The Athlete Nutrition Plan + A Video Recipe for Zesty Crunchy Chickpeas

I have the most exciting news to share today–I completed The Athlete Nutrition Plans and they are available for sale!! This short video describes the plans and gives a sample recipe (like in the Premier version) for Dill & Yogurt Crunchy Chickpeas (the perfect post-workout snack). Read below to hear what I’ve learned while creating my first product!

This product has been about 1.5 months in the making.  That may not seem very long, but that’s 1.5 months of at least 30 hours per week (I did work on some other things, but this took the majority of my time).  When I decided to create this product, I was extremely excited and ready to hit the ground running.  I was thrilled to offer a service that doesn’t exist yet in the marketplace. I’m pretty creative and tech savvy, so I thought the actual product creation would be fun and pretty easy. Little did I know the amount of work that goes into creating something from scratch, especially when you are a one woman show.  Here’s a list of things I had to conquer to make The Athlete Nutrition Plan a reality:

1. Conceptualize the idea. I don’t think eating is a one-size fits all approach, so I decided to create 6 versions of the meal plans:

• Small Athlete/Weight Loss
• Average Athlete
• Intense Athlete
• 3 Vegetarian version of the above

Each version is based on a calorie level and other factors, such as weight loss desires, training regimen, etc. If you want to know which one is right for you, click here.

2. Create the meal plans. Writing meal plans is actually not that easy, especially when you are taking sports nutrition into account. I had to create the perfect ratio of pre and post workout foods that will fuel workouts but not cause stomach issues.

3. Create the videos. Woah- videos are MUCH more work than I anticipated. When creating recipe videos, you actually have to make the recipe while filming and then do a bunch of editing.  The finished products are pretty awesome though.

4. Figure out e-commerce stuff. Once you have a digital product, you have to figure out how to sell it. I’m using a service called Gumroad, which is really great.  Check out my product page here! 

5. Marketing. This is probably the most intense part of this process and the part I’m just starting. We live in the age of the internet, so marketing includes many different things, like:

• Social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest
• Facebook ads
• Google ads
• Blog posts
• Creating pretty graphics for all of the above
• Video ads
• E-newsletters
• Probably other things that I haven’t thought of yet

6. A whole bunch of miscellaneous stuff, such as:

• creating a survey for market research
• offering free mini counseling sessions to get people to fill out the survey
• conducting the free mini counseling sessions
• creating a FAQ page
• reaching out to people and brands to tell them about my product
• setting up a Facebook group
• creating the survey to help people figure out which meal plan is for them
• HOPE and pray that this product actually sells.

Creating a product from scratch is no easy feat, especially when your business is a party of 1. But, I’m so incredibly proud of what I’ve created and I hope you enjoy it as well. If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to leave them below!

And here’s the recipes for the Dill & Yogurt Crunchy Chickpeas

Makes 2 snack servings

Ingredients:
1/3 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon diced red onion
1 tablespoon fresh chopped Dill
juice of half a lemon
1/4 teaspoon of salt
pepper to taste
1.5 cups canned chickpeas
cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl, mix together yogurt, red onion, dill, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir
3. Coat chickpeas with yogurt mixture.
4. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  Lay chickpeas flat on the pan.
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.

 

 

 

Part 2: 9 More Healthy “Fast Food” Joints In NYC

Over a year ago, I wrote one of my most popular posts: 10 Healthy “Fast Food” Joints In NYC.  Because NYC is an ever changing city, the healthy “fast food” landscape has developed since December 2014. The restaurants in my original post are still alive and well, but the healthy “fast food” movement has grown tremendously in the past year and a half. Hence, the original post deserves a part 2.  Here are 9 MORE healthy “fast food” joints in NYC that recently sprang unto the scene.

Roast Kitchen            

Location: All over Manhattan

Description: Roast Kitchen takes the trend of healthy bowls to a whole new level.  With “seasonal veggies & greens and good-for-you grains”, most options on the menu are well-balanced and great choices for lunch and dinner. There are hot and cold bowls, and I love that everything can be served with or without meat (for us vegheads)!

Favorite Item: Moroccan Hot Bowl

sweetgreen

Location: Multiple states, including NYC

Description: I’m very late to jump on the sweetgreen bandwagon, and I’m sad that I’ve been missing out on it all this time. Started in 2007, this fast casual joint serves healthy food that is local and sustainable. The New York location has greens and grain bowls that feature various flavor combinations. Do yourself a favor and jump on the sweetgreen bandwagon.

