Hemp Hearts and Visiting Mr. Grayson

{Kathleen} Today started early when my alarm went off at 4:30, of course I hit snooze a few times but finally made my self get out of bed at 4:44 to be exact :). I had plans to meet Virginia and Rainie at the Shades Valley YMCA for a 5:30 Y-Cross class. One of our other co-workers Kayla also goes to this class and she says it is tough, the teacher Kim is what Kayla calls a "lady beast". Thats not exactly the  nickname I would like to achieve, however I do like a challenging workout, and that it was for sure.

The workout was set up in 10 different circuits and the first time around you go for a minute and a half and the second time around you go for a minute. It was a mixture of cardio/weight moves with anything from jogging with a weight held above your head, tricep dips, box jumps, planks on the stability ball to just some standard weighted squats. Lets just say I will definitely be sore tomorrow.

We thought it was a 1 hour class and it was actually 45minutes, and some of my workout buddies (those who shall not be named ) were 10-15minutes late for the class so they felt like we needed a little extra cardio at the end (nothing like a little peer pressure to keep you going). Virginia and Rainie ran an extra mile on the treadmill while I hit up the stairclimber for 10minutes. Then Virginia and I showered at the Y while Rainie (the downtown loft dweller ) headed home to shower there.

Breakfast was eaten when I got to work. It was my favorite way to eat over night oats, right out of the peanut butter jar , getting all that left over peanut butter at the bottom! I combined the usual oats, yogurt, raisins and walnuts and mixed them all up the night before.

I was starving by 10am, which tends to happen when I get up so early so I ate a homemade granola bar.

Lunch (sorry not pictured) was one of my usual salads. Spinach + bleu cheese + yellow bell pepper + basalmic vinaigrette dressing. I did add something new today though, Hemp Hearts (simply raw shelled hemp seed)! They add a nutty flavor so I don't add any nuts to my salads. They are great on salads, I haven't tried them on anything else yet but the bag suggests in cereal, yogurt, salad or just eat on their own. I add about 1Tbsp. to my salad which has 55 calories, 5 grams fat, 4 grams protein, 1 gram fiber, and 1gram carb. I also enjoyed an afternoon coffee from ABP with some half and half and Splenda.

Midafternoon snack: Banana and PB

After work my mom and I headed over to one of my best friends house, she had a baby 2 weeks ago and we were bringing her dinner. Liz and I have been friends since 9th grade when we were in choir together. She loves my mom's pasta salad and chicken salad so we brought that and some good summer watermelon. Rainie made a dessert for them and sent it with me. She made a chocolate bundt cake with a coffee and walnut icing! She was nervous about not tasting it before giving it to someone, but I reassured her what could not taste good about butter, sugar, chocolate, coffee and walnuts ???!! I'm sure it tasted amazing! We stayed and visited for a little while and took turns holding Grayson, who is just adorable!

When my mom and I got back home we ate dinner. I fixed a salad with a Kale base + small amount of leftover chicken salad + bleu cheese + sautéed mushrooms and onions with a vinegarette dressing. I also had some celery and peanut butter and watermelon while I was cooking my mushrooms and onions!

Now off to pack for the lake! Rainie's bday is tomorrow and a group of us are all heading to the lake tomorrow after work for the weekend to celebrate! It will be fun and should be good weather, typical Alabama summer,  98 degrees and sunny!!

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Peaches + Bubba's Philly Cheesesteak

{Rainie} Yesterday morning was exceptionally grueling at the YMCA. The instructor's arm muscles made the men in the class look weak. She was great and awful at the same time.

Tis the season of peaches so I blended some with a frozen banana and some vanilla protein powder. I felt kind of bad because peaches are so great they don't really even deserve to be blended- a method I typically reserve for almost too old fruit- but they made a great peach smoothie that would rival Chick Fil A. Ok, not really, but it is much healthier!

I took some pretty pictures...

Then packed my lunch. All while sipping coffee. I had the same thing as yesterday because if you find a good thing, why change it? 

Then, I poured my pretty smoothie into a to-go cup, topped it with light whipped cream and finished it on my walk to work--which was especially hot today.

One of my coworkers, Stephanie, brought me an organic, home grown tomato from her neighbor because she has too many. How sweet is that? I didn't eat it yesterday, but it was too thoughtful not to share!

Snack is not pictured, but happened around 3:30 per usual. I ate a cutie and a mini Babybel light mozzarella cheese. 

After work, my old roommate, Joey, (aka my brother) came by to work on a project idea we have for the future! I can fit so much more in the afternoon when I work out in the morning!

