Workout with a friend!

If you are having a difficult time finding time to workout between your busy life schedule; whether it may be work, school, family, and social time with friends, an easy way to get a workout in is to make it a social activity. Hanging out doesn't have to include food and/or drinks, instead go to a yoga class, go for a walk, go for a run, or a bike ride with your friends and/or family; the possibilities are endless.

Leftovers are your friend!

Whenever you cook something healthy at home, make lots of it! That way, you can have leftovers for work and /or dinner. If you have a family, they can eat the leftovers as well (this means a cooking break for you). The next day you will not be tempted to go out to eat, or pick something up, because you already have good food waiting for you at home. Another option is freezing your leftovers; so when you come home to a crazy evening and don't want to cook, but eat healthy, you can just reheat the leftovers.

Nutrition Tip of the week #33

Don't be afraid to eat dessert!

When you are trying to be healthy, you don't have to completely restrict yourself from sweets. The trick is to eat them in moderation and exercise portion control. For example, I only eat desserts on special occasions, and when I do, I only grab a couple of tablespoons; it's just enough to satisfy me.

Another idea is to make your dessert using healthy options, such as whole wheat flour, incorporating fruit and nuts, or using a low-fat butter.

Nutrition Tip of the week #33

Want some easy to follow, top 10 eat right tips for Thanksgiving, from the Nutrition professionals themselves (Registered Dietitians)? Visit this link:

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/eat-right-around-chicago/2009/11/top-10-tips-to-eat-right-on-thanksgiving.html

Nutrition Tip of the week #32

Eat Locally!

Eating locally is healthy for your body and the enviroment.

Locally grown foods are fresher than what you would find at your typical grocery store. Fresher foods often will be more nutrient dense. Fresher food also tastes better and is at its ripening peak! Typically, fruits and vegetables at your grocery store travel hundreds to thousands of miles to get there and are picked before they are ripe and are ripened artificially by gas.

What you can do: Shop at your local farmer's market or look for food grown in Texas at your grocery store.

Get more information at: www.gotexan.com

Nutrition Tip of the week #31

Get educated about what your eating! A great way to start is to watch or read Food, Inc. - the movie or the book.

Here is a brief summary: Food, Inc. exposes America's industrialized food system and its effect on our environment, health, economy and workers' rights.

Longer summary: In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.

http://www.foodincmovie.com/

Nutrition Tip of the week #30

Giving yourself some wiggle room is okay. I like to tell people that I have never been on a diet, and I haven't. I eat healthy every day and I eat what I want everyday. 95% of the time, I have an oober healthy lifestyle, eating plenty of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy and rarely any meat. I also excersize on a regular basis; so please do not judge me if you see me at Marble slab eating full fat ice-cream. It is okay to indulge once in a while and in moderation.

Nutrition Tip of the week #30

Nutrition Tip of the week #29

Nutrition Action Health Letter is a fun, easy to read, short, magazine type newsletter that gives you interesting health advice you can use in your everyday life. Right now you can subscribe for an entire year for only $10!

Here is an except about the best nuts to eat: http://www.cspinet.org/nah/10_09/rating.pdf
Here is where you oder: http://www.cspinet.org/nah/index.htm

Enjoy!

Nutrition Tip of the week #29

Try something new in your exercise routine!

Just like in your diet, it is important to keep your body in balance when it comes to exercising. So mix it up! Do a trial gym class, run outside instead of inside, switch from elliptical to treadmill or vise-versa. Also make sure you are working out your arms, legs, abs, and back an equal amount. Joining an exercise class is a great way to be held accountable for exercising and lets you make sure you are doing it right.

Nutrition Tip of the week #28

If you would like another source for daily health tips, visit: www.eatright.org. They have daily health tips in the right hand corner of thier home page. Thier tip of the day today is: Breast Cancer Awareness Today and Every Day. Check it out!

Nutrition Tip of the week #27

Please follow CDC's recommendations to stay healthy and avoid the flu!

What You Can Do to Stay Healthy

• Stay informed. This website will be updated regularly as information becomes available.
• Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
• Take everyday actions to stay healthy.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
• Stay home if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
• Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.
• Find healthy ways to deal with stress and anxiety.
• Call 1-800-CDC-INFO for more information.

http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1Flu/

Nutrition Tip of the Week #26

A great resource to Nutrition and exercise tips is http://activelifemovement.org/index.php. Active Life is a new interactive program to get America Active and Healthy!

