Time management and the bike

Do you have time to exercise?

That may sound like a loaded question, because most of us are time-crunched. But we have time to work, time to do the laundry (but maybe not fold it right away), time to spend with our friends and family. Why not add exercise to that list?

My husband accuses me of developing my work schedule around my exercise plans, and he's right - to a point. If I know I need to do a 70 or 80 mile bike ride to prepare for the bike century coming up, I definitely schedule it into my day because it will take at least 5 hours to do this. When I was training for the triathlon, I scheduled in swimming because the pool was only open for adult lap swim from noon to 1pm Monday through Friday. But if I want to lift weights one day, or go for a short run or bike ride, I usually don't enter it into my PDA.

Today was one of those flexible days. I had some free time in the morning after the kids left for school, so I went to the gym and lifted weights. It looked like rain most of the morning, but the forecast said it would clear up without showers. When my youngest son called to tell me he needed to be picked up 30 minutes later than planned, a bike ride option opened up. I packed my rain jacket and took off for a lovely 22 mile ride.

OK, so I didn't get the bathrooms cleaned. My husband did those. I'm finishing up my computer work after dinner instead of getting everything done before dinner. But the weight lifting and bike ride are worth the trade off because I feel so much better whenever I exercise.

How can you schedule - or fit in - exercise into your day?

Should you eat before a workout?

I get this question all the time: I exercise first thing in the morning - should I eat something first?

The answer is YES. By the time morning rolls around, your body has used up all the readily available energy keeping itself running while you sleep. Rev up your engine by eating something small and quickly digested so that you have more energy to put into your workout. If you routinely feel sluggish or tired during morning workouts, try eating first.

Check out my article here: http://diet.ivillage.com/issues/itimingmeal/0,,q41l,00.html for more information and suggestions.

Tomato season!

I stopped by our local market yesterday, and was amazed at all the tomatoes. There were tomatoes everywhere: small boxes of cherry tomatoes, tables heaped with golden tomatoes, more tables with "field tomatoes" (the kind that don't look as pretty, but make wonderful sauce or juice), and baskets of plum tomatoes.

I grew up eating tomato sandwiches for lunch, helping my grandmother pick ripe tomatoes from her garden (and eating them straight from the garden), canning tomatoes with my grandmother, freezing tomatoes with my mom (never a fan of the long, hot canning process, she favored freezing), and teaching my children to pick and eat cherry tomatoes when they were little. Can you tell I love tomatoes?

Tomatoes are one of the best sources of lycopene, a phytochemical that helps prevent prostate and other types of cancer, and may even help prevent hardening of the arteries. Did you know that tomatoes are also high in vitamin C? Tomatoes, like all vegetables, are also good sources of fiber.

August is prime tomato month in my area. Sure, tomatoes are available in grocery stores year round, but they just don't taste as wonderful as just-picked tomatoes. Do your taste buds a favor, and enoy fresh tomatoes this month!

Diet advice

I really like the sensible advice and suggestions on losing weight in this article: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-08-27-diet-book-advice_N.htm

I'll add one of my own: make changes in your eating and activity habits that you expect to continue - forever. All too often we go on a diet, or join a gym, never expecting to continue these habits after we've lost weight.

And then we gain back all the weight we lost when we stop those habits.

Whatever you do to lose weight you'll need to continue to do to keep the weight off. Long-term weight loss is difficult because we tend to focus only on reaching our weight goal, then all bets are off. People who keep off the weight stick with their healthy habits and make them part of their life.

How many calories do I eat each day?

If you ever wonder just how many calories you consume each day, you're not alone. If you estimate your calorie intake, you're probably off by at least 20-30% - meaning that you assume you eat 20-30% LESS than you really do.

If you really want to know how many calories you're eating, or grams of protein, or milligrams of calcium, or info about just about any other nutrient, check out www.fitday.com You can log in your daily food intake, and the free website calculates your nutrient intake.

Knowing more specifically what we're eating can help us decide where to make changes to improve our overall eating habits. Keeping an online food record is easy to use, and you can compare changes over time.

Give it a try!

Lunchables: health food or junk food?

I never let my boys purchase Lunchables, or any other packaged meal aimed at kids. My reasons were three-fold: low nutritional value, too much packaging which is bad for the environment, and high cost.

