Guest Blogger: Cole Millen on Tips for Staying Healthy on Vacation

Cole Millen is an avid traveler and foodie who never forgets that life's best memories are made through real life apprehension of legitimate "experiences." Some people plan a trip to "get away," while others realize benefit of adding something greater to their current repertoire of knowledge, thought and emotion. Through my writings, I hope to influence the earlier, and connect with the latter.

Tips For Staying Healthy on Vacation

Before going on vacation, many people work for weeks and weeks trying to lose a few pounds. They amp up their exercise routine and start to eat healthier, only to foil all of that hard work the second they get to their destination. Vacations do not have to be diet disaster areas. This doesn't mean that you have to be restrictive, though! There are many ways to enjoy your vacation without packing on the pounds!

Airport Survival:

The airport can be a diet disaster area. The key to avoiding high calorie and unhealthy foods at the airport and while flying is to arrive prepared. Before you head to the airport, look online to see what types of food kiosks will be in your terminal. Many fast food chains have their nutrition facts listed online. This will allow you to figure out a good choice before you arrive!

You can also pack your own healthy snacks. No sugar added dried fruit, high protein and fiber bars and unsalted nuts make for great snacks that will provide you with energy and keep you satiated throughout your long flight!

Hotel Tips:

If your hotel room has a mini bar, you'll want to avoid some of the higher calorie choices such as candy and chips. These days, many hotel mini bars offer healthy snacks such as raisins or nuts but if this is not the case, why not locate a nearby convenience or grocery store where you can stock up on your own healthy snacks? Pick up granola bars, skim cheeses, and fruit. Many hotels offer complimentary breakfast. This is a great time to load up on healthy foods such as fruits and egg white omelettes. Skip the muffins and bagels and opt for a piece of whole-wheat toast with peanut butter or a low fat yogurt parfait.

One of the most pivotal parts of a healthy vacation is to ensure that your hotel offers the appropriate amenities and services that will allow you to maintain your healthy lifestyle. I have found that a little due-diligence goes a long way in this regard. On my last trip to the west coast, I found a great site that offered reviews for Las Vegas hotels on every aspect imaginable. Not only did it list the offerings and amenities that the hotel had, it also listed reviews for restaurants in the surrounding area. This made it easier than ever to remain both nutritious and delicious in and out of the hotel.

Restaurant Ordering:

Restaurants can be tricky. First and foremost, it’s important to know that you can find a healthy meal even if you are staying in a buffet ridden area. It is very important to analyze the menu and find the best options.Many foods that seem relatively healthy can be cooked in excess oil or butter. If you are going out to eat you want to be able to enjoy yourself. You don't have to stick to salad without dressing. For instance portion control, a great trick is to order an appetizer as an entree. If you decide to order an entree, ask your waiter to pack up half to go before he brings your plate to the table. That way, you will even have something to snack on when you get back to your hotel room.

Cooking Healthy during the Holidays

One of the most challenging tasks during the holidays is trying to cook a delicious meal that is healthy. There are many things that can be done in regards to food preparation that your guests don't have to know about to make simple or complex dishes that much healthier.

Recipe substitutions are a great way to execute healthy eating. These things can decrease things such as bad fats (saturated and trans fat) and increase beneficial things like fiber. How can we bake our favorite cake and improve it's nutritional quality? How can we make that casserole and not feel so guilty about what we are eating? Below are few basic steps you can take towards preparing healthier meals during the upcoming holiday season.

1. Lowering sodium content
Things such as casseroles, sauces and other dishes usually require canned products these products tend to be high in sodium. Think of sodium as a preservative, the things that last the longest on your shelf are usually the things that are highest in sugar and salt. Salt (sodium) as we know tends to hold onto water and can increase water weight and weight in general, so when cooking try some of these tips:

• Choose low sodium sauces, beans, canned soups and broths
• Ditch the salt shaker and use more herbs and spices for flavor
• Thoroughly rinse canned beans or products (whether low sodium or not)

2. Lowering bad fat content
One common misunderstanding among consumers is fat content in foods. There are 2 different types of fat- bad fat (saturated fat and trans fat) and good fat (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats). One way to know if a food is bad for you is by looking at the nutrition facts label. Is the food high in bad fat? Is so, it is not the best choice. If a food say 6g of fat but only .5g are from bad from and the rest from the good kind, it is a better choice. Therefore educating yourself on the familiar fat terms are very important because the good fats are essential for weight management and heart health so just because a food is high in fat doesn't mean it is the bad fat- read the labels.

