A Tip from the Dietitian....

HOLIDAY EATING

This is the time of year when most people are busy with all the things that make the holidays special. It’s also the time of year when, for many of us, our goals to eat healthy seem all but forgotten until the New Year comes around. You are likely to be familiar with the standard healthy holiday eating tips. Perhaps these additional tips can also help this holiday season.

1.    Review your past holidays and identify behavior with your food and beverages you’d most like to improve on. Think through a new way to deal with these “problem”  areas.

2.    Eat regular meals, even on those special days… when you arrive at a meal hungry you are much more likely to eat too much.

3.    Focus on the things you “can do” rather than what you “shouldn’t do”…work to find ways to include plenty of healthy fruits and especially nutrient- rich vegetable servings each day.  

4.    Drink plenty of water to help stay hydrated and eliminate the possibility of “confusing” thirst with hunger.

5.    Work to include daily exercise even if all you can work in is a brief 10-15 minutes. You will feel better, and have an opportunity to re-focus on your nutrition goals for the day.

Happy Holidays!!

Recipe: Golden Raisin, Apple and Cinnamon Granola

Granola is a cereal-like combination of dried fruits, grains and nuts. Though it's a good source of protein and fiber, granola can also be high in fat and calories, especially the store-bought varieties. Watch your portion sizes or create your own granola to limit the amount of fat, calories and sugar in each serving.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup slivered almonds
2 cups dry, old-fashioned oatmeal
2 cups bran flakes
3/4 cup dried apple pieces
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup honey or Agave Nectar
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Spread the almonds on the baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, applesauce, vanilla, and cinnamon. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, add the oatmeal and bran flakes. Stir to mix well. Add the honey mixture and toss with your hands. Don't break the clumps apart.
5. Spread the cereal mixture evenly onto a baking sheet. Place in the oven and stirring occasionally, bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
6. In a large bowl, combine the cereal mixture, toasted almonds, apple pieces and raisins. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Nutritional Analysis: Per 1/2 cup serving
Kcal: 163
Carbs: 33g
Total Fat: 2g
Saturated Fat: 0
Monounsaturated Fat: 2g
Cholesterol: 0
Fiber: 4g
Calcium: 27mg
Sodium: 115mg
Potassium: 216mg

Exercise of the Week - Lat Pulldown

The Lat Pulldown is a great exercise and strength training move for the upper back and biceps.  Although the biceps are secondary, they are still involved because any time you FLEX the elbow, the biceps contract.  So, the muscles involved in Lat Pulldown are the Latissimus Dorsi (imagine that??), Rhomboids, Posterior (Rear) Deltoids, and Biceps.
There have been several questions raised as to where you should "pulldown."  Behind the head or not?  I will tell you there is a greater risk of injury involved in a behind the neck Lat Pulldown.  Why is this?  Well, here my little biomechanical  rant...

The NECK is excessively flexed which places great stress on the cervical spine and disks.  The shoulders are stressed because they are placed in an extreme external rotation and a hyper-extended position (i.e. the shoulder-elbow alignment is behind the mid-line of the body).  This stress could contribute to injuries such as shoulder impingement, rotator cuff problems, and anterior shoulder instability.  The Lat is also NOT optimally challenged because the line of pull does not adequately oppose the muscle fibers of the Lats.

Okay, that said, here is the correct approach to a Lat Pulldown:

1.  Place the feet firmly on the floor and hands on the bar, a little wider than the elbows, in an overhang grip.

 

2.  Pull the bar downward slightly, maintaining neutral posture and leaning back at the hips about 20 to 30 degrees (without rounding the back).

3.  Retract and depress the scapula (shoulder blades) and hold throughout the exercise.

4.  Contract the abs and begin movement by contracting the Lats, driving the elbows down toward the floor and back slightly.

5.  Pull the bar toward the upper chest while keeping the trunk from moving back and forth.

6.  Return to the starting position.

And as always....DON'T forget to breathe!!

Till next time....Christie

Yoga Pose....Downward Facing Dog

Adho Mukha Svanasana

(AH-doh MOO-kah shvah-NAHS-anna)

adho = downward

mukha = face

svana = dog

1.  Come onto the floor on your hands and knees.  Set your knees directly below your hips and your hands slightly forward of your shoulders.  Spread your palms, index fingers parallel or slightly turned out, and turn your toes under.

2.  Exhale and lift your knees away from the floor.  At first keep the knees slightly bent and the heels lifted away from the floor.  Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis and press it lightly toward the pubis.  Against this resistance, lift the sitting bones toward the ceiling, and from your inner ankles draw the inner legs up into the groins.

3.  Then with an exhalation, push your top thighs back and stretch your heels onto or down toward the floor.  Straighten your knees but be sure not to lock them.  Firm the outer thighs and roll the upper thighs inward slightly.  Narrow the front of the pelvis.

4.  Firm the outer arms and press the bases of the index fingers actively into the floor.  From these two points lift along your inner arms from the wrists to the tops of the shoulders.  Firm your shoulder blades against your back, then widen them and draw them toward the tailbone.  Keep the head between the upper arms; don't let it hang.

5.  Adho Mukha Svanasana ison of the poses in the traditional Sun Salutation sequence.  It's also an excellent yoga asana all on its own.  Stay in this pose anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes.  Then bend your knees to the floor with an exhilation and rest in Child's Pose.