Now I find out that Lunchables is trying to make their foods healthier with a Sensible Solutions option. These foods have an upper caloric limit range of 250-600 calories, no more than 30% of calories from fat, and no more than 10% of calories from saturated fat plus trans fat; and no more than 480-960 mg sodium. The threshold for sodium criteria in Sensible Solution varieties of Lunchables will continue to decline by more than 10 percent over the next two years. For more info, check out their website at www.lunchablesmom.com

Does this make them healthy? It's definitely moving in the right direction, but we still have the problems of lots of packaging which is bad for the environment and high cost. I much prefer that kids - and grown ups as well - eat more foods that are less packaged. Packaging means processing, and processing means decreased amounts of nutrients and more sodium.

I won't call these products health foods, but if you're going to buy packaged foods for your kids, they're better than many other choices. But why not set some rules and limits and ban these packaged foods completely? As one of my very wise colleagues likes to say: You don't let your kids play in the street, right? So why let them eat food that we know is bad for them? It's just as risky.

Real Living Nutrition Services

I just started working with Real Living Nutrition Services which provides online weight management programs. Check it out at http://www.reallivingnutrition.com/LynnGrieger.aspx and you can read more about me as well as the programs they offer.

Website based nutrition, fitness, and coaching programs aren't the future: they're here! They offer in-home convenience, lower cost, high-quality programs, and flexibility to people who use them. In fact, research has shown that web-based programs are just as effective as face-to-face consulting. Plus, you can get more frequent feedback via email and online chat rooms or message boards that are available with many of these programs.

I look at web-based consulting as a win-win for everyone. I get to work in my sweats without having a set time schedule, so I can talk with my kids whenever they happen to be around, take advantage of a beautiful day and head out on my bike, or just spend a few extra minutes during the day reading. My clients have the opportunity to work with me no matter where they live, they don't have to pay high gasoline prices to "talk" with me, and they definitely see progress on their eating and fitness goals. Everybody wins!

Virus causes obesity?

Even though scientists continue to tell us that what makes us gain weight is simple math - we eat more calories than we expend - researchers continue to look for other potential causes of obesity. Now there's new evidence that a simple virus, one that often causes colds or pinkeye, may be implicated in obesity for some people. Check out the article at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/20/AR2007082001350.html

It seems that this virus may change human stem cells into fat cells, and the more fat cells we have, the more we weigh. In one study, 30% of obese people had antibodies to this virus, meaning they've been exposed to it in the past.

So what about the other 70% of overweight people? What makes them overweight?

It's clear that we don't have a good handle on either the causes of obesity (except for eating too much and moving too little) or the treatment of obesity. Prevention seems to work best, but our society isn't really big on preventing diseases - we want treatment, and we want it quick.

This latest study doesn't provide any hard answers. It only muddies the waters, adding yet one more possible reason for obesity to the mix. It may be years before scientists unravel the mystery completely. Until then, our best defense is to prevent obesity by encouraging an active lifestyle and healthy eating habits.

I think I'll go eat some cucumbers.

Portion size

This article about trans fat content in foods http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Diet-Trans-Fat-Labels.html brings up an important point: the info on the nutrition facts label is based on one serving.

That one serving is also listed on the label. Sometimes a package may contain two servings, even though we routinely eat the whole thing. For example, I ate a Udon noodle bowl for lunch today, and even though it came in one cereal-size bowl, the label says it serves two. I ate it all (I was hungry!)

Legally, food companies are allowed to round the numbers on the nutrition label. So if a food contains .4g of trans fat, it's allowed to state "zero grams trans fat" on the label. If you eat two servings, you get .8 grams trans fat, but there's no way for the consumer to know this.

You have one important recourse: read the list of ingredients. Anything that contains partially hydrogenated oil is going to contain some amount of trans fats. Avoid these foods as much as possible.

And of course, just eat one serving of everything else (unless it's fresh fruit or veggies)!