Dinner was Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches. Yes, we ate beef two nights in a row, but when I bought it Sunday, the butcher told me he had just cut it so I feel like letting it sit in the refrigerator for a week would not do justice to the cow who sacrificed his life.

When I was about 13, my parents opened a restaurant called Bubba's where I got my first real food prepping experience. My friends and I worked there for $3 an hour and I still remember beating the meat with a meat tenderizer, then seasoning it before cooking it on the grill while toasting the bun and sautéing the onions and peppers. It was the most multitasking my young kitchen hands had experienced and I really enjoyed the fast paced style cooking. I can still feel the familiar sting of the grease when it gets a little too hot and the pain of the "grill brick" we had to use to scrub the grill top every night. That grill brick was the worst! But those days taught me what hard work looks like and my friends and I worked together cleaning and cooking our young summer nights away. We actually didn't hate it. Ah, how naive we were.

Those were also the days my body learned how to store fat more efficiently! We were working hard, but we were piling on the calories in butter and cheese. I used to eat slices of the American cheese if I got a little hungry. Today, I realized that cheese is 90 calories a slice! 

I have told JT stories of our Bubba's days and how the Philly Cheesesteak was the best I have ever had (even if I did make it myself)! I even tried to recreate it once in college but I bought Provolone cheese instead of American and it made more of a difference than I ever though possible. This time, I hit the jackpot. I even lightened it up a bit by skipping the butter-the-bread step, and butter on the vegetables. That will save around 200 calories! I also made mine an open faced sandwich to shave off 100 calories from the bread alone. I have yet to find a good whole wheat sub bun option so I still go with the white bread for now. Any suggestions? I added lettuce to the side and ate it all with a fork. It was delicious! And just like Bubba's. You know, with half the bun and all. JT, on the other hand got the full experience. 

Finally, a little unhealthy baking took place while JT watches sports at his friend's house. This time, the baking is a gift and I'm actually not going to be the one eating it--- wish me luck!

What was your first job?

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It feels like July!

{Virginia}

I just could not make myself get out of bed this morning so instead of being late for work, I decided that an on the go breakfast was the way to go to get me out the door faster so I had a Kashi chocolate almond sea salt bar and a peach.  Of course I had my morning coffee (1 Splenda and hazelnut coffee creamer).  I also drink about a liter of water each morning before work because I am just thirsty in the morning.  

A mid-morning snack was a must today! I gave a presentation at work during lunch which means that I could either do an early lunch or have a snack and push lunch back. I opted for a snack and a later lunch.  Snack:  pretzel crisps with cheese cubes

For lunch I had southwestern black bean, quinoa, and mango salad (recipe from www.skinnytaste.com).  Quinoa salad is great to make and have on hand for lunch during the week!  I had a honeycrisp apple and peanut butter to satisfy my sweet tooth with a healthy choice.  

My mom was in town today so I went over to my sister's house to see her.  We had a delicious dinner of chicken tetrazzini with a side salad (romaine lettuce, tomato, Apple, light poppyseed salad dressing).  My brother in law picked us up some no sugar added sea salt caramel ice cream for dessert because he knows that we have a sweet tooth (so thoughtful!).  The best part of dinner was sitting around the table with my mom, sister, brother in law, and 2 precious nephews!  

Hydration:  

12 oz coffee

Diet Coke 12 oz

Diet Sunkist 12 oz 

Water 110 oz

32 oz Powerade Zero

For exercise today, I went on a 4 mile run with Kathleen and Rainie.  It definitely feels like July out there...HOT!  I always look forward to our afternoon jogs, the time just flies by!  It is a 2 for 1 getting my exercise in and catch up with great friends!  

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Healthy Bites {and a Magic Cookie Bar}

{Virginia}

It was a grab and go kind of week so breakfast was a Kashi Chocolate Almond Sea Salt bar and coffee with Splenda and hazelnut creamer.

Despite it being a crazy busy week at work, I still got to enjoy lunch with some of my favorite clinnuts Thursday. I had a delicious salad of spinach, tomato, bell pepper, cucumber, carrots, mozzarella cheese stick (cut up), Ken's Lite Ranch dressing, and about 2 tablespoons of fried onion crispies.

A magic cookie bar (that magically found it's way into my hand after lunch) ...thanks to my friend Kim. I can never resist these when she brings them to work!  This is one of those irresistible office treats!  

I also had a mix of pineapple, strawberries, cantaloupe, blueberries and a mozzarella cheese stick.

Snack:  fruit (leftover from lunch) 

Dinner was one of my favorite salads:  spinach, strawberries, Apple, almonds, chick peas, Craisins, blue cheese, Ken's light vinaigrette dressing.