Favorite Item: Spicy Sabzi

Hu Kitchen

Location: Upper Eat Side & Union Square

Description: This quick service joint is dedicated to serving “unequivocally delicious” food that is healthy and unprocessed. Although they don’t call themselves a “Paleo” restaurant, the menu is “unequivocally” Paleo. As a lover of whole grains, I’m not a huge supporter of the Paleo diet, but I am a lover of Hu Kitchen.  Try it out for a lighter, healthier, lunch.

Favorite Item: Anything with cauliflower rice

fresh & co

Locations: All over NYC

Description: fresh&co is another fast food joint dedicated to using local, seasonal ingredients. I love that the menu include healthy breakfast and multiple vegan options.  They even have healthy collared green wraps, for anyone craving a sandwich without all the extra bread!

Favorite Item: Quinoa Burrito Bowl (it’s enough for lunch and dinner)

The Little Beet

Locations: NYC, Long Island, Washington DC

Description: The Little Beet is the type of place where EVERYTHING on the menu is healthy.  You can pretty much order anything, from the breakfast, to the seasonal bowls, to the rolls and you will be served delicious vegetables, whole grains and proteins. What other fast food place serves seaweed salad?!

Favorite Item: Avocado Toast

Beyond Sushi

Locations: Union Square, Chelsea, Midtown

Description: This vegan sushi spot seems like an oxymoron, but it’s complete perfection. As a vegetarian, I don’t eat sushi, but I love Beyond Sushi. The combinations are strictly rice and vegetables, and they are extremely creative. Find things like kiwi, mango, pickled daikon, black rice, and enoki mushrooms in your sushi.  This place is a must try!

Favorite Item: Spicy Mang

Roti Modern Mediterranean

Locations: Multiple states, with two NYC locations

Description: Roti Modern Mediterranean has take something old and made it new again: the Mediterranean Diet. Touted as one of the healthiest diets for weight maintenance and heart health, the Mediterranean diet includes staples like olive oil, fish, and tons of veggies. Roti includes all of these things on their menu in a delicious and inexpensive take-out joint.

Favorite Item: Rice Plate with all the veggies

Pret

Locations: New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington DC, Europe

Description: Pret is the ultimate definition of grab & go. Everything is made that day, packaged, and sold as an on-the-go meal.  I usually grab Pret when I’m in a hurry and want something healthy, easy to carry, and affordable. Pret’s are all over the city, so you can count on finding one when you are in a pinch.

Favorite Item: Chia Pudding

Darrow’s Farm Fresh

Locations: Union Square

Description: New to the scene, Darrow’s promises “clean, natural, unprocessed, sustainable, and local food”.  Darrow’s doesn’t fry their foods or use any unnatural or unnecessary ingredients. This fast casual restaurant also offers sit-down service, and the yummy menu includes many favorites, such as burgers, salads and sandwiches.  They even have a nutrition consultant!

Favorite Item: Quinoa, Amaranth, and Black Bean Burger

Did I miss any of your favorites on this list? How many of these have you tried? Let me know if the comments!

Do Calories Matter?

As a Dietitian, I’m used to friends and family coming to me with their nutrition concerns. Recently, a friend told me, quite dismayed, that her favorite quinoa bowl contains over 1,000 calories.  Looking rather confused, she asked, “Isn’t quinoa healthy?” I told her that the amount of calories in a food doesn’t determine its nutritional value. Instead, nutrient density should determine the health value of a food.

“Nutrient density” is not a glamorous term that is thrown around as often as “healthy”, but it’s a term that people should definitely understand.  It means the amount of nutrients, like vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals, packed into each calorie.  More nutrient dense foods have more nutrients per calorie than less nutrient dense foods.  For example, 70 calories of a sweet potato has more nutrients–Vitamin A, fiber, Vitamin C–than 70 calories of white bread.  Therefore, sweet potatoes would be considered a more nutrient dense food than white bread. If you think the nutrient dense foods are just the boring low calorie fruits and vegetables, think again! Several high calorie foods are quite nutrient dense, such as nuts, olive oil, avocados, and fatty fish.  These healthy fats are packed with essential fatty acids, aka omega-3 and omega-6, which may lower blood pressure and triglycerides, may prevent inflammation, and could prevent heart disease. Feel free to ditch the calorie concerns when digging into these high fat foods–your heart will thank you!