Sweet corn: a rite of summer

I made a beeline at the farmer's market in Dorset today straight to the Sheldon Farm's sweet corn. Sheldon Farms is regarded as the sweet corn in our area, and it's well-deserved. I grew up eating sweet corn grown by my maternal grandfather on his farm in northwest Indiana. This was one of my favorite vegetables, probably at least in part because I didn't have to weed it! Grandpa would bring fresh-picked ears of corn up to the farmhouse in bushel baskets, where Grandma and I (plus any assorted cousins, relatives, or visiting neighbors) would sit outside under the shady maple tree and shuck it. In mid to late August my paternal grandfather would come to our house loaded down with sweet corn from his farm, and help us freeze quart after quart of corn for the winter. The kids would shuck the corn, my mother did the blanching in the boiling water, Grandpa would cut the kernels from the hot ears, and we all would spoon it into quart freezer bags. By the time we were finished there was a sticky layer of sweet corn goo all over the counter tops and ourselves, but we always had enough frozen corn to last until the next summer.

Today I buy my corn from a local farmer, but I still sit outside to do the shucking, sometimes joined by my teenage boys. It always brings back memories of hot, slow summer days back in Indiana.

Some people think that sweet corn is too starchy to be a healthy vegetable, but they're wrong. Sweet corn contains both vitamin A and beta-carotene, which are powerful antioxidants. Sweet corn is also a good source of fiber and folate, which promote a healthy cardiovascular system.

We prefer to enjoy our sweet corn simply boiled, then spread with butter and a touch of salt. I cut the kernels from the cob for my youngest, braces-wearing son, and any leftovers are added to tomato salad for the next day's lunch. Whether the corn is from a family garden or a farmer's market, it's as much a part of summer as cooling off in the local swimming hole and catching fireflies in the backyard.

The Government makes us fat

Did you know that the U.S. government spends 20 times as much money subsidizing sugar and fats than it does fruit and vegetables?

Or that if every American really DID eat the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables, we would need double the acreage devoted to these types of foods?

According to many health experts, and even Tommy Thompson, the Secretary of Health from 2001-2005, there is a strong disconnect between the government's agriculture and its nutrition policies. The agriculture policies are politically based, and the nutrition policies (like the Food Pyramid) are designed to make us healthier.

If you want to learn more - and be completely shocked about the state of our food supply and our health - check out this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtLFeH0W1x4

Portion size know-how

If you don't think that portion sizes of foods and beverages have grown over the past few years, check out the slideshow at http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/portion/

Just about everything we eat or drink is available in larger serving sizes, and of course, most of us eat everything we're served. Fight back by learning about recommended portion sizes of foods at www.mypyramid.gov and then shrinking your usual portions to match these guidelines. You can continue to eat your favorite foods, just less of them!

US Government pushes unhealthy foods

Believe it or not, the US government is a leading promoter of unhealthy foods, according to a Presidential report on cancer at http://pcp.cancer.gov

In fact, the report clearly states that the US government "must cease being a purveyor of unhealthy foods that lead to disease and increased health care costs." Changing regulations for school lunch and breakfast programs to include more fruits and vegetables is a key recommendation. The report also encourages the government to stop subsidizing programs that end up producing high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, and grain-fed cattle because of their impact on obesity and increased risk of cancer.

I'd love to see the government change rules for Head Start and WIC, programs that are feed millions of at-risk children, to include more healthy foods with less reliance on processed foods.

Makes you stop and think about what you're feeding yourself, and your family, doesn't it?

Watermelon

Watermelon is finally ripe and ready at my local farmer's market. I bet just about everyone has fond childhood memories of watermelon seed spitting contests.

Watermelon is a great source of nutrition, and not just water! 1 cup diced watermelon gives you 25% of your daily vitamin C needs, and it's also a good source of the antioxidant lycopene that helps protect against cancer (prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and colorectal).

My dad always used to cut a small plug out of the watermelon to tell if it was ripe before he purchased it. If you don't routinely carry a pocketknife with you, look for watermelon that is heavy for its size.

If you're a smoothie fan, blend chunks of watermelon with a few fresh mint leaves. Good taste just doesn't get any easier!

Triathlon - the day after

Thank goodness for Tylenol 8 hour! I first used it a few years ago when I ran in the Phoenix Rock 'n Roll marathon where I was part of a study comparing the effectiveness of Tylenol 8 hour in reducing muscle pain and soreness after running the marathon. This stuff works! I started taking it yesterday after the triathlon, and will continue through today.

Other tactics to reduce muscle soreness and recover after a hard event or workout:
- Rehydrate for the next 24 hours. I drank a bunch of water, Gatorade, and V8 right after the race and throughout the evening and into today. V8 is a summertime post-race favorite because I'm craving sodium due to all the sweating.