Nutrition Tip of the week #25

The importance of Calcium:

We all know (hopefully) that calclium is imporant for strong bones; when dietary intake is too low, calcium is pulled out of the bones to maintain normal blood concentrations. This is why low dietary calcium can, over many years, lead to osteoporosis.

Women and men who develop osteoporosis are more likey to break bones when they fall. In older women and men, this often results in a slow healing process and most never fully regain thier indepence.

What to do:

Have 3 low fat servings of dairy a day. One serving is about a cup of collard greens, one cup low fat milk, one cup soy milk, one 6 oz serving of yogurt, or one ounce low-fat cheese.

Nutrition Tip of the week #24

Be adventurous!

Tired of the same ole' foods? Try new ones!
Variety is key to a healthy diet so make an effort to try a new food once a week, or even once a month.
The produce section is a great place to do this. This way you are getting a variety of vitamins and nutrients in a healthy way!
Also, if you have children, a great choice you can give them is "You can pick out one of anything you want" as long as it's in the produce section.

Nutrition Tip of the week #23

Get involved in an exercise routine!!!

Make a commitment to yourself to exercise a certain number of times a week for a certain length of time, and then tell a friend. Once you have committed to a plan and tell someone else about your plans, you are more likely to reach your goals.

If you need a little extra motivation, join a exercise class (yoga, pilaties, spin, racketball, etc.). Joining an exercise class is a great way to stay motivated, make new friends, and have fun!

Nutrition Tip of the week #22

Realizing that small changes make a big difference is vital to a healthy lifestyle.

You can start with one small change a year to make difference, or one small change a month. Changing has to come from within, no one can make you change, except for yourself.

Some examples of small changes:

• Switching to whole wheat bread products
• Drinking one less soda a day or a week
• Switching to low fat pretzels instead of chips
• Incorporating fresh fruit on a daily basis
• Switching to 2% milk

I make small changes on a daily basis to make sure that I am living a healthy lifestyle. For example, last night I was cooking Macaroni and Cheese (from the box). I am sure you might be thinking: "How can eating Mac and Cheese (from the box) be a part of a healthy lifestyle?" I will tell you, it's all about small changes.

First, I grabbed the "Made with 50% whole wheat Mac and Cheese" box, to gain additional fiber. Then, I added almost a Tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in place of the 3 Tablespoons of butter, to reduce the amount of saturated fat and to increase the amount of unsaturated fat. Also, I added about a cup or so of frozen spinach to add vegetables. Finally, I used soy milk instead of whole milk to deacrease the amount of saturated fat. And viola! You have just turned a not so healthy side dish into a fantastic one that tastes good too!

Nutrition Tip of the Week #21

To snack or not to snack...

By nature, I am a snacker; I am eating every couple of hours. How I make this a healthy habit and not an unhealthy habit, is that I snack right. I snack on fresh fruits, apple sauce, low-fat yogurt, fruit packaged in its own juice, rice cakes, nuts, and hundred calorie snack packs.

If your not a snacker, that's okay too; just as long as your making healthy choices when you do eat.

I like to have a stash of these healthy snacks at work and when I am on trips so that I am not tempted to visit the local snack machine or convenience store and make unwise choices.

Nutrition Tip of the week #20

Want to look slimmer and feel better within a matter of days? Cut back on your sodium! Sodium is in almost all processed foods that we eat, and in the American diet, can quickly add up to way more than we actually need in a day (average adults typically only need about 1,500 mg of sodium a day). Sodium causes your body to retain water, which leads to bloating (and who wants that?).

How to reduce your sodium intake:

• Look at food labels to determine how much sodium you are getting a day
• Eat less processed foods
• Eat more unprocessed foods like fresh fruits and vegetables
• Look for low-sodium products
• Reduce (or cut) the amount of salt that you add at the table and when you cook

Furthermore, a diet that is low in sodium has been proven to lower blood pressure which decreases your risk of having a stroke!

Nutrition Tip of the week #19

Yummy, easy, Watermelon salad recipe:

Ingredients:
1/2 large Watermelon, deseeded, cut into 2 inch cubes
Freshly sqeezed Lime juice from about 10 key limes or 3 large limes
Chopped mint to taste

Directions:
Gently toss to combine all ingredinets in a large bowl, serve chilled.

If you have some left over Watermelon, make this refreshing, healthy salad and it will be gone in no time!