Because nutrients contribute to many important bodily functions, eating a nutrient dense diet is usually more beneficial than following a restricted calorie diet. Yet, there are special cases when calorie-counting may, well, count. Here are three scenarios when calorie counting has a place:

• You’re trying to lose a significant amount of weight: The bottom line for weight loss is that calories burned must outweigh calories consumed.  This is a hard and steady rule without much flexibility.  But, how many calories does one person have to omit in order to lose some weight? It’s a pretty well known myth that for every 3,500 calories you cut, you lose 1 pound. While this may work for those hoping to lose a few pounds, it does not hold true for individuals trying to lose a significant amount of weight over a long period of time. A person’s calorie requirements decrease as they lose weight, making the 3,500 calorie rule null and void.  Obviously, this makes planning out caloric intake for weight loss very difficult.  Luckily, a visit to a Registered Dietitian (RD) can help! An RD can calculate your individual calorie needs and counsel you on the correct food choices to meet these needs.  The recommended foods will most likely be more nutrient dense foods, but with caloric restrictions. Foods that are more nutrient dense are generally lower in calories, higher in protein, and higher in fiber.  That’s the perfect recipe for weight loss!

• You’re training for an intense athletic event: Athletes have much higher caloric requirements than non-athletes due to the amount of calories they burn in a normal day. This may seem like a no brainer, but plenty of athletes do not refuel properly and unintentionally lose weight. Unfortunately, there is no standard formula to determine the amount of extra calories an athlete may need.  Calorie needs depend on many factors, such as gender, weight, age, activity level, weight goals, level of exertion and hydration status.  One of the main culprits for weight loss during athletic activity is dehydration.  Failing to replace fluid losses causes a rapid drop in body weight, which leads to a tired feeling and an adverse effect on athletic performance. To determine if dehydration and water losses have occurred, an athlete should weigh themselves before and after an athletic event.  If more than 1 pound is lost, more fluids are needed. It’s important for athletes to weigh themselves regularly and work with a Sports Dietitian to determine their calorie, nutrient and hydration needs.

• You’re pregnant: Everyone knows the age old expression, “I’m eating for two”.  It is essential for pregnant women to consume more calories than non-pregnant women, but probably not as many as you think.  No extra calories are required during the first trimester of pregnancy. The second trimester requires an extra 300 calories and the third trimester requires an extra 450 calories beyond a normal diet. It is essential to eat a sufficient amount of calories during pregnancy for normal fetal growth, but extra weight gain could have negative side effects like gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, and birth defects.

For the majority of people, calorie counting is not necessary and may drive you crazy.  Focus on choosing foods that are more nutrient dense.  A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself if that food came from the earth or was processed in a factory.  If it’s mother nature’s bounty, there’s a good chance that it’s more nutrient dense.

 

 

How Much Exercise It Really Takes To Burn Off Holiday Party Food

Have you ever eaten something really indulgent and thought to yourself, “I will just work-out longer tomorrow.”  I experienced this exact scenario the other day at work when I indulged in risotto and said, “I’m going to have to run 6 miles tonight” (I didn’t end up doing it because I was too full from risotto). The holiday season is the time of year when everyone is indulging in high-calorie foods and trying to “undo” all the calories with exercise.  Have you ever wondered how much exercise it would really take to burn off your favorite holiday treats? I’m going to break it down for you, and I think the numbers may shock you!

First, let’s start with a simple concept: the more you weigh, the more calories you burn during exercise.  It seems unfair, but bigger people need more calories than smaller people so they have more to burn. The exertion level of your exercise also determines the amount of calories burned.  You will burn more calories if you run a mile then if you walked that same mile. Since calories burned varies by person, let’s assume that I am talking about a 150-pound person for the purposes of this post. I will list a few of your favorite holiday party foods and then tell you the amount of activity it would take a 150-pound person to  burn the calories in those foods.  

* All calorie information is pulled from the USDA’s nutrient database.

1. You start the party off with a glass of red wine = 150 calories

To burn 150 calories, you need to walk at 4 miles per hour for 25 minutes (almost 2 miles).

