New Year, New You: 5 Ways to Start Your Day, Change Your Life!

New Year, New You: 5 Ways to Start Your Day, Change Your Life!

By: Allison D. Salibian, B.S., CPT January, 2015

I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions, but I start with several intentions.  Family and faith are at the top of my list, and fitness is too.  I intend to start my days better, so I can make some improvements to (and maintain) my nutrition and health this year.  Here are 5 of my intentions for 2015 mornings:

1.) Sleep ½ hour longer.  I waste a lot of time before bed and in the morning.  If I manage my time a little bit better, then I can get in at least 30 min. more sleep.  Recent sleep studies suggest that adding even a half hour to your night’s sleep can help women eat less (and/or make healthier food choices) throughout the day.  They suggest hormones play a key role in triggering hunger and cravings.  They may be speculative, but it’s worth a try: sleep more, eat less/better.

2.) Soak in some Sun.  Open the curtains and draw your blinds as soon as you can, and try to step outside (i.e. take out the trash, get the paper, sweep the porch. The sudden onset of UV light has a mood-altering, energizing effect.  A recent study found that people who got a dose of daily sunshine had lower BMIs (body mass index:  a measure of relative size based on the mass and height of an individual) than those who stayed in the dark. Researchers postulate that morning rays help synch up your body clock so your metabolism gets fired up.

3.) Pack in the Protein.  Complex carbs alone won't give you the kick that a protein-carb combo can. Approximately a 50% carb, 30% protein, 20% fat ratio what will make you feel full and promote steady blood-sugar levels, say many registered dieticians. Easy ideas: egg whites and whole-grain, high fiber toast or Greek yogurt, granola and fruit parfait.

4.) Get Hydrated Early in the Day. Eating solid food helps fill you up, but also hydrating with a tall glass of water in the morning will flush out the bloat and help you [process your food better.  It takes about 24 oz. of water to help process a pound of food, so if you want to actually process what you’re eating, you MUST drink, too.

5.) Pack Snacks.  It is important to be prepared for the day, so one of the ways to stay ahead of the game is to actually put in the effort and pack a snack.  Choose options with at least 20 g of protein, 5 g of fiber, low-sugar, low salt and plenty of veggies.  Eat one piece of fruit before 4 p.m., and lay off the sugar of any kind after that.  If you’ve given yourself enough to much on during the day, you won’t be running to the ice cream shop or grabbing a sugary soda to quench those cravings. 

What Have I done?! 5 Ways to Reverse Holiday Bloat

What Have I done?!  5 Ways to Reverse Holiday Bloat

By: Allison D. Salibian, B.S., CPT 

December, 26, 2015

Most of us ate way more calories from food, drinks and dessert during our holiday celebrations than we should have to maintain our current weight.  We may have also tried new foods made by others or eaten packaged/processed foods.  Here are some of my professional methods to beat the bloat!

1.) Don’t be Defeated.  Having a positive attitude and being optimistic about making ANY change in your life can be even more effective than the “placebo effect”.  Simply by believing you can change your behaviors, even your personality, you can achieve success in your goals.  According to a paper in the June, 2014 issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology by Yeager, et al., if you set out at the beginning of a certain process [such as weight loss or weight maintenance], you will be more victorious if you have confidence that you will accomplish that goal.   

2.) Drink lots of Water.  Most of what we all ate over this season was super tasty, and that was most likely due to added salt and sugar.  You will need to flush those molecules out of your body, so they don’t cause you to retain MORE water. The American Heart Association suggests that you drink a minimum of 1 ounce of water for each pound of body weight to flush out extra sodium. If you weigh 160 pounds, you will need to drink at least 160 ounces of water, or 20 glasses, in which one glass is 8 ounces. Sip the water over a period of time rather than guzzling it all at once.

3.) Cut the Salt.  Sodium causes the body to retain fluid – a common cause of bloating. The American Heart Association suggests that only 1,500-2,300 milligrams of sodium should be consumed per day, but the average American takes in nearly 3,400 milligrams daily.  Holiday meals are estimated to contain about 3,000 milligrams per meal (incl. soda and dessert).  So, from now on, make your own meals – no frozen meals -- only add a pinch of salt when cooking, and don’t add salt to already prepared food.

