Who Wants to Be a Billionaire? Supplement Sellers Do!

Do you like to watch quiz shows, see what you know?  I would like to invite you to be a contestant on The Supplement Quiz Show.  So, first of all, do you take vitamins or any type of supplements? If so, you qualify to be on the show.

Behind Door number one is the first set of questions.  Do you NEED to take a supplement, and if so, what do you base that on?  How much you should take and again, if so, what do you base that on?  Do you know if your supplement is safe and again, what do you base that on?

Behind Door number two, is the next big question.  Do you know what the latest figures are for supplement sales?  Take a guess………and the answer is…………..$28 BILLION dollars!  Did you know whomever is convincing you to sell supplements is doing so because the PRICE IS RIGHT, for them that is….a jackpot of money is being made off of you.

Lastly behind door number 3, did you know ALL supplements are NOT inspected or tested for safety.  Supplements are NOT handled like drugs.  Supplements can sound exotic, like raspberry ketones (thanks Dr Oz, the newest hot supplement, where is the science behind that one!!?–I will do another post on this).  Supplements can be vitamins or minerals, or  bee pollen, snake oil, geranium, it is an unending list.    The FDA can only step in once harm has been suspected. That is just the way the rules work…for example, AFTER ephedra killed  some folks, the FDA banned it.

Supplements are a pet peeve of mine, can you tell?  It is not that I never recommend supplements, I do.  When you might ask?  If someone is iron deficient, I recommend iron based on blood tests from a physician.  If someone is vegan, I recommend B12 supplements because their diet will not supply the amount needed.  If someone cannot take in enough calcium, I recommend a calcium supplement for bone health.  I do recommend Vitamin D supplementation and omega 3 supplementation for most people as the best of diets can not supply the amount needed.  But I also explain credible sources to show you where to buy supplements and how to know if they are safe or not. I also DO NOT sell supplements and that keeps my advice neutral, not biased.   But the science, the facts, do NOT prove that “supplements”   can cure your arthritis, give you a ripped six pack of abs, make your hair shiny, your skin blemish free, your stomach flat, or make you lose weight effortlessly.

I got a phone call yesterday from a company who is of course so excited to partner with me.  They will give me some gadget to test the urine of my clients and based on the urine, they can FORMULATE  (and sell) the exact supplement that is right for you, imagine that!  GOBBLEDEGOOK!!!!  Since when do we test the urine for vitamin and mineral status of the body?   If I had just lowered my scruples along time ago, EVERY TIME a supplement sales company wanted me to sell their supplement, I could have hit the jackpot!   Ok, enough of my rantings.  Here is your prize for playing my game.  Watch this video from Dateline, I really think you will have your eyes opened.  It is well worth your time to protect your health and your loved ones.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032600/vp/46786929#46786929

 

 

 

 

 

Is it Possible to Eat Healthy on the Road?

Ashley Acornley, MS, RD, LDN

Absolutely!  In fact, throughout my latest adventure to the west coast, I was making a conscious effort to choose healthy options, and it turned out to be so much easier than I thought! Last week, my Mom and I went to visit my brother in Los Angeles California for the week. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree in film and during his spring break we decided to take a family vacation together. Although we did eat out a lot, I made a conscious effort to choose healthy options. I also made an effort to make meals and snacks at my brother’s apartment, and to pack some healthy snacks for the plane ride. Most importantly, I made sure that I took time to exercise every morning, despite the huge jetlag that I was experiencing! Here are some great take-away tips that I discovered while eating on the road:

1.  Pack a few snacks for the long plane/car ride:

This is my number ONE rule, no matter where I am traveling to or how I am getting to my destination. Packing healthy, portable snacks is the best way to satisfy your hunger instead of stopping at fast food joints and chain restaurants along the way. Instead, pack some portable snacks that are appealing to you- for instance, I usually pack trail mix, peanut butter crackers, protein bars, and dried fruit.

2.  Bring some portable breakfast options:

I also like to bring some small Quaker oatmeal packets and instant coffee in case I cannot find a healthy breakfast option in sight. All it takes is a little hot water to have a healthy breakfast and fuel your day!

3.  Take a trip to the grocery store:

When you reach your final destination, stop at the nearest grocery store and stock up on some healthy staples for your rental home or hotel room. For instance, my family stopped at the Super Target and purchased some greek yogurt, trail mix, peanut butter, bananas, and mixed greens to munch on throughout the week.

4.  Choose salad with all the healthy fixings:

When heading out to a restaurant, be sure to order at least a side salad, or choose a big leafy green salad for an entrée. Some salads can be surprisingly loaded with calories, so be sure to ask for dressing on the side. Also, choose a salad that is chock full of leafy greens, non-starchy veggies, and lean protein! For instance, I chose a grilled veggie burger on top of mixed greens while at the Cheesecake Factory.