2. Every party has 1 oz. cheese (a piece about the size of your thumb) + 16 wheat crackers = 270 calories

To burn off these cheese and crackers, you need to bike at 10 miles per hour (a moderate/leisurely pace) for 40 minutes.

3.  One of your favorite parts of the holiday party is enjoying 2 sliders = 300 calories

Jump on the elliptical at a moderate pace (about 5 METs) for 50 minutes to burn off those two small sliders.

4. It’s so easy to pop 4 pigs in a blanket in your mouth = 350 calories

To burn off this one appetizer, go out for a nice 30-minute jog at a 10-minute mile pace

5. Holidays mean desserts, right? 1 large brownie square = 230 calories

Play a singles tennis game for 25 minutes to burn off that one decadent dessert.

6. Let’s be realistic–you are more likely to have all of these foods than just one. 1 glass of red wine, cheese and crackers, 2 sliders, 4 pigs in a blanket, and 1 large brownie = 1,300 calories!

To burn this all off, you need to run for 1 hour and 40 minutes at 7 mph.  That’s 11 miles!!

Aren’t these numbers shocking?  It almost seems easier to avoid these holiday treats altogether.  But don’t worry, I would never suggest that you can’t have your favorite treats.  Instead, follow these few tips for making lighter choices.

1. Choose one indulgent item that you really want and have it! There’s no need to deprive yourself of everything around the holidays.
2. Make these healthy food swaps:

Instead of red wine, enjoy a red wine spritzer (½ glass red wine + ½ glass seltzer).

Instead of cheese and crackers, have crudite and hummus or a Greek yogurt based dip.

Instead of 2 sliders, go for the shrimp cocktail.

Instead of pigs in a blanket, have 2 prosciutto wrapped figs.

3. I know you want the brownie, so cut it in half and share the other half with a friend!

4. When all else fails and you look forward to all the food at the party, plan your week out to include extra exercise.  Make a plan and stick to it!

 

 

 

 

Picture credit:

Atlas Coffee Club: A Great Holiday Gift For Any Coffee Drinker!

Disclosure: I received a free sample of Atlas Coffee mentioned in this post. I was not additionally compensated for my time.

One of my favorite weekend hobbies is trying new coffee shops around NYC. I love tasting the many varieties and flavors of coffee, and NYC has quite a large selection.  (I enjoy coffee so much that I looked into the health benefits of it and wrote a post about coffee’s health benefits.)  But for the times when I don’t want to travel to different coffee shops, there’s this cool new subscription based coffee company called Atlas Coffee Club.

What is it? Atlas Coffee Club is a monthly coffee subscription service that delivers exotic coffee from around the world right to your doorstep.  Designed to share the world of coffee, Atlas Coffee Club invites coffee lovers, coffee newcomers, and general coffee consumers alike to experience the unique and organic tasting notes specific to each region their coffee is farmed.  You can choose between a 3, 6, and 12-month subscription, or you can do a month-to-month subscription. Each month you receive an exotic coffee, a tasting profile that explains that flavors within the coffee, brewing recommendations, and a postcard describing the country of origin and their growing origins and history.

My review: Obviously, I am a huge fan of coffee in general and I love trying all different varieties. I was sent two bags of coffee, one from Ethiopia and one from Costa Rica.  Both came with a description of the taste.  The Ethiopian was a light/medium roast with tastes of blueberry, dark chocolate, and honey.  The Costa Rican (my favorite of the two) was a medium roast with tastes of semi-sweet chocolate and pecan. I must admit that I’m not the type of person who can pick out hints of a certain taste in drinks, but the description on the bag really allowed my taste buds to pick up these flavors.  I love when something complicated and unknown to me, like the brewing techniques and flavors of different types of coffee, is broken down in an easy and informative way.  That’s exactly what I found on each bag of Atlas Coffee.

Would buy it? Definitely! It’s also a wonderful holiday gift for anyone who drinks coffee.  Atlas Coffee Club is especially great for that one person who has everything or the great gift giver the one that you want to impress with a unique gift. And, for those of us who enjoy different varieties of java, like myself, it’s a wonderful idea and something to look forward to every month.