Join us for Project La Cena’s First Orientation and kick-off Dinner!

Join us for Project La Cena’s First Orientation and kick-off Dinner!

Who: Project La Cena students, mentors, stakeholders, and students who want to learn more about the program
What: Orientation and dinner
Where: Northeast Lakeview College, Wellness Center, Food Lab
Why: To introduce Alamo College Nutrition students and mentors, congratulate scholarship recipients, socialize, and review Project La Cena’s activities for the semester
When: August 31st, 6:15pm

RSVP by: August 20th at slozano62@alamo.edu

A dinner of spinach enchiladas, black beans, and brown Spanish rice will be served.

Nutrition Tip of the week #18

Confused about high-fructose corn syrup? Don't be.

Although current research shows that high-fructose is just about as dangerous as sugar, that doesn't mean you shouldn't watch out for it.
Since high-fructose syrup (HFCS) is a cheap alternative to sugar, the food it is usually used in is not high quality and is usually highly processed. So straying away from foods containing high-fructose corn syrup, most likely means you are straying away from low-quality, sugary, high processed foods.

So if you can aviod HFCS, by all means do.

Get involved!

Getting involved is a great way to pump up your resume and gain experience while networking. Project La Cena can help you get involved a variety of ways in the Nutrition field. For example, if you are Nutrition student at NLC/SAC, you can join Project La Cena. If you are a Nutrition student at Texas State University or the University of the Incarnate Word, you can become a mentor for Project La Cena. If you are either, you can receive a free professional membership to the San Antonio Dietetic Association. All applications and more information can be found on our web page or e-mail slozano62@mail.accd.edu.

Nutrition Tip of the week #17

Pick up some fresh summer berries are your local grocery store. Berries are a great source of antioxidants, and taste amazing. They make a great, healthy, low calorie snack any time of the day. Simply wash them, and pack them in a Ziploc and take them where ever you go!

Nutrition Tip of the week #16

Have you ever calculated your BMI? For most Americans, it can be a great indicator of whether you are under weight,a healthy weight, or over weight.

Click here to enter your weight and height and get instant feedback: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/

Like all things, there are some exceptions: If you are extremely muscular or pregnant, the BMI may not be an accurate reading of your weight status.

Congratulations!

Project La Cena would sincerely like to congratulate the Fall 2009 Scholarship recipients!

Nutrition Tip of the week #15

www.mypyramidtracker.gov is a great resource to use if you are trying to manage your weight and health

The My pyramid tracker is user friendly, and has a tool where you type in what you ate for the day, and the tracker estimates the number of calories, nutritional content, and even lets you know if you are getting too much/not enough of the basic food groups.

The My pramid tracker also has a tool to type in your physical activity throughout the day, including walking, jogging, swimming, to reading and talking on the phone. The tool then computes how many calories you have burned during the day.

When you use both of the features, the tracker can let you know if your calories spent = calories eaten for weight maintenacne; or calories spent > calories eaten for weight loss, or calories spent < calories eaten for weight gain.

Nutrition Tip of the week #14

There is a common misconception out there that protein is the way to go pre-workout. Actually, your body needs carbohydrates for energy pre-workout, and your body breaks these down more efficiently and quickly when working out. Post workout, a quick combo of carbohydrates and protein is ideal. An example would be low-fat chocolate milk.

Nutrition tip of the week #13

There is a lot of misinformation out there about Nutrition and Foods, be sure the source of your information is reliable.

Some things to know:

Registered Dietitians are a reliable source and have to go through extensive education and training to gain their credential.

Anyone can claim they are a "nutritionist", they do not have to get a degree in Nutrition to claim this title.

Websites ending in .gov or .org are much more valid sources of information than .com sites

Nutrition Tip of the Week #12

Know your resources:

Want to know more about Nutrition, but don't know where to go?

The American Dietetic Association, at http://www.eatright.org/, is a great place and a credible resource to find information on various studies, fact sheets, daily nutrition tips, networking for nutritionists and Registered Dietitians, as well as, general and specific Food and Nutrition Information.

The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) take on Food and Nutrition can be found at http://www.mypyramid.gov/. Here, you can also find fact sheets, tips on eating healthy and following a healthy lifestyle, as well as food and diet recommendations for children, adolescents, women, men, pregnant and lactating females.

Nutrition tip of the week #11

Do you ever want a quick meal, but want to eat something healthier than a fast food restaurant?