- Eat every 2-4 hours to fuel recovering muscles. This part is easy! I brought food with me to the triathlon, plus they had bananas and pizza for the racers. We had too-ripe bananas at home, so I made banana bread last night, using a healthy and delcious recipe from http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=549764 Add in some fruit, salad, BBQ chicken, yogurt/fruit smoothie, peanut butter sandwiches and I'm feeling great!

- Stretch. I sat in the shade yesterday after the race, chatting with the other racers and stretching while we listened to the race results and cheered for the winners. At home, I used the stick, a great tool for self-massage of sore muscles. Check it out at http://www.roadrunnersports.com/rrs/products/HSP003/ It really helps get the kinks out.

- Rest. Yesterday I took it easy after the triathlon. Today is another rest day: no running, biking, swimming, or weight-lifting. Just some more stretching and using the stick. Tomorrow I'll get back into activity with a run and hopefully bike ride.

Feeling great!

Triathlon completed!

My August challenge is finished! Today I completed the Lake Dunmore Triathlon, which is the Olympic distance of a .9 mile swim, 28 mile bike, and 6K run.

The weather was perfect: not too hot, a few clouds, and a light breeze. I met some helpful and friendly 40- and 50-something women as we were racking our bikes and getting our gear ready before the race began. That's the great thing about triathlons: some people are super-fast and very competitive, but everyone is willing to share suggestions and tips (and tire pumps, if you forget yours!)

The swim was two laps around a line of buoys parallel to the shore in Lake Dunmore, in Brandon, VT. The start of the swim is always hectic, with everyone running into the water and jockeying for position. Even though I'm comfortable in the water and have been swimming for years, it's still a bit nerve-wracking. I used the breaststroke for the first few minutes until everything settled down, then switched off between the crawl (faster) and the breaststroke (I could see where I was going) for the rest of the swim. Piece of cake!

Run to the transition area, where I stripped off my swim cap and goggles, dried my feet and slid on bike socks and shoes, put on my helmet and sunglasses, grabbed part of a Clif bar and water, and headed out on my bike. Again, two laps mostly around Lake Dunmore. I pedaled faster than usual, and passed a few people climbing up the relatively few hills. But then THEY passed ME on the way back down the hills! I guess I need aero bars to make me more aerodynamic.

Back to the transition area where all the bike gear comes off, running socks and shoes go on, plus a hat (both to keep the sun off my face and to hide the horrible hair-do I'm left with after swimming and biking), and my waist belt with water, Accelerade, and Gu. At the start of the run my legs are shaky from biking, and it takes a good 10 minutes to work out the kinks and settle into a regular stride. Thank goodness for shade along the course, because by this time it was getting hot! The water at the water stops was used to douse my head to help cool me off (I drank the water and Accelerade I carried with me). Everyone on the out and back course was friendly and encouraging, with shouts of "Looking great!" and "Almost finished!" from just about everyone.

A final surge through the finish chute, with a time of 3:21:28. Certainly not a very fast time (I came in 5th out of 7 women in the 45-49 age group bracket) but I wasn't last, either. Plus, I had a lot of fun, met great people, and completed my goal.

Check out http://www.vermontsun.com/triathlon.html for more info on the Vermont Sun triathlon series and race results. Maybe next year I'll set my sights on the Half-Ironman....

Can you choose healthy foods when eating out?

I get this question all the time: just how am I supposed to choose healthy foods, follow a low-calorie diet plan, and/or stick to my meal plan to lower my blood pressure (or cholesterol, or blood sugar) when I eat out?

Most of the time people just throw caution to the winds when they eat out. Deciphering the menus seems to be too difficult.

Not if you read Jo Lichten's update to her popular Dining Lean book! Check out Dr. Jo's Dining Lean at http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9781880347508&itm=1 if you eat out just for fun or for business.

Here's what Brian Wansink, PhD (author of Mindless Eating and director of the CornellUniversity Food and Brand Lab) writes in the preface:

"Dining Lean to the rescue. Although restaurant 'calorie counting' bookshave been around for a long time, that's not what this book is about. Dr.Jo's book takes a more useful, more intelligent, and more insightful approach. Dining Lean provides the basics about restaurant food including ethnic cuisine, lots of rules-of-thumb about how to estimate sizes and calories, and what (and how) to order so you can have the great meal you want but without all the calories. Dining Lean is fun to read, well-organized, and graphically clever."