If The Health Department Inspected Your Kitchen

Have you ever thought about what would happen if the health department came to your own kitchen and did a thorough inspection? I know that I would probably fail. I work in food service as the cafe manager and dietitian for a brand new corporate cafe, and we recently underwent our first health inspection.  It was one of the most stressful moments I’ve experienced in a while even though we passed with flying colors.  After going through it, I knew I wanted to educate the public on the experience, the incredible commitment to detail and the significance of the outcomes.  Most importantly, I want you to think about how your own kitchen would measure up.

If you live in NYC, you have surely seen the letter grades posted on the front of every food establishment.  They are usually a big blue “A”, sometimes a “B” or “grade pending” and rarely a “C”. These letters come from the Department of Health as a result of a health inspection.  While these letters are meant to inform the consumers about the cleanliness and safety of an establishment, many people are unaware of their meaning and grading process.

The Grades: The NYC health inspection is scored on a numerical scale.  Any score between 0-13 results in an A.  A score between 14-27 gets you a B, and a score of 28 or more is a C.  While 13 points may seem like lot of leadway, it’s not. The violations are scored as either critical–at least 5 points per violation–or general–at least 2 points per violation.  Most critical violations are 7 points, meaning that two critical violations will result in a B. If an establishment fails to get an A on the first inspection, they do not have to post a grade and are eligible for re-inspection within a month.  If they receive less than an A on the second inspection, they are required to either post the grade or “grade pending”, which means that the final grade will be determined by an “Administrative Tribunal”.  Basically, passing a health inspection is tough.

The Violations: The amount of potential violations is intense, totalling more than 15 pages. I’m not going to list all the violations here, but I wanted to discuss some of the more common and worrisome critical violations that can result in 5+ points. Keep in mind that critical violations are one that contribute to food-borne illnesses. (That’s scary to think about in your own kitchen!)

Food not cooked to required minimum temperature. Do you like your burger medium rare? If you don’t use a food thermometer, and the meat isn’t the minimum temperature of 155F for ground beef, then it’s technically a violation. Minimum internal temperatures of meat are as follows:

Poultry: 165 F
Ground meat: 155 F
Steaks, seafood, roasts: 145 F
Fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes: 135 F

If you like your vegetables room temperature, that’s 7 points off your health inspection.

Hot food item not held at or above 140°F. You know when you make a casserole and take it out of the oven, serve it, and then let it sit while you eat?  Then, maybe you go back for seconds 20 minutes later.  If the temperature of that dish fell below 140 F, then that’s technically a violation. Oops.

Whole frozen poultry or poultry breasts, other than a single portion, are being cooked frozen or partially thawed. I know some people have definitely taken frozen chicken patties from the freezer and thrown them on the grill. Violation!

Cold food item held above 41°F except during necessary preparation.  Just like you took your casserole out of the oven and left it on the counter while eating, you probably do the same thing with cold salads.  If the temperature of that salad climbs above 41 F, that’s a violation.

Raw food not properly washed prior to serving.  Don’t act like you haven’t bought an apple from a farmer’s market and eaten it a few minutes later.  Produce needs to be properly washed.

Toxic chemical improperly labeled, stored or used so that contamination of food may occur. I’m the biggest culprit of leaving my cleaning spray out of the counter.  I don’t spray it until after cooking, but it’s still in a spot that could cause food contamination

Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.  Rodents are the worst, but sometimes they find their way in. Enough said.

Filth flies or food/refuse/ sewage-associated (FRSA) flies in facility’s food and/ or non-food areas. You know when you leave a banana out too long and get fruit flies and cannot get rid of them?  Sorry, but that’s a violation.

Live animal other than fish in tank or service animal present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Do you have a dog or a cat?  That’s a big no-no.

Tobacco use, eating or drinking from open container in food preparation, food storage or dishwashing area. If you smoke, you have bigger problems than a health inspection.  But seriously, don’t smoke around food preparation areas.

So how did your own kitchen stack up?  It’s not as easy as you think, and those are just a handful of the violations! Now you can go into a restaurant and know that they are doing everything possible to keep you safe.

References:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/rii/blue-book.pdf

Matcha Madness: It Is Worth The Hype?