5.  Skip the bread basket:

When you know that you are going to be eating out often while on vacation, try to take some small steps along the way to cut calories. One way to do this is to skip the bread basket at the beginning of the meal. Although the bread is delicious, wouldn’t you rather save your calories for another meal, drink, or dessert later on in the week?

6.  Don’t be overly restrictive:

Keep in mind that you are on vacation, and that it is more important to enjoy quality time with your friends and family rather than focus on counting calories. It is perfectly okay to indulge in a treat or two, but try to compensate for those added calories in other ways. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my glass of white wine or my slice of cheesecake, but I made sure to order a salad or an entrée from the lighter side of the menu.

7.  Exercise!

In my opinion, this is one of the most important components of weight maintenance while on vacation. Exercise is the best way to burn calories, stay in shape, and feel great while traveling. This extra calorie burn can allow for a little extra wiggle room in your diet. Exercise can come in any form, whether you are hitting the gym, going for a nature walk, taking a stroll while doing your shopping, renting bikes to sight see, or scuba diving in the ocean. Have fun while working out on vacation!

And remember, if you need a personal trainer I can help you with a simple email plan or live in person!  And since I am a registered dietitian too, we can talk nutrition while you exercise!  Are you ready?  If so, let’s go!  email me at ashley@trianglediet.com
or call 919-876-9779 to get started.  Go to the Services link to read more information about personal training packages.

Vacation Food

We have had a lot going on in our family and we just needed to get out of town and take a breather.  We went to Myrtle Beach for a few nites and thought I would share with you just how I eat while on “vacation.”  First of all, if you want to “look up” to a dietitian and learn how to eat perfectly, I strongly encourage that you click out of my blog right this second!  I am the first to tell you and my clients, that eating perfectly is NOT the goal, it is not what I do, nor do I ever expect my clients to do so.  I do try to eat healthy most of the time, even on “vacation” but it is not a rigid plan that I follow.

First of all, the weekend was a little interesting, not sure I could call it a vacation which is why I put it in quotation marks, but for the MOST PART, I try to eat the same when out of town as I do in town. I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, I usually snack some too.

Breakfast on our trip…, well that is where it got interesting. We were traffic locked, there was a massive car show going on that we were totally unaware of, and you could not get ANYWHERE to eat. That was coupled with our hotel had no food…or coffee (which is part of why I gave the quotation marks around vacation…no coffee??????? Their Starbucks closed at 9 a.m…!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)  So Saturday I really did not eat breakfast, which breaks a cardinal craving…not a rule but a craving…I LOVE BREAKFAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  On Sunday, we ate brunch at a buffet…car show was done, thank goodness. I ate southwestern scrambled eggs, a small spoonful of hash browns, picked at some bacon munching on the crunchy part, ate a huge plate of honeydew, canteloupe, grapes, 1/2 waffle with syrup (not whole wheat) and COFFEE!!  I bypassed cheesy grits, buttery grits, gravy looking grits and some other unidentifiable grits, pecan rolls, pastry, danish, another danish, biscuits, sausage patties and sausage links.  I was full, happy, did not feel deprived and again, I had some hot coffee!!!!  I usually drink half decaf, and half regular, for me it is not the caffeine kick as much as  it is the smell and the taste that I crave in the morning!

Throughout the weekend I had oranges and popcorn as that was all I had with me.  I was a little lazy in my packing, thought for just the two of us, I could pick up what we needed when we got there. Again, the place we stayed (a Hilton..) did not have any food eateries and there really was nothing nearby,  and traffic was at a crawl. Saturday afternoon I told, no, probably whined to the front desk, that I was hungry!!! They encouraged me to go to the mini mart a few blocks down. We scurried over there, and after no breakfast, nothing for lunch, at 2:30 I told hubbie I will eat a hot dog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We found hot, fresh steamed hot dog rolls but no hot dogs!  So I  purchased a small bag of peanuts and a granola bar for lunch.

For dinner, one nite we ate at Dirty Don’s. I had some spinach, artichoke and crab dip with tortilla chips, a Michelob Ultra, a crab cake, and a baked potato with sour cream.  It was um……ok…. did not eat all of it.   The next nite we ate a Sea Captains, www.seacaptains.com. We read that it was written up in Southern Living.  Ok, so I sort of expected it to taste good.  It  was, in fact, one of the best meals we have ever had…everything was delicious…!  Had a glass of Chardonnay in the backyard sitting on a rock, looking and listening to waves while waiting to be seated. Ordered a cup of She Crab Soup for an appetizer, had a delicious fresh salad with Blue Cheese on the side, had a piece of salmon, baked potato and steamed veggies.   Hubbie kept commenting on the hush puppies, not something I usually enjoy but ate 3 hush puppies, they were unique, honestly very yummy!!!

