Nutrition Energy

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Satisfying the Late-Night Sweet Tooth

Triathlete

Lauren Antonucci, MS, RDN, CSSD, CDE, CDN

 Food For Thought: Fall in Love with Fall Veggies

Skinnygirl Daily

Vanessa Stasio, MS, RDN, CDN

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Join Nutrition Energy's Wellness Contest

Nutrition Energy is holding its first Wellness Contest, and we invite you to join! Starting December 1st and concluding January 11th, this six week challenge is just what you need to turn this holiday season into a health success!

How to Join:

Call today to schedule an appointment with one of our Dietitians from Nov. 17-Nov 28th to set your individual goals for the Contest. We will work with you to develop personalized goals that will work for you and promote a healthy lifestyle. Examples of goals may include weight loss, minutes exercised, adding healthy foods or trying a new food.

Contest Rules:

From Dec. 1st-Jan 11th, you will track your accomplishments each day. You can continue to meet with your Dietitian as often as needed throughout the Contest, and will check in at weeks two and four and at the end of the Contest. Based on a points system, we will calculate scores for each participant; the top three participants will be awarded a prize.

What You Win!

The entry fee is $30, and the top three winners split the prize money! People involved in a group challenge like this tend to be more motivated and successful in their wellness goals, so make the commitment!

 Nutritional Guidelines for Off-Season Athletes

Now that the biggest fall race events are behind us, it's time for athletes to congratulate ourselves on a great effort throughout this 2014 season...and then take a moment to loosely "plan" our off-season. For athletes who really push their bodies to the limits during peak season, now is the time to rest and recover. Follow our top three athlete off-season steps to ensure you start off your 2015 season on the right foot (pun intended)!

1. R&R. Rest and Recover. Pounding the pavement for 26.2 miles -plus the countless miles you logged leading up to race day- or whatever your chosen sport(s) and distance(s) you chose this year, is a great accomplishment, but is also tougher on the body than you realize. Plan at least 2-3 weeks of easy, fun, low-impact cross training starting now! You know that yoga class you've meaning to make it to all year-go this week! And the local swimming pool you have wanted to check out for months-check their hours today. As for that gym membership you pay monthly for, look for low-key classes you never fit in during the training and racing season.

2. Focus on nutrition and weight goals. For some athletes, NOW is the time to finally get off the few lbs that eluded you all season when training was high and hunger increased to match. With a lower training volume and your hunger in check you can finally focus on achieving your weight loss goals before the holiday season kicks in. For others, it may be wise to relax a bit, and allow yourself to gain 3-5 pounds during off-season. You likely know which side you fall on, but if you are not sure, reach out to us and well be happy to help!

3. You ran over that finish line...right into cold and flu season! Your immune function can be suppressed leaving you more susceptible to catching a cold or flu following your big race. TRY to spend at least 1/2 the time you would normally spend training towards preparing healthy and hearty fruit and vegetable rich meals that will boost immunity and ward off germs (butternut squash coup, anyone?)! .Plan grocery shopping and cooking (with a fellow off season training partner perhaps?), and while you are at it, really try to get 7-8 hours of sleep each night.

By allowing your body and mind time now to recovery from the hard training "work" you did all year, you are almost guaranteed to come back stronger and happier next year! 

November is National Diabetes Month...

...so it seems fitting to spend some time talking about awareness, identifying your risk of developing diabetes, and what to pay attention to if you have diabetes to help you optimize your health. First let's discuss the differences between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes (T1DM) is an autoimmune disease where the body attacks its own beta cells in the pancreas, wiping out insulin production, and thus making the individual dependent on taking insulin injections. This destruction of beta cells can be influenced by genetic factors, intestinal microbiota, diet, and exposure to certain viruses. T1DM makes up 5-10% of the diabetic population, whereas Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) makes up about 90-95% of the diabetic population. Family history of is a much stronger risk factor in T2DM, along with inactivity, obesity and history of gestation diabetes or PCOS.  Nutrition intake, and carbohydrate intake balance is important for individuals with both T1DM and T2DM, however with T2DM diet can be used as first line "treatment" sometimes alone, or in conjunction with medications and exercise.

To help you better assess your risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, take this RISK TEST. Schedule an annual physical with your doctor, and monitor your blood pressure, blood sugar and HgA1C, to identify if your numbers begin to trend higher than desirable. Eating a balanced, healthy diet, being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight are the best ways to reduce your risk of developing diabetes, and will also help keep your blood sugars under control if you already have diabetes.

For those who are currently managing Type 2 diabetes, here are four factors to keep in check, your ABCs so to speak: A1c test, Blood Pressure, Cholesterol and smoking.

A1c, (officially Hemoglobin A1c), is a test that represents your average blood sugar reading over the past two-three months, so it is a good general measure of blood sugar control over time. It measures the percentage of hemglobin, (a component of the red blood cell), that is glycated, or attached to glucose. More glucose circulating in your blood will lead to a higher percentage of glycated hemoglobin. Pre-diabetes range HgA1C values are 5.7-6.4, and a HgA1c of 6.5 or greater is consistent with Diabetes Experts suggest that those with diabetes aim for an A1c level below 7%, to reduce risk of diabetes related complications. It is imperative that you learn which foods contain carbohydrates, what a "serving" or portion of carbohydrate looks like (we have fake foods in our office to help demonstrate and educate about this), and then try to eat a similar total amount of carbohydrate with each meal each day-to balance the medication your Dr. prescribes for you, and to keep your blood sugars and HgA1c in check!

Blood Pressure. If you have elevated blood pressure, make it a priority to lower it. A goal for people with diabetes is less than 140/90 mmHg. High blood pressure can increase risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney disease. Eating a diet low in sodium (less than 1500 mg from all sources) and high in potassium-rich fruits and vegetables as well as including exercise in your daily routine are the keys to lowering blood pressure.

Cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is the focus here, and is what we often refer to as the "bad" cholesterol, (or to help you remember it, call LDL the "lousy DL). Higher levels of this type of cholesterol have been linked to heart attack and stroke. Depending on your risk factors, the goal for LDL cholesterol is <70 mg/dL or <100 mg/dL, speak with your doctor about what is an appropriate goal for you. The risk of heart attack or stroke is 2-4 times higher for those with diabetes, so it is important to keep these numbers in check. Eating a diet high in fiber, and low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and refined carbohydrates promotes a healthy LDL cholesterol.

Stop Smoking! If you smoke, make it a plan to quit. Smoking can increase risk of disease and death associated with diabtetes. Call 1-800-QUITNOW for tips on how to make quitting easier. With help and support, YOU can quit smoking forever!

Whether you already have diabetes, or are concerned about your risk of developing diabetes, these lifestyle changes are ones you can make to improve your health and wellbeing. Take control-YOU have the power to improve your health!

Of course, the Dietitian/Nutritionists at Nutrition Energy are all well-versed in the ins and out of lowering blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar through dietary modification. We are here to help you and your Dr.'s manage your pre-Diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes through better food choices, balance, and exercise. We will work with you (and your Doctors and family as necessary), to help you achieve a balance you can live with-healthfully!

A Note from Lauren...

As the holidays approach, we, at Nutrition Energy, want to help ensure you continue to move forward with your nutrition and health goals. We are here to help you make better decisions over the Thanksgiving weekend, adjust your off-season workouts, and maintain all that you have worked hard to achieve thus far in 2014! We hope to see many of you participate in our first wellness contest. Together we will help you set realistic goals you can stick with well beyond January 1st 2015. 

Have a question for one of our Dietitians? Shoot us an email or give us a call at 646.361.6803.