Have you heard of matcha? If not, then I guarantee you will be hearing about it soon. Matcha, recently called “the next big thing” by Bon Apetit Magazine, is a green tea powder with many health claims. When I write about an unfamiliar topic, I usually start with a simple Google search to see what information my readers might find if they were to search for a subject. When I Googled “matcha health benefits”, the results show many claims, like fat burning potential, cancer prevention, and energy and concentration booster. But just because it’s on the internet doesn’t mean it’s true. I waded through all of this information to find the truth about matcha and health.

What exactly is Matcha? Matcha is a green tea leaf that is hand picked and stone ground into a delicate powder. The powder is sifted, whisked into hot water, and enjoyed as a beverage. Because this process is so intricate, matcha that from your local store can vary greatly in quality. Like coffee, matcha can be prepared several different ways. Chalait, a cafe in the West Village of NYC, has an entire Matcha menu, featuring Matcha in 8 different drinks.

Health Benefits of Matcha?

Antioxidants: Because matcha is made with whole tea leaves, it is higher in antioxidants than other green teas. Antioxidants are also found in fruits and vegetables and help protect the body from cancer causing inflammation and free radicals. In other words, a diet rich in antioxidants can help prevent against serious diseases, like cancer.

ECGC: Green tea contains ECGC, a compound that may temporarily speed up metabolism after consumption. Because green tea contains ECGC, green tea extract has been found to increase energy expenditure, aka the amount of calories you burn. Although this compound is not exclusive to matcha and can be found in any green tea, matcha may have up to 137 times more ECGC than other green teas.

L-theanine: Matcha contains an amino acid called L-theanine, which may cause calming effects in the brain. Some sources claim that L-theanine has anti-anxiety properties, but this health claim is a little far fetched. But I imagine that I might feel calm from sitting and sipping a Matcha latte at my favorite cafe!

Caffeine: Matcha has a little less caffeine than coffee, but more caffeine than a cup of tea. An 8-ounce serving of matcha has about 70 mg of caffeine, while an 8-ounce serving of coffee has about 95 mg and an 8-ounce serving of tea has about 40 mg. Many people claim that the caffeine in matcha does not cause a jittery feeling because of L-theanine’s calming effect, but this has never been proven.

Is matcha worth the hype? Overall, the nutrients in matcha seem to promote good health. However, I could only find one study that actually used matcha to test for health benefits, and this study was performed on rats. Yet, there does not seem to be any downside to adding Matcha to a healthy diet. Lastly, if you are thinking about adding matcha to your diet to help with weight loss, don’t expect this to work if you are eating a high calorie diet. Although matcha does have fat burning qualities, it will not burn enough fat to make up for a bad diet. As always, I recommend an overall healthy diet with a little Matcha on the side. And, just as I said in my post about coffee and health, sweet matcha drinks with syrups, whipped cream, or a large amount of whole milk can definitely lead to weight gain. Drink Matcha as a tea in hot water or with skim milk in a latte.

Have you ever tried Matcha? What do you think?

Photo attributes:

Matcha powder: http://bit.ly/1Vzgnxu

Matcha latte: http://bit.ly/1PdRiIH

Why You Should Use A Scale When Exercising in the Heat

Disclosure: I received a free sample of the Beets Blu Bluetooth Scale mentioned in this post. I was not additionally compensated for my time. All opinions expressed are my own.

It’s August and it’s hot almost everywhere in the country. (Way to state the obvious, right?) I’m the type of person who likes to stay active all year round with outdoor activities like biking, running and hiking. However, getting outdoors and exercising in the heat requires taking many precautions—the main one is being properly hydrating. This post will teach you about the dangers of dehydration, why and how a scale should be your best friend for staying properly hydrated and how to calculate your sweat rate.

I was recently fortunate enough to receive a Beets Blu Bluetooth Scale. This sleek looking scale not only measures your body weight, but it measures your percentage of body fat, muscle and BMI. It conveniently syncs to your phone via Bluetooth so that you can track your progress over time. It’s a really cool gadget to have around to track your weight and muscle mass, but I’ve found that it can also help me track my hydration level when exercising in the heat. Before I explain how, let me give you the low-down on dehydration.

Obviously, as you sweat during exercise, you lose water and electrolytes. Electrolytes is just a fancy term for salt and other minerals inside your body that are vital to cell function. Without the proper amount of water and electrolytes inside your body, dehydration will occur causing early fatigue, lack of coordination, slower reaction times and decreased athletic performance. Although we all know dehydration is not ideal, it’s often difficult to determine whether you are properly hydrated. Unfortunately, the body’s thirst sensors are not all that accurate, so the body is not always prompted to drink adequate amounts of fluid. So, how can you know if you are properly hydrated when exercising in the heat?