I also had a few bites of Cookies and Cream coconut milk ice cream. I bought this earlier in the week just because I was curious about it. Surprisingly, it's really pretty good-- if you like coconut flavor. One interesting fact is that this coconut milk ice cream has 7 grams fiber in 1/2 cup.  

Did you know the average American gets around 11 grams of fiber each day, but the recommendation is around 35 grams of fiber? Most Americans fall well below our recommended intake, which is bad news for us since fiber helps fill us up faster, keep us fuller longer, and stabilizes blood sugar levels to decrease cravings. Look for foods that contain greater than 5g of fiber per serving and fill up on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains!

To stay hydrated all day, I had: 94 oz water, 20 oz Powerade zero, Caffeine Free Diet Coke (12 oz), Regular Diet Coke (12oz), and my morning coffee (12 oz).

As for our exercise:

Kathleen and I went to our weekly Y-cross class (we missed you Rainie!).  We had a substitute teacher tonight.  We missed having Rod teach, but on the bright side, we were actually able to do the whole workout!  I can only speak for myself but when Rod teaches, I can only do about 60% of the class because I have to take so many breaks!  My goal is to be able to do 100% of Rod's class without breaks...one day!  

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Food and Fitness Thursday Recap

{Kathleen}

Naturally, I started my day the right way. No coffee...no workee...

Breakfast: My usual staple breakfast: Overnight Oats ( oats + almond milk + chia seeds + walnuts + what yogurt was left in the bottom of the container) 

I love using the peanut butter jars or the actual yogurt containers when they are empty as it less dishes to wash at the end of the day! 

Lunch: Spinach Salad with shredded chicken + Bleu cheese + bell peppers + tomatoes + balsamic vinaigrette dressing 

I enjoyed eating lunch with some of my favorite #clinnuts! Some days work is too crazy and I end up inhaling my lunch in clinic or at my desk but I try to eat lunch with my fellow RD's at least 1-2 times/week. Its nice to take a break in the middle of the day! And it also helps that my coworkers also happen to be some of my best friends which makes my job that much more enjoyable. 

Snack: I've gotten into the peanut butter and banana snack in the afternoon. I've just got to make sure if we are running after work that day to not eat it too late to avoid any GI mishaps while running. All you runners out there know what I'm talking about I'm sure :)

I also ate an apple on the way to the gym. Here she is:

And that brings me to the workout for the day. Rainie, Virginia and I have recently started attending Rod's "Y-cross" class at the YMCA on Thursday nights from 5:30-6:30, and let me just tell you it kicks my butt! Every time I leave there completely exhausted. The class to me is a mix of "Insanity" type moves and "cross fit" style workout. We do each exercise for a minute straight, and If I'm honest I have to take at least one quick break, usually 2 or 3 to make it through that minute. Rod is an awesome instructor too, I'm not sure how he comes up with some of the moves but I just know its always hard to walk the few days after. Hopefully it will get easier the more we go! While Running is still probably my favorite way to exercise, this type of class/workout definitely challenges me more than running on a typical day. Rod took advantage of our post class photo opp and joined the fun!

Then I headed home for dinner, my mom cooked as the whole family was going to be home for dinner, which seems like that never happens in the summer with different work schedules. And, of course, I forgot to take a picture because I was so hungry my plate was polished off before I remembered... But we had baked chicken with a pesto sauce on it + black eyed peas + roasted potatoes + broccoli + coleslaw (yes coleslaw seems odd and really didn't go but we had some that was going bad and needed to be eaten= resourceful!).

Dessert: 2 of my sisters were complaining of a sore throat and cold earlier this week so naturally that meant my mom bought 3-- 1/2 gallons of ice cream. We had mint chocolate chip, double chocolate , coffee, and of course I had a little sampling of all three. We also had some  of "the original" brownies in the freezer we took out to go with them. 

After all the dinner dishes were done I put my baking skills to work and made Carmelitas for the first time. Rainie and JT are hosting a game night at their loft Friday night and I said I would bring dessert so I experimented with a new recipe. I typically always default to brownies of some variety but I felt like mixing it up a little.  I used the Pillsbury recipe and they seemed to have turned out pretty good. I guess I will let everyone be the judge of that Friday night. Check back for a Be Well post from Virginia tomorrow!

We are always looking for new exercises to try...Share your favorite way to switch up your exercise routine with us! 