I keep a copy on hand to answer questions, and also to use myself when I go out to eat. Check it out!

Food and mood

I just finished reading a wonderful book by Susan Kleiner, PhD, titled The Good Mood Diet. Basically, she outlines which foods help increase our mood and make us feel better; plus those foods that do the opposite. Luckily, there's a longer list of foods that improve our mood!

It comes down to neurotransmitters, chemicals in our brain that transmit a variety of signals. Some foods help those neurotransmitters do their job, and others hinder them. Foods like salmon, whole grains, spinach, ground flaxseed, turkey, and grapefruit improve our mood. Caffeine, fried foods, fatty snack foods (like chips), and sugary processed foods (like cookies) decrease our mood.

There's a great website for more info, and even an online club you can join for free at http://www.goodmooddiet.com/.

Eating more salmon and other types of fish high in omega-3 fatty acids (tuna, sardines, anchovies) is the hardest part for me. I love fresh salmon, but it's expensive and no one else in my family cares for it. I tried frozen salmon patties, and they tasted awful. I have a different brand that tasted OK if I heated it in the toaster oven and then added a bunch of cooked vegetables. Canned tuna just isn't one of my favorites, and don't even talk to me about anchovies or sardines.

It's a good thing fish is just one of many feel-good foods. I'll continue eating the others, and limit the feel-bad foods as much as possible. One step a time, right?

Lynn

A beef about tea

I have a beef about tea, specifically the bottled tea that we find in convenience stores, grocery stores, gas stations, etc.

It's all full of sugar. Why?

I like plain tea. No fruit. No sugar. No sugar substitute. No lemon. Just tea.

Why is this so difficult to find? Am I the only person out there who wants just plain tea?

All types of tea contain healthful antioxidants. Most of us use too much sugar, and sweetened beverages have been associated with increased body weight. Plus drinking sweetened bevereages, even those with sugar substitute, can increase our cravings for even more sugar. Moderate amounts of sugar are fine, but I prefer mine in something I can sink my teeth into, like chocolate or a cookie.

My solution: I always bring along a bottle of water. Once I find a location that sells plain, unsweetened tea, I stop there frequently and stock up. Thank you, the hot dog guy in Manchester, VT! You're the only one in town who carries plain tea.

Spa Theme Week at the Stowflake!

I'm going to be part of the Spa Theme Week on healthy nutrition at the Stoweflake in September. This is a wonderful opportunity to come to gorgeous Vermont in the Fall, spend some relaxing time at the Stoweflake, experience everything the Stowe area has to offer, and of course to meet me in person!


Sunday, September 16: 4:00-5:00 PM Banish the Bulge: Eating right for your 40’s to 50’s*
Monday, September 17: 11:00-12:30 PM The Top 10 Diet Mistakes & How To Correct Them*
Tuesday, September 18: 2:00-3:00 PM Cooking with Natural Ingredients Demo
Wednesday, September 19: 11:00-12:00 PM Eating for Energy
Thursday, September 20: 2:00-3:00 PM Preparing and Cooking Healthy Foods Demo
Friday, September 21: 11:00-12:00 PM Healthy Pantry

*Featured Presenter Session with Lynn Grieger, RD, CDE, cPT
other sessions led by Stowflake nutritionist, Laura Biron, MBA, RD, CD

Sign up in advance: 802-760-1083 (Prices vary)
www.spaatstoweflake.com
Mountain Road, Stowe

I'm looking forward to seeing a whole bunch of you there!

Lynn

Energy bars: are they worth it?

People are always asking me which is the best energy bar, granola bar, or sports bar. My answer depends on why you're using it - for a quick snack, a meal replacement, before exercise, or post exercise recovery.

There are so many different bars out there it's tough to keep track of them all. A great article in Her Sports + Fitness gives a great explanation. Check it out at http://www.active.com/women/Articles/Energy_Bars_Unwrapped.htm

Some helpful hints:
- Avoid anything with chocolate in the heat. I bring banana walnut or oatmeal raisin flavored bars with me when I bike, because while I love chocolate, it melts in the heat!
- Some bars are really candy bars in disguise as something "healthy". Read the label ingredients to know exactly what you're getting.
- Bars can get expensive. Peanut butter on whole grain bread is just as nutritious and satisfying - and it costs a lot less!

Lynn