Use a scale! Losing fluids during exercise will cause weight loss. Although this may sound beneficial to anyone trying to lose weight, water weight is not the kind of weight that you want to lose. Fluid losses lead to a crappy feeling and will almost always be gained back over time with normal drinking and eating. To determine if you are losing water weight and becoming dehydrated during exercise, follow these simple steps:

• Weigh yourself before exercising.
• While exercising, take note of how much you drink. If you use a water bottle, measure how much fluid you put into the water bottle. If you sip from a water fountain, try to guesstimate how many sips of water you take. Assume a large sip is about ½ cup or 4 ounces of water.
• After completing your exercise, weigh yourself again. Make sure that you wear exactly what you were wearing during your first visit to the scale (i.e. shoes on or off).
• Determine how much you drank. If you used a water bottle, measure out how much water is left. Subtract that from the initial amount to find out how much you drank.
• If you lost less than 1 pound, you did a good job of properly hydrating! If you lost more than 1 pound, determine your sweat rate:

Sweat rate (per the amount of time exercised) = how much you lost (in ounces) + how much you drank (in ounces)

*1 pound = 16 ounces

For example, if you exercised for 1 hour and lost 1 pound (16 ounces) and you drank 16 ounces, your sweat rate would be:

16 + 16 = 32 ounces

That means you sweated out 32 ounces during 1 hour. You now know that you will sweat out about 32 ounces in one hour of exercise in similar heat conditions. This will allow you to properly combat dehydration by consuming 32 ounces of fluid in 1 hour (or 8 ounces every 15 minutes).

Although this may seem like a complicated procedure, it’s really beneficial to perform this sweat test once to know how to keep yourself properly hydrated during exercise in the summer. It will make a world of difference in your athletic performance and how you feel! Try it and let me know how it goes!

Life Lessons From Switching Careers

I almost never do this, but I’m going to write a blog post all about myself. There will be no recipes or nutrition tips in this post. Instead, I will tell you about my career change to become a Registered Dietitian (RD) and the lessons I’ve learned along the way.

I recently realized that nowhere on my site does it say that Nutrition is my second career. I used to work in Advertising Sales for major television networks. It was a career that I stumbled upon after college, but I never really felt fulfilled. I spent two years getting acquainted with the world of advertising, and then I spent the next two years figuring out how I could get out of the world of advertising.

            When I was 26, I knew that I needed to make a change but to what? “Do what you love and you won’t work a day in your life.” You’ve heard that saying, right? This kept popping into my head. I thought about what I love to do, and two things came to mind: cooking healthy meals and exercising. These were my hobbies, but could they be my career? After much research and contemplation, I decided to pursue a career in Nutrition.

That was 5 years ago. Now I’m taking my RD exam in a few weeks and am very happy to say I have accepted a job offer as Dietitian Specialist with Restaurant Associates. I will be working as a Dietitian, helping to manage a café that is health and wellness focused at an Investment Bank in NYC. Everyday, I will work with food and nutrition and I couldn’t be more excited!

You may be wondering what occurred in my life during the past 5 years. Well, many classes and many hours spent babysitting and a few valuable life lessons.  I thought I would share these lessons for anyone thinking of switching careers or anyone who is just interested in what I’ve been through.

• Be okay with taking risks. I think two of the most stressful points in my life were waiting for Grad school admission and worrying about finding a job. I convinced myself that there was a possibility that both weren’t going to happen (but it all obviously worked out)! If they didn’t work out, I would have figured out a way to keep going. I always had to keep in mind that changing careers involves a great deal of risk and worry, but the reward is totally worth it!
• Networking is key! Networking is so important in any career, but it’s really important when you leave a career behind to start over. Throughout my schooling, I didn’t go to weird networking events and blindly introduce myself to strangers, but I did get to know many different nutrition professionals. I was interested in people’s jobs and asked them questions, and I always took on as many nutrition related side jobs as possible. I did a ton of things for free, but it paid off in the end when I got called for an awesome position.
• Don’t listen to what others tell you that you have to do. Everyone in my life was very supportive of me changing careers. However, when it came time to figure out what I wanted to do within the field of nutrition, many RD’s told me that I had to go where the jobs were, even if that wasn’t my passion. I absolutely refused to believe this. I networked my butt off to make sure that I had as many opportunities as possible. Be determined to do what you want and don’t let people tell you otherwise!
• Realize that your life will be very different than your friends. When I went back to Grad school, my friends all had careers, money, and free time. They were able to go out on dates at night while I was in class or babysitting. I didn’t think about this ahead of time, but I don’t regret my decision. I will eventually have time to do all of those things.
• Give it everything you have. Let’s face it, no one ever got anywhere by half-assing it. If you don’t give your new career your all then you will never fully succeed. Know what you want and work your hardest to make it happen!