How can we decrease bad fats in recipes without jeopardizing the good fats? Try these:

• Choose leaner meats
• Choose ground turkey over ground beef, or mix the two together to compromise
• Choose less butter and more olive oil
• Choose low-fat dairy products (cheeses, milks, etc.)
• Use greek yogurt instead of sour cream, mayo and cream cheese
• Use a can of diet soda of seltzer when preparing boxed cakes or cupcakes instead of oil and eggs) *1 box cake mix + 12 oz. can soda

3. Decreasing calories
Baking during the holidays is very popular. Most people think that for these two months they will have to give up eating healthy just to make their favorite cake, pie, and other baked goods. But baking healthy is not that difficult when you know how to do it. Here are some helpful tips in baking healthier sweets:

Instead of flour try...
- Black bean puree (decreases refined sugars and increases the fiber content); can make a cup-for-cup substitution
EXAMPLE: 1 cup black bean puree instead of 1 cup flour

- Whole Wheat flour (increases fiber) ; cup-for-cup substitution
- Almond flour

Cut down sugar by...
- Unsweetened applesauce (decreases calories substantially); cut the sugar in half and then add 1/4 cup to that measurement for applesauce
EXAMPLE: 1/2 cup sugar + 3/4 cup applesauce instead of 1 cup sugar
*Consider cutting down the main liquid by 1/4 cup

- Vanilla extract (decreases calories substantially); cut the sugar in half and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
EXAMPLE: 1/2 cup sugar + 1 tsp. vanilla extract instead of 1 cup sugar


Cut down butter by...
- Mashed banana (decreases calories substantially and provides beneficial nutrients); cup-for-cup substitution; consider decreasing baking time
*Watch what you are baking to make sure it is not overcooking

- Mashed avocado; can provide a green tint to recipes but is high in the good fat and can increase nutrient density of foods. 


Check out this website for other great recipe substitutions that help you in the food preparation process: http://greatist.com/health/healthy-recipe-substitutions/

Other tips when cooking:

- Drain ground meats of fat and rinse thoroughly

- Remove the skin from all meats (very high in bad fats)

- Use fresh/ frozen fruit and vegetables over canned

- Familiarize yourself with high sodium terms (canned, cured, broth, MSG, pickled)

- Read nutrition facts labels and always look at the serving size

- Bake, steam and broil over frying

- Drink in moderation (1 drink/ day for women and 2 drinks/day for men)

- Choose red wine over white wine

Remember from shopping to preparing and eating the food are all apart of the cooking process. Make sure to shop wisely so you can eat healthy because little difference can make our favorite holiday dishes better. If you are really up for a challenge try some new recipes this year that are nutritious and delicious! Cooking during the holidays is a tradition in many homes. Food is what brings families together during this time of year. Eating healthy is not a chore, and not impossible to achieve when cooking. Teaching your family how to eat healthier is something that can be passed down to their families later, so don't give up eating healthy. Remember, eating during the holidays can be just as delicious and fun when making better choices.

Guest Blogger Alex Kerwin on: Alcohol and Drug Addiction- Nutrition

Alex Kerwin works closely with Treatment Centers to help raise awareness of the dangers of addiction. He has helped many Americans battle addiction and strives to provide treatment options for those in need.

Alcohol and Drug Addiction – Nutrition

Recovering alcoholics encounter different challenges as they pursue a new path of sobriety. Some alcoholics have a tendency to engage in other types of destructive, compulsive behavior when substance abuse problems are dropped. Some substitute behavior like eating for alcohol and drug addiction. Here are some nutritional guidelines that are conducive to a healthy recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.

Every alcoholic has to manage their recovery process on a daily basis. One important aspect of the healing process is stress management. Certain stressful events can trigger relapse or binge episodes in eating. This is why some experts speak of the importance of improved coping skills and stress management techniques. The proper stress management techniques make it easier for the person to properly manage nutrition.

