Citrition Nutrition

Before you dive into that huge holiday meal, keep these tips in mind:
1. Avoid going to the meal starving. It’s common to save up all day because you know there’s going to be a huge meal with lots of foods you love. But, if you do this, you will absolutely overeat and consume too many calories. Try this: Before going to the meal have a small snack so when you get there you aren’t starving. The snack could be a piece of fruit, a low-fat yogurt or a string cheese. This way when you get there, you don’t head straight for the food. Although you may still eat more than you would normally, you will eat less than if you went starving.
2. Make good choices. Remember that the more variety and choices, the more you will eat. Think of a buffet. Even if you have a little of everything and there are 10 things, you are going to eat more than if you ate 3 different foods. So, try not to eat everything. Choose your favorite foods rather than having a taste of everything there.
Happy Holidays!

Ever wonder how many calories are in some of your favorite foods? If you are looking for calorie information, this website is great: http://www.calorieking.com/ You can even find a lot of foods from your favorite restaurants. And, it allows you to change the serving size so you can see how many calories you are actually eating. It does all of the math for you!

Someone recently asked me this question and I think it’s a common one. If you feel
slightly hungry before working out, which is totally expected if you go after
work, you definitely want to eat something. It will make your workout much more
effective and you won’t feel sluggish while working out. You want to eat
something that’s high in carbs, but low in fat like an english muffin, crackers, a low-fat yogurt, a banana or
apple. You want to avoid anything really sweet or sugary because it can give you a stomach ache when you are doing cardio. That means things like candy,
sweetened cereal, or even a lot of the protein/granola bars are too high in
sugar. Also, try to eat at least a half hour before you work out so you have
time to digest the food.
 

A lot of people have stopped eating fish, particularly salmon, because of all the talk about mercury in fish. The most important thing to keep in mind is mercury levels are of most concern to women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and children. However, if you are still concerned and don’t want to eat salmon, here are some other great sources of omega-3s: herring, farmed or wild rainbow trout, mussels, canned white meat tuna, atlantic cod and wild or farmed catfish. So, don’t give up all the fish in your diet. It is an incredibly important part of a healthy diet. The American Heart Association recommends eating about 6 oz of fish each week.

This is a question I hear frequently. The answer is definitely yes! We need carbs for energy (they are the main source) and for our brains to function. Carbs should actually make up a large portion of our diets. The confusion comes because most people only think of carbs as foods such as pasta, bagels and cookies. Carbs actually include fruits, vegetables, dairy, grains and beans. When you are choosing carbs, you want to choose good carbs. These are the ones that are closest to their natural state (they have the least processing) such as beans, fruit, whole wheat bread, low-fat milk and even potatoes. (All white carbs are not bad for you.) So, it doesn’t mean you can’t ever eat that bagel, white pasta or pretzels. Just make sure that most of the carbs you eat are the good kind.

Sounds good, right? As I always tell my clients, all
physical activity counts. A recent article, Moderate Exercise: No Pain, Big
Gains by Dr. Harvey Simon promotes this same idea. You don’t have
to do intense exercise at the gym to get a workout — not that I’m encouraging you
to skip the gym. Doing any type of physical activity can have health benefits
and help you lose weight. Some ideas that Dr. Simon promoted included things
such as climbing the stairs (next time you are about to get in the elevator
think about this), golf (who knew???), cleaning and sexual
activity.  Hope this gives you that extra motivation to do some of your favorite activities.

Someone recently asked me if I had any suggestions for a healthy, great-tasting cereal. Quaker Crunchy Corn Bran is a great breakfast option. It’s high in fiber, with 5 grams of fiber per 3/4 cup serving. It’s also low in calories at only 90 calories per serving. It also tastes delicious (it doesn’t taste like some of those high fiber cereals) and it doesn’t get soggy in milk.

Do you have a nutrition question? If so, go to my website (www.citrition.com) and submit your question through the contact page.

Are you feeling tired after the "spring ahead" this weekend? Before you reach for that very large coffee, consider that caffeine is addictive. Although it can give you a boost of energy, it is usually followed by a major energy slump. The more caffeine you drink, the more you need to feel that boost in energy. And, while small amounts of caffeine (what would be found in 12 oz of coffee) are considered safe, more than that can have side effects including headaches, nausea, jitters, sleep problems and heart palpitations. So, if you drink a lot of caffeine during the day to stay awake, you may not be able to fall asleep that night. And, the vicious cycle continues. So, before you grab another cup of coffee this morning, try a big cold glass of water to hydrate yourself or take a quick walk around the block. You will feel more energized and actually be able to get some sleep tonight.