There are plenty of quick alternatives out there to fast food.

For example:

• A sandwich piled with lots of veggies
• Grilled cheese sandwich (using low-fat cheese) and tomato soup
• Kashi frozen pizza or dinners
• Veggie burgers (found in the freezer section)
• Tuna sandwich
• Whole wheat mac n cheese
• Microwaved baked potato
• and as always, a fresh salad

Summer I

Welcome back students! Be sure to swing by NLIB 123A if you need help picking out courses specific to transferring to a University, to obtain a B.S. in Nutrition, or need scholarship help!!!

Nutrition tip of the week #11

SLEEP!

Do not underestimate the power of sleep. Not getting adequate amounts of sleep (8-9 hrs for most) can decrease your immune system, the ability to focus, and increase irritability. Studies have shown that women that do not get adequate amounts of sleep actually weigh more than women who do. Furthermore, studies have also shown that as lack of sleep increases, productitvety decreases.

Nutrition Tip of the week #10

*Just because you are having a BBQ, does not mean you have to skip out on eating healthy!

*Some suggestions:

Pineapple shish kabobs are awesome on the grill. Peaches are a nice alternative as well.

Also, feel free to add sliced zucchini, squash, onion, bell peppers, mushrooms, and avocado to your chicken kabobs.

Furthermore, if shish kabobs are not your thing, simply combine the above ingredients in a foil pouch with some Extra Virgin olive oil and pepper...yumm!

Baked potatoes are great on the grill, and even better are sweet potatoes! Give it a try.

Nutrition Tip of the week #9

I often get people asking me what are the healthiest foods I should be eating. I would prefer to take a diet history of these people to give them a set a meals that compliments their food likes/dislikes as examples, but without doing that, I have a few suggestions.

First off, everyone should be eating a variety of foods. Eating every "color of the rainbow" is a good visual.

Also, the majority of peoples' diets should consist of whole, unprocessed foods; such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and low fat dairy. Furthermore, don't forget about drinking plenty of water.

As mentioned before, greasy fast foods and sodas are a sure fire way to be UNhealthy.

Nutrition Tip of the week #8

#8 Look up the Nutritional Facts
Ever go out to eat and wonder how many calories you just consumed? Look it up! There are several websites dedicated to providing the public with this kind of information.
• www.calorieking.com
• www.nutritiondata.com
• www.mypyramidtracker.gov

Nutrition Tip of the week #7

Stray away from Processed Foods
Although they may be convenient, processed foods can take a toll on your health. Processed foods are usually high in sodium, fat, sugar, and low in fiber. Cook instead of eating out whenever you can, and try making your own spaghetti sauce, soups, and salad dressing.

Nutrition Tip of the week #6

Look at Food Nutrition Labels
You will be amazed when you start looking at the Food Nutrition labels of what you’re eating. Try to stay true to the serving size and pay close attention to amount of calories, fat, sugar, and sodium the food product contains.

Nutrition Tip of the week #5

#5 Drink plenty of water, not sugar

Stay well hydrated by drinking plenty of ice cold water every day. Save the sugary sports drinks for only when you need them; like after playing a sport or a vigorous work out.

Nutrition Tip of the week #4

Eat more whole grains!

Try switching to whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bagels, whole wheat tortillas, whole wheat bread, whole wheat muffins, whole wheat pizza crust, whole wheat buns, and/or whole wheat rice by substituting one product, once a week.

Nutrition Tip of the Week #3

Eat more fruits and vegetables!
Sneak more fruit in your diet by adding it to your morning cereal, making smoothies, taking fruit to school or work to snack on, and eating it for dessert.
Get more vegetables in your diet by eating at least one serving of vegetables at lunch AND dinner every day. Add vegetables to pizza, pasta sauces, potatoes, eggs, and more!

Nutrition Tip of the week #2

Try to get exercise whenever and wherever you can! Every little bit helps.

• Try cleaning the living room, kitchen, or wash dishes while watching TV instead of sitting on the couch
• Try to limit your TV watching / stationary video game playing to no more than an hour a day; chances are if you are not watching TV, you are doing something other than just sitting on the couch
  
• Don't be afraid to park a little farther away
• Always take the stairs instead of the elevator (If you don't know where the stairs are, ask!)
• Take a 20-30 minute walk most days of the week
  

Nutrition Tip of the week #1

A great way to improve your health, and lose weight, is to cut out soda and fast food from your diet.