4.) Pop a Probiotic.  Sometimes bloating can be caused by an imbalance of the bacteria in your intestines, especially if you have taken antibiotics recently, explains Sita Chokhavatia, MD, a gastroenterologist at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. Probiotics can help restore the bacterial balance, but not all brands have proven that they work: Bifidobacterium infantis is the only probiotic strain that studies show relieves GI symptoms, such as bloating, a Northwestern University review found. Dr. Chokhavatia recommends trying a two-week course to see if it helps.

5.) Fine-tune your fiber.  Many breads and cereals are advertised as being high in fiber, which should be good for your digestive system, right? Not always. Certain products add fiber in the form of chicory root, or inulin, which is harder to digest. In fact, people who eat large amounts of inulin (10 grams) at one time end up experiencing more gas and bloating than those who eat less, researchers at the University of Minnesota in Saint Paul found. Your best bet: Get your fiber from fruits and vegetables and whole-grain rice, pasta, and bread rather than from packaged high-fiber products. 

5 Ways to Avoid Weight Gain over the Holidays

As a fitness professional and busy housewife/mom, I often find it hard to “practice what I preach”, with regards to my nutrition.  A lot of us moms are on-the-go most of the day and rarely leave time for proper meal planning and drinking enough water, let alone sitting down to eat.  Now that the holidays are upon us, there is the added busyness of decorating, shopping, wrapping, hosting, partying, etc. (not to mention vacations/travel).

I just went on vacation with my family, and though I’m all about fitness, I’m still a normal person who likes to eat delicious meals and desserts and try the cuisine of new and exciting places!  Nevertheless, I did try to follow 5 simple rules to help me avoid weight gain during my trip, and I intend to follow them throughout the holiday season.

So, whether you’re staying in town for the holidays, traveling to someone else’s home or going on a vacation, I’ve put together explanations of my top 5 ways to avoid weight gain over the holidays:

1. Stave off overeating with water.  Drink at least 8 oz. of water before every meal, no matter whether it is a snack or a full meal.  Filling your belly with liquid will help send signals to your brain that you are full, so you will most likely avoid over-indulging.  Try iced tea or flavored zero-calorie water, if you get tired of plain water.  It’s better to be consistent in drinking prior to meals than to give up because you’re sick of water.                                                                                                                                          
2. Pack protein into your snack time to remain satiated.  I’m sure you’ve all heard that protein keeps you satisfied.  But how much actually does the trick?  Recent studies have indicated that you need at least 10 grams of protein with each snack to make it a satisfying, hunger-defeating snack.  Try one of the following: low-sugar Greek yogurt, a low-sugar protein bar (Think Thin, B-Up, Quest, Atkins Brand meal bars), 2 hard-boiled eggs, or a low fat cheese stick wrapped in turkey.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
   
3. Eat a small meal before heading to a party.  In keeping with the above trends, eat a protein-packed, low sugar, low sodium snack before you go to an event where most of the food or goodies will be hard to resist.  You should be less tempted to over-indulge if you aren’t hungry (kind of like the rule, “Never go to the grocery store on an empty stomach.”                                                
4. Sit down while eating.  Many reputable studies have shown that a major factor in overeating is how/when you eat.  If you practice sitting down every time you eat a snack or a meal (and that doesn’t mean eating in the car after pulling through a drive thru), you are most likely going to think twice about whether or not you have time for a snack.  If you have to find time to sit down to eat, then you can’t possibly eat as often as you would if you held a burger or sandwich and ate on the go.  Equally true, if you sit down to eat, you are more aware of your tummy, how full it actually is, how much it hangs over your pants, and how uncomfortable you are when you overeat.                                                                                                                                                                                
   
5. Take a hike!  I would be remiss as a personal trainer and nutritionist if I didn’t stress the importance of exercise.  You probably will overeat, or eat the wrong types of foods (processed carbohydrates, refined sugars, fatty foods, high salt content) because they are just so darn delicious or good to look at.  So, make part of your get-togethers active: an after-dinner walk, a hike with friends, a bike ride with the kids.  Burn off some of those foods you didn’t resist, and make activity more of a priority each day as you get closer to your New Year’s resolution.