In the end, the most important thing I learned was to follow my passion. Now I will “never work a day in my life”. Are you a career changer? What have you learned along the way?

Is Being A Vegetarian Healthy?

“I’m a vegetarian.” When I say this, people look at me like they feel bad for me. Then they ask the inevitable question, “Why?”. I have nothing against people who eat meat, but I just find vegetarianism to be a healthier lifestyle for me. I usually add that I don’t encourage others to become a vegetarian without knowing all the facts, which probably sounds hypocritical and confusing. For that reason, I want to dedicate this blog post to explaining vegetarianism and the health benefits and drawbacks associated with following a vegetarian diet. Ultimately, I will give you my final opinion on whether or not I think it’s healthier, but this blog post is meant to give you all the information to make your own informed decision.

First off, a vegetarian is defined as someone who does not eat anything that was once alive. Vegetarians do not eat any meat, but they will eat eggs, cheese, and dairy. As with many of my articles (and my life), I like to put things in list format. Also like life, I like to give you the good news first…

Benefits of Vegetarianism:

Lower risk of disease. Studies have shown that vegetarians have a lower risk of death by heart disease than non-vegetarians (morbid, I know). Vegetarians often have lower cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and fewer instance of Type 2 diabetes than non-vegetarians. Lastly, vegetarians tend to have healthier weights and lower incidences of cancer.

Decreased cholesterol and saturated fat intake. Cholesterol comes from animal products only. Consequently, vegetarians tend to eat less cholesterol than their omnivore counterparts. Studies have also confirmed that vegetarians generally eat less saturated fat than non-veg heads.

Heart healthy. The vegetarian diet consists of heart healthy ingredients, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and soy products. These foods contain fiber and phytochemicals, which are great for heart health.  

Drawbacks to Vegetarianism:

Eating out is hard. Vegetarian options are limited at sit-down and take-out restaurants. Sometimes the only vegetarian dish is pasta or a sandwich with cheese. Being a vegetarian means planning ahead to know the places with the best vegetarian options.

Less protein options. This one may seem obvious because obviously vegetarians don’t eat meat. It’s very important for vegetarians to be aware of healthy vegetarian protein options and be mindful of their protein intake. Vegetarian proteins are plentiful, including foods such as yogurt, milk, tofu, oats, beans, nuts, tempeh, quinoa, seitan, bulgur, and much more!

Plentiful carbohydrate options. Because of the limited protein options, carbohydrates tend to dominate vegetarian menus. This reiterates my first point that pasta or bread and cheese sandwiches may be the only vegetarian option at times. Even some of the fantastic plant based proteins, like quinoa, oats, and beans, are packed with carbohydrates. Eating too much of foods rich in carbohydrates can cause weight gain. I advise anyone who makes the switch to vegetarianism to meet with a Registered Dietitian for proper nutrition education.  

“Is Being A Vegetarian Healthy?” A vegetarian diet can be healthy with proper nutrition knowledge, planning, and thoughtful food choices. Don’t be what I call a “french-fry and ice cream vegetarian” that eats all the vegetarian junk food, like pizza, chips, and desserts. With a little guidance, the vegetarian diet can be full of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and lean proteins. And the side effects of lower body weight, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and decrease risk of disease aren’t too bad either!

Tips for going meatless: If you are thinking of becoming a vegetarian but are too scared to take the plunge, try going meatless for one meal a day. Chances are your breakfast is already vegetarian. Add a meatless lunch of dinner to your repertoire. Check out my recipes page for healthy meatless meals.