Next trip is to Baltimore, Hyatt, Inner Harbor.  Please tell me you have coffee and food?

 

Is High-Intensity Interval Training a Time-Efficient and Effective Exercise Strategy?

Ashley Acornley, MS, RD, LDN

             When I was a college student studying nutrition and kinesiology at Penn State University, I spent much of my time at the University Fitness Centers, where I gained experience working as a fitness trainer for three years. During this time, our school taught its fitness trainers about high intensity interval training (HIT) and the important role that it can play in an athlete’s or active individual’s life. Although this was a whole new way of looking at exercise to me, I quickly noticed as I began my training program at Penn State that my fitness level improved and my body composition changed drastically. Today, group fitness classes, bootcamps, p90x videos, and Crossfit are now popular HIT workouts. It is a more intense way to exercise, but for those who are looking to get fit and change your body composition in a short amount of time, this form of exercise may be for you!

High intensity interval training (HIT) is a form of exercise that is characterized by brief, intermittent bursts of vigorous and intense activity, followed by short periods of rest or low-intensity exercise. The type of exercises you can include in a HIT workout can vary, but any way you look at it, HIT can serve as an effective alternative to traditional endurance training or weight lifting. If you are looking for a new challenge, a way to squeeze a workout into your busy lifestyle, or a way to break through a fitness plateau, this is the workout for you!

Recent studies have discovered superior changes in physiological, performance, and health-related markers in both healthy and diseased populations.  This type of training stimulates a different physiological response compared to moderate intensity cardio or weight lifting routines. The benefit of HIT includes a shorter time commitment and reduced total exercise volume utilized. The most popular HIT study to date is the Wingate Test, which consists of several 30-second maximal cycling effort swith a short time for recovery in-between. Experts in this field claim that as little as three sessions per week of HIT induces improvements in cardiovascular and skeletal adaptations similar to several hours per week of continuous moderate training. In addition, research has found that low-volume HIT was effective and well-tolerated by patients with medical conditions. For instance, as little as two weeks of HIT reduced blood glucose levels after meals and increased insulin sensitivity in patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Please be advised that HIT is extremely demanding on the body, and may not be safe, tolerable, or appealing for some individuals. This form of exercise should be performed by individuals who have started a basic exercise regimen and have contacted their physicians about beginning a new exercise program.  A typical HIT program is designed with 10×60-second exercise bouts at a constant high intensity (90% of maximal heart rate), interspersed with 60 seconds of recovery. This protocol is very time efficient and should only take 10 minutes to complete. It not only challenges your cardiovascular system but increases your lean body mass as well, which burns a ton of calories!

Although research has shown the benefits of starting a HIT exercise program, more large-scale studies are needed to resolve whether HIT is truly a safe and realistic alternative to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases or improve health and well-being in patients with chronic diseases. If you are interested in including this type of training into your fitness regimen, contact Triangle Nutrition Therapy today! If you are looking for a quick and effective 30-minute workout to incorporate into your busy day, we have the solution for you! I offer personal training, either in person or on line.  Just go to “Services” and see what I offer or contact me directly at ashley@trianglediet.com and I will be happy to help you.

 

Easier Steps to Conquer New Year’s Resolutions

So here we are, February, how are your New Year’s Resolutions holding up?  This year, I didn’t make any at all.  Not that there are not things I can’t improve in my life, but I am so over the idea of “starting over” every year.  Especially when it comes to diets….Every New Year, people vow to lose weight, and here we go again, what’s the newest diet craze that everyone will hop on this year….I am all over the motto, “stop dieting and start living.”  One of the definitions of diet is “food habitually eaten.”

So how is your diet?  NO, not your weight, your DIET?  Are you on the road to better health and healthier eating this year?   It does not take January 1st to make this happen!  And…it is a little easier than you might think. I went to a conference last year and learned one of the best tips ever for helping people make change.  It is very direct, very simple and it works.   It is your “inside voice.”  What does your inside voice say to you when you attempt to change?  Does it say things like ” I can’t, I won’t , I should , I shouldn’t,  I need to, I know better..”  The simple step you can make is use the words  an excited bride to be says when her fiance gets down on one knee and presents her with a glimmering ring…it is the words “I WILL.”  It is that easy.  You have a lot of practice with this already, for example,  “I will go to work,” “I will mow the grass,” ” I will do the dishes.”  The “I will” mentality is focused, full of determination, action, and accountability.  This cute couple is actually my oldest son and his fiance in December 2011.

On December 23, 2011, she said “I WILL,” and on January 14, 2012, they DID.