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On a Tuesday: Small Group and Sandwiches

Hey Be Well Readers! Today, we have another post from a dietitian and new blogger, Kathleen. You may remember her from our Blue Eyed Baker brownie contest. While she is an excellent baker, she also recognizes the importance of living a healthy lifestyle by making the right food choices and exercising. Here's Kathleen to tell you about her Tuesday.

I was super busy so all of my meals were pretty much eaten in the car or at work. Also of note, I don't normally eat so much peanut butter but it makes a pretty good protein option in a crunch!

Breakfast was overnight oats. I just combine all the ingredients at night and put it in the fridge until morning. You know how you can never get the rest of the peanut butter out of the container? Overnight oats is your solution! Here are some of my favorite ingredients:

• almond milk 
• chia seeds 
• Greek yogurt 
• walnuts

What to look for in your peanut butter:
There are a thousand different peanut butter brands available. But be careful to read the nutrition facts label on each one and look for hidden trans fat. If you see the word "hydrogenated" on the ingredients list, steer clear. While it might say 0 grams trans fat per serving on the actual nutrition facts label it can have up to 0.5grams of trans fat per serving and not be listed on the label. The American Heart Association recommends limiting intake of trans fat to 0-2 grams per day. Skippy Natural, Jif Natural and Smucker's Natural are my fave trans fat free brands :)

Lunch is usually some type of salad. Today's salad was a Spinach and Kale combo with 

• tomatoes 
• walnuts 
• Feta cheese
• onions 
• sugar snap peas 
• Balsamic vinegar dressing  

Trick of the trade: prepare it the night before because there's just not enough time in the morning!

Snack: Banana + Peanut Butter 

Dinner: Apple + Blueberries + peanut butter and honey sandwich (eaten on the way from running to small group). Said sandwich not pictured because I was driving and so hungry I had eaten it all before I realized I forgot to take a picture of it!



I am typically not a sandwich person but I found bread at SAMS that is actually in the freezer section because it has no preservatives. Its only 60 calories per slice and tastes great! Its very nutty tasting, which I love :)

Virginia and I joined a small group that does workouts on Tuesday nights. Its a great way to meet new people and get a workout in at the same time! It starts at 6:30pm so we squeezed in a quick 3 mile run in after work and then headed to our small group leaders' house for a Crossfit type group workout. This time the workout consisted of pushups, squats, lunges, sit-ups, planks, high knees, runs, step ups and STRETCHING...which we are always bad at fitting in at the end of our workouts (even though we know we fill so much better if we do).

Post Small group cross fit workout snack: Yoplait Greek 100cal yogurt. Love the black cherry flavor!

Beverages: ~10oz. Coffee (not pictures) with skim milk + International Delight Hazelnut Coffee Creamer,  32oz Unsweet Tea, Post 95 degree run = refreshing Sprite Zero + about 4 Nalegene's worth of water (32oz Nalgene). 

Today was a little busy. Breakfast and Lunch were eaten/inhaled in clinic while dinner was eaten driving from work to small group. So I am super glad I packed everything. It really helps me keep a healthy eating regimen while squeezing in a lot of activities and work!

Check back later for more from Kathleen!

Do you pack meals and snacks? Share your eating on the go tips below!

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One Month Anniversary + Comedy Club Night

Yesterday marked a whole month of marriage for JT and me... And what a fun month it has been! I love having him in the same town, cooking dinner together, and just getting to hang out so often. We should have done this whole marriage thing sooner. 

2 things I learned this month:

1) Men require less sleep. I mean, what is so wrong with a 9:30pm bedtime?

2) Men can eat more often. Ok, I can technically eat more than JT in a sitting, but he could eat like every 2 hours! 

1 thing that surprised me about being married:

1) How much fun it really is! I thought it would be a harder adjustment, but it's been easy! Of course, it's been a month;)

I started my day with a jog downtown and through Railroad Park. 

We had plans to go to the Comedy Club to celebrate Jeff's birthday so I knew I would have to skip out on the afternoon run with Virginia and Kathleen. I ran a quick 3 mile route in the morning before work and remembered why I love a.m. exercise. I love the stillness of the morning before the world comes at you fast. It's also about 10 degrees cooler than these 90 degree afternoon runs.

The only trouble with morning runs is I still need time to wake up just a little before I hit the pavement. So, I have to wake up in enough time to allow for one cup of coffee or else I talk myself out of running. After I ran, I had one more cup of coffee and ate breakfast of cucumbers, goat cheese and half an avocado. Then a banana once I got to work. Pretty random breakfast combo but I was feeling salty foods after sweating so much!

Yesterday was a pretty busy work day so lunch was eaten in a bit of a rush, but delicious nonetheless.

