Healthy Alternatives

I feel like I am kind of cheating with my post today - because I am just posting something that I found in a textbook. This is actually from my professor's textbook which I have spent the month of June editing and creating multiple choice questions for, to be used for a certification exam. In fact it is due tomorrow, which is why I haven't had much time to post anything else this week!

For the month of July, Fit Britt will be focusing on the three main macronutrients: Carbohydrate, Protein, and Fat (one each week). We will review details of the good and the bad varieties, why you need them, what quantities you should consume, what happens if you consume too much of that specific nutrient, etc. The last week in July we will be prepared for a "Food for Fuel Challenge." Using all of the information we collect throughout the month, we'll see if we can go a full week eating only the foods that our body thrives on for energy and metabolic processes.

So... let this be a little "appetizer." This is a pretty interesting chart to see how many calories are in certain foods, and in the right column you can get an idea of how much healthy / nutrient-dense food you could eat to fulfill the same number of calories. Pretty impressive!

High Energy-Dense Food Item	Calorie Amount	Low Energy-dense foods for similar calories
1 bottle (20 ounces) regular soft drink	250	1 bottle (20 oz) Diet Soft-drink + 1 medium apple + 1 oz string cheese + 2 square graham crackers
Starbucks Grande (16 ounces) café latte	260	10 oz brewed coffee + 6 oz steamed skim milk + 1 cup whole grain breakfast cereal (flakes) + ½ cup skim milk + 1 cup cantaloupe
1 slice Pizza Hut Pan pizza, pepperoni	400	2 slices thin-crust cheese pizza + large garden salad w/ 2 Tbsp light Ranch dressing
1 Blueberry Muffin from Coffee Shop	430	1 blueberry English muffin, toasted w/ 2 tsp butter & 1 Tbsp sugar-free jam + 2 oz grilled ham + 1 cup melon + 6 oz sugar-free vanilla yogurt
1 Chicken breast , fried (KFC)	440	1 grilled chicken breast (KFC) + 1 medium baked potato topped with fat-free sour cream & salsa + 1 cup steamed veggies + 1 small dinner roll with1 tsp butter
1 large glazed doughnut	302	1 English muffin w/ 1 Tbsp sugar-free jam + ½ cup egg substitute, scrambled w/ ¼ cup each: spinach, mushrooms, onions, salsa, & ½ oz cheese + ½ grapefruit
4-inch cinnamon-raisin bagel with 2 tablespoons cream cheese	450	2 slices cinnamon-raisin toast + 1 Tbsp reduced-fat cream cheese + 2 tsp jam + 1 cup sliced strawberries + 6 oz container light vanilla yogurt
1 snack bag (3 ounces) nacho-flavored tortilla chips	424	Nachos made with: 2 oz baked tortilla chips topped w/ ¼ cup salsa, ¼ cup fat-free black beans, ½ oz reduced-fat cheddar cheese, & 2 tbsp fat-free sour cream
2 cups chocolate ice cream	572	2 cup fat-free, sugar-free chocolate frozen yogurt + ½ cup blueberries + 2 tbsp non-fat whipped + 1 cup reduced-fat hot cocoa made with water
1 8 oz serving of vanilla yogurt	230	1 8 oz serving sugar-free vanilla yogurt + 2 cups strawberries + 2 reduced-fat fig bars
Garden salad + 2 tablespoons of ranch dressing	150	Garden salad w/ 2 Tbsp fat-free ranch dressing + 1½ cups fruit dipped 2 Tbsp sugar-free chocolate syrup
1 package of peanut butter crackers	247	1½ oz pretzels + 2 cups celery sticks & sliced pepper strips + ¼ cup hummus
1 small milkshake (10 ounces)	382	Root beer float with ½ cup frozen vanilla yogurt & Diet Root beer + 2 cups sliced mixed fruit topped with 2 Tbsp fat-free whipped topping + 3 vanilla wafer cookies
1 piece (1/8th of a 9” diameter) cherry pie	390	1 large apple sprinkled with sugar-alternative, cinnamon, “baked” in microwave and topped with ½ cup light vanilla yogurt + 1 oz animal crackers
1 Wendy’s Old Fashioned hamburger	270	1½ cups chicken, rice & vegetable soup + garden salad topped with 2 Tbsp fat-free Italian dressing + 2 oz grilled chicken + ½ oz crackers
1 small McDonald’s French fry	271	1 medium baked potato topped with salsa, broccoli + fat-free sour-cream + 2 Tbsp shredded cheese + 1 cup skim milk

Table taken from "Exercise and Sport Nutrition; Principles, Promises, Science, Recommendations" by Kreider, Leutholtz, Katch and Katch.

