exercising
You can lose weight by diet alone but it is very rare when someone can maintain long term weight loss without some exercise involved.  Get moving!!!  30 minutes a day for long term results.  You will have more energy, fit into your clothes better, and lose more inches with exercise AND diet vs. diet alone.

Diet Pitfall #4: Not drinking enough water/drinking diet pop or coffee all day.
Water is the BEST way to hydrate yourself. Add a slice of lemon, cucumber or sliced berries to flavor your water naturally.  Increasing the water will hydrate you better, give you longer lasting energy levels AND help you burn more calories when you work out.

Diet Pitfall #5: Jumping on the Fad Diet Bandwagon
If you want to make lifelong changes to your health and body, you need to start eating in a way that is realistic and able to be incorporated in your day to day routine.
Instead of starting the next fad diet, take a step back. What changes can you make that would get you that one step closer to losing 5 pounds?
Can you bring your lunch to work daily and 1-2 healthy snacks? Can you start walking on lunch breaks? Can you drink water instead of pop? can you start eating breakfast at home? Cutting portions at dinner?

~Kelly Devine Rickert, Registered Dietitian

Fitting in Fitness Around the Holidays!

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Don’t forget about your fitness this holiday season! Here are some ideas to help you fit more physical activity into your day. Even just 10 minutes of exercise can blast 100 calories!

• Look for short periods of time (at least ten minutes) during the day in which you can do some physical activity.
• Do a 10 minute interval workout.
o Alternate the following exercises for the first 30 seconds of each minute followed by 30 seconds of rest.
 Pushups
 Sit-up’s
 Planks
 Burpees
 Jumping Jacks
 Stairs
 Walk/Run in Place
 Lunges
 Squats
 Tricep dips

• Park at the far end of the parking lot when you are out and about (When safe to do so!)

• Be active during lunchtime! If you bring your lunch to work, you may have time to take a brisk walk.

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

• Plan and prepare meals ahead of time, so you’ll have time to exercise.

• Get your family to exercise with you. It’s a fun way to spend some quality time together.

• Leaves still hanging around? Rake leaves for the evening.

• Keep a daily log; this can help you see where you can fit in more physical activity.

• Exercise inside using machines or DVD’s (PX90, Leslie Samsone, On Demand etc)

• Track your pedometer steps. Increase your goal each week!

  • Walk around the neighborhood and look at the holiday decorations!

Happy Holidays!

Kelly

What’s for Dinner?

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The age-old question…. what’s for dinner? (or the question most mom’s dread!)

In the last 13 years as a Registered Dietitian, I have noticed that the one meal a day people struggle with the most is dinner. Why?
Here are some of the common responses I receive:
– no time
– too busy rushing around with work/kids/extracurricular’s
– don’t want to just cook for 1 or 2 people
– don’t know how to cook/I am not good at cooking
– too many picky eaters at home… and many more.

But the fact is, it is MUCH LESS expensive and MORE healthy to eat at home than anywhere else. If you sit down once a week and plan your dinner meals, you are more likely to stick to your menu decreasing any chance of you ordering last-minute take out food.

Not only is it less expensive to eat at home but it also has some other great benefits as well!

– You consume less sodium, fat, sugar and overall calories when eating at home.
– Family dinners are more important than play, story time and other family events in the development of vocabulary of younger children.
– Frequent family meals are associated with a lower risk of smoking, drinking and using drugs in preteens and teens ages 11 to 18.
– Adolescent girls who have frequent family meals and a positive atmosphere during those meals are less likely to develop eating disorders.
– Children who eat most often with their parents are 40 percent more likely to say they get mainly As and Bs in school than children who have two or fewer family dinners a week.
– Dinner with family can be a stress reliever. Believe it or not, if you have a demanding job, finding time to eat with your family may actually leave you feeling less stressed.

Tips for dinner meal planning:

  1. Sit down once a week with your calendar to see what nights you will be at home to make dinner and what evenings you need to have something quick and easy to go (grilled chicken wraps with fruit)!
  2. Shop the sale ads on the weekends to plan which protein’s you will have that week with dinner.
  3. Start with your protein first, then figure out your sides (add a whole grain starch and some veggies to each dinner).
  4. Prep ahead when you can. Example: When making kids lunches at night, I boil my noodles and brown my ground turkey to make a pasta bake for the next night. All I have to do is throw in the oven when I get home from work!
  5. Cook once, eat twice! This is my motto! Example from earlier. If I brown my turkey tonight, I may season some turkey and make into patties for the next night. Make your life as easy as you can!

Do you have any time-saving tips in the kitchen for dinner? Do Share!

~Happy planning!

~Kelly Devine Rickert MS RD CSSD LDN

Quick Healthy Dinner Recipes!

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Pasta with Zucchini and Roasted Garlic
Ingredients
• 1 pound Rotini, Twists or Spirals, uncooked, whole grain
• 8 medium cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 3 medium zucchini, coarsely grated (about 5-6 cups)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 450. Place your garlic on a 12-inch square piece of foil on the counter. Sprinkle with thyme and rosemary. Pour the oil over the garlic and herbs. Draw up the edges of the foil and make a sealed packet. Bake 20 minutes.
  2. While the garlic is baking, cook pasta according to package directions. Two minutes before pasta is done, add the zucchini to the pasta cooking water. Cook two minutes. Drain zucchini and pasta.
  3. Open the foil and mash the garlic lightly with a spoon. Toss with the pasta and zucchini, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Sides: Serve with a side salad and whole-wheat dinner roll. (Open to bake chicken breasts to add more protein).
http://www.ilovepasta.org/resource-center/recipes/pasta-zucchini-and-roasted-garlic

Egg Flatbread Sandwiches
Ingredients:
1/8 cup finely chopped broccoli
1/8 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 green onions, finely chopped (or sub any veggie you wish!)
2 egg whites
1 Tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese
dried dill weed to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 multi­grain Sandwich Thins

Instructions:
Spray a nonstick 10­ inch skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat; add broccoli, bell
pepper and onions. Cook and stir about 5 minutes or until tender.
Beat egg whites, cheese, dill weed, salt and pepper together with fork. Pour into skillet
over vegetables. As eggs start to set, lift the edges with a spatula, allowing uncooked eggs to flow to bottom of skillet. Cook until eggs are set but still moist and place on sandwich thin.
Substitution: Top eggs with a handful of baby spinach, arugula leaves, or a few thinly sliced tomatoes

Tilapia Fish Tacos
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
Fresh tilapia, 1 lb, cut into 1-inch strips
1 Tablespoon Cajun spice
3 Tablespoons Olive oil, divided
3 Plum tomatoes, chopped
1 Green onion, chopped
1 Teaspoons ground cumin
2 Lime, juiced and divided
8 Corn taco shells
1/2 Cups Sour cream, low fat
1/2 Cups Mexican style finely shredded taco cheese
1 Cup Romaine lettuce, shredded
1 Avocado, sliced
1 Lime, juiced
Lime wedges

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
  2. In a bowl, toss fish with Cajun spices and 2 tablespoons of oil.
  3. Place tilapia on a baking sheet and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until fish turns opaque.
  4. In a bowl, mix tomatoes, green onions, cumin, 1 tablespoon oil, juice of one lime, salt
    and pepper.
  5. Divide tilapia among taco shells and add desired toppings.