• Mixed salad greens 
• 1 ounce of almonds
• 2 tablespoons Blue Cheese
• 1 tablespoon dried cherries
• 1 tablespoon Chia seeds
• plain Balsamic Vinegar (Ken's Reduced Fat Raspberry Vinaigrette is also really good on this type of salad mix.). 
• For some more protein, I had my favorite Chobani--Coconut flavored. I always freeze them, then put one in the refrigerator at work until lunch time and it is the perfect, creamy, almost frozen, yogurt treat. 

Snack: apple at 3:30pm. As long as clinic allows, my snack is at 3:30 pm. I've found setting a snack time helps a lot! If I get hungry around 3pm, I can convince myself to wait 30 more minutes. 3:30 is perfect for me because it provides an hour before we run too! I used to not have an afternoon snack and I would over-eat as soon as I walked in the door after work. Adding this snack has really helped me make it until an appropriate hour for dinner!

Speaking of dinner: My mom's subs were on the menu. JT had his on a bun, but I opted for a Spinach Tortilla to make it slightly lower cal. They are delicious! Ham, provolone cheese, pepperoni, banana peppers, lettuce, and Italian dressing. 

 

The Comedy Club options are less than healthy so JT and I agreed on dinner at home before the show, then sharing an appetizer. We had the Spinach and Artichoke dip, which was an ok version- a little too salty...not too bad though, we finished it! I also drank Blue Moon during the show. Dinner at the show is not pictured because it was really dark in there, but I did get this shot of some of my favorite people!

During the summer, would you rather exercise in the morning or the afternoon?

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RD Times Three

Have you ever wondered what a dietitian eats? What about three of them?

If so, you're in luck! I reached out to my favorite running buddies and dietitians Kathleen and Virginia to show you guys their versions of healthy lifestyles too!

Although we have a lot in common, we all have slightly different situations that contribute to what we eat and the groceries we buy:

• Kathleen lives at home with 3 siblings and her parents.
• Virginia lives with a roommate (in their new home!).
• I live with a boy (I recently had to start buying meat!).

Whatever stage of life you may be in, we hope you can relate. Having 3 food and nutrition experts dishing on their daily meals seems like the best way to make nutrition accessible to everyone. We hope you will find inspiration for your own healthy eating goals. We hope you will realize dietitians are people too and sometimes we drink diet soda and eat cake! We hope you will take things we eat and incorporate them into your own healthy lifestyle.

The more healthy eating blogs I find, the more I read about hemp seeds, vegan, vegetarian, super organic this and that, Paleo, gluten-free and every other food or diet "trend" you can think of. While we are not against any of those things, us three RD's have no dietary restrictions (so no medical reason to avoid gluten), we are active (exercising at least 5-6 times a week), we are on a budget (let's just say we aren't celeb dietitian status), we have a lot of nutrition education (Master's degrees), and believe all food groups can be enjoyed (even dessert from time to time). We hope to share a normal, meat eating, no elimination diet (except sugar sweetened drinks of course!), real life, not breaking the bank, get out and exercise, daily lifestyle that we intentionally create day in and day out. Won't you join us?

Let's start by checking out what Virginia ate Sunday.

I started with delicious and creative Hash Brown, Egg White Nests from SkinnyTaste and rounded the meal out with some fruit with a dollop of Marzetti cream cheese fruit dip.

For lunch, a salad is often a go-to and this one did not disappoint. Salad with mixed greens, apple, craisins, cherry tomatoes, almonds, blue cheese, chopped onion and Ken’s Light Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette salad dressing.  In my opinion the key to a good salad is chopping it up using kitchen shears b/c it helps mix it up and makes it easier to eat. 

Afternoon snack:  Fruit and fruit dip (leftover from breakfast)

Dinner: {not pictured} Whole wheat spaghetti noodles with meat sauce (made with lean beef) + side salad (mixed greens, bell peppers, onions, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, light Swiss cheese (chopped) and light thousand island salad dressing.

As far as exercise and hydration:

I ran 4 miles and walked my sister’s dog for about 20 minutes  (it was so hot!)

I probably drank about 4 liters of water throughout the day and a vitamin water zero.

I had coffee with breakfast and 2 diet cokes throughout the day…lots of caffeine, but we are keeping it real here! Gosh I drink a lot during the day…doesn’t seem like THAT much until I write it down!  
Sometimes we don't realize how much we eat and drink until we actually have to tell someone else about it which is why I would recommend keeping a food diary every once in a while--just to touch base with reality!

Food intake contributed by Virginia Anderson, MS, RD, LD. Keep checking back for more from Virginia!

Share your favorite breakfast below!

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