What healthy alternatives can you try today?

Have a HEALTHY day!

~Fit Britt

Shaking Things Up

The lab I work in, the Exercise and Sport Nutrition lab, does a lot of research dealing with exercise and supplementation for weight loss, health improvements, and also athletic performance. For the majority of our studies, we encourage our participants to consume a high protein diet rather than a high carbohydrate diet. Not Atkins-style, just 45% calories from Protein, 30% from Carbohydrates and 25% from Fat. I try to follow this diet myself, and it doesn't take long before I become bored chicken breasts and beans. You soon realize, on a higher protein diet, that it is convenient to get some of your protein source from supplements and shakes.

While there are higher protein (and not as tasty) shakes out there that you might be more interested in if you are doing heavy weight lifting and muscle building, I have found a shake mix that I ABSOLUTELY look forward to having every day. It is called Vi-Shape by Visalus Sciences. (You can click the link to see the nutritional information). Not only does it have a decent amount of protein (especially if you mix it with milk) but it also contains a lot of vitamins and minerals. You may have heard of the Body by Vi challenge, where you use a shake as a meal replacement each day as part of a weight loss protocol. I personally like to use the same shakes as an afternoon snack, or after a workout. They are great whatever your goals are!

There is only one flavor of the mix, Sweet Cream, and it tastes like cake batter! Plus, there are tons of great recipes out there so you never have to drink the same shake twice! I like mixing in frozen fruit and/or sugar free chocolate pudding mix, yum! I always use skim milk to add more protein, but you could use water or soy milk. Check out a large list of possible recipes!
AND I treated myself to my new favorite item: The Magic Bullet. I bought it at Bed, Bath & Beyond for $40 (they were selling it for $10 off) PLUS a $10 mail-in rebate. Not a bad deal in the end. So far I have only used it for my Vi Shakes, but there are lots of great recipes for making salsas, guacamole, anything you want to blend or puree, and even frozen beverages!

I am not a consultant for Visalus, nor do I intend to become one. I purchase my shake mix through a friend (and got a discount for signing up for an auto-monthly ship that I can cancel at any time, even after one shipment). On the autoship it is $49 for a month supply. If you are local and want a taste I'd be happy to whip one up for you or give you a little bag of powder! If you think you might want to try it out, you can order your own bag here (and click "Join the Challenge)! If I refer 3 people, I get a month supply free... and you can too if you do the same!

Have a HEALTHY day!

~Fit Britt

A Fit Bit of Inspiration

At the end of every yoga class, as we are finishing our meditation, I read a quote. I found a great little quote book called "The Daily Book of Positive Quotations" by Linda Picone. I get a lot of positive feedback about many of the quotes in this book, but the one I read last night really spoke to me and a couple of my fellow yogis. It is very applicable to what we discussed last week regarding accountability (in training, work projects, whatever), so I wanted to share it with you:

"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club" ~Jack London

Author's comments: Some artists wait to be struck, like lightening, by inspiration and then follow the inspiration wherever it leads. Others simply get up everyday and go to work. They write until they've produced a certain number of words. They draw until they've completed a certain number of sketches. These artists don't wait for inspiration, they work. And work. And work. And eventually, inspiration makes an appearance.

Self Reflection: I sometimes use lack of inspiration as an excuse for not doing things I say I love. Today I'm going to go ahead and do what I love and not wait to be inspired. If I have to, I'll make my own inspiration.

This really spoke to me regarding my personal fitness, my blogging, and especially my school projects. I hope it speaks to you as well... perhaps even inspires you!

Have a HEALTHY day!

~Fit Britt