In alcohol and drug addiction, learning the basics of meal planning is essential. When people begin the recovery process, having complete control over the diet may mean a lot of responsibility for some who have trouble controlling certain urges. Some foods behave differently in the body. The wrong combinations of foods can trigger the reward centers of the brain in the same manner that alcohol or drugs once did. This could put the recovering addict in danger of developing an addiction to food. Mastering the meal planning basics at the earlier stages makes it easier for the person to maintain a healthy diet when eating.

Junk food and other processed foods should be eliminated from the diet altogether. Part of the healing process requires creating a healthy mental environment for the person to fully engage in the recovery process. To many, this may mean eliminating junk food and certain foods that may create mood imbalances within the person. These foods can trigger additional food craving in some people and can ultimately impede a person on the way to making a full recovery.

Individuals should incorporate the proper balance of foods to maintain a nutritional diet. Some patients may be good candidates for supplements. In addition to supplements, nutritious foods high in protein and healthy carbohydrates all help manage cravings in recovering alcoholics. Mood swings are better managed with the right combinations of food.

Stress management and meal planning basics are critical to the healing process for recovering alcoholics and drug addicts. Eliminating certain foods and improving the quality of diet promotes emotional well-being. Nutrition plays a significant role in recovery for drug addicts and alcoholics.

Happy 1st Birthday Dietitian Ambition!

   For the 1st birthday of my blog: Dietitian Ambition, I decided to take a look back on the past year and all of the nutritional changes that were made.

Let's take a look back...

Nutrition Initiatives 
- It seems that obesity has become the biggest health concern among americans within the last few years. Among that health concern, childhood obesity has been one of the issues in that we are now seeing young children develop type 2 diabetes because of their weight when it is usually seen in overweight older adults. This "epidemic"has brought about many health initiatives to change and prevent childhood obesity. Programs such as the NFL's Fuel Up Play 60 program, Paul Pierce's Truth on Health, Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign and Kids Eat Right through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics are working effortlessly to influence chidlrens dietary choices and physical activity.

- The Department of Health also has created many healthful campaigns such as "pouring on the pounds" and "make NYC your gym". These campaigns use advertising, which we know can be very powerful, to encourage healthful options. Pouring on the pounds targeted sweetened beverages and displayed fat being poured into a glass and "make NYC your gym" suggests ways to incorporate physical activity into a busy new yorkers life displaying the statue of liberty with muscles.

*To check out the nyc campaigns click here- http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/cdp/cdp_pan.shtml

- Recent proposals to tax sweetened beverages and junk food also shows that as a city, and country we are now really recognizing the importance of nutrition and working towards improving what is offered to Americans.




Success Stories
- Stories such as "Raquel's Story" show that people are looking for ways to increase healthful options and ultimately change their life both nutritionally and physically. Today Raquel is currently down more than 80 lbs and is still continuing on her weight loss journey. It is stories like hers that inspire people who are unhappy with their weight, or unhealthy that know change is possible through dietary modifications and exercise. Raquel brings hope to future nutrition professionals because the hardest part of our job is trying to teach people that these small changes can result in great rewards. Keep up the great work Raquel!

*Don't forget to follow Raquel's amazing progress on her site- http://sizequelsz.tumblr.com/

Meeting New People
- Through my blog I was able to interview many influential figures in todays public health field. Sports dietitians: Cynthia Sass and Leslie Bonci offered great advice on how they deal with nutrition from an athletes perspective. Ryan Shanahan promoted physical fitness and how one can maintain such an active lifestyle. Daphne Oz practices healthful options through cooking as well as her continued effort as a public health advocate. All of these professionals work hard to ensure that society does move towards a healthier tomorrow! Thanks for all of your advice!
- During seminars and conventions I have had the opportunity to speak with many dietitians: renal, pediatric, oncological, clinical, community, etc. Who all work endlessly to make our country a healthier one! Thanks for all of your hard work!

My Progress
- As I have said before, applying what you learn is the hardest part when studying dietetics. In the past year I have revamped my dietary choices, worked on my physical fitness and really made an effort to improve my lifestyle before ever helping anyone else.

Nutritional Changes
- I have most recently really limited my red meat consumption. I now get my protein from poultry, tofu and beans for a variety.
- I have also been quite conscious of my plate and my fruit and vegetable servings. I make sure that each night I have half my plate of fruit and vegetables with 1/4 plate protein and 1/4 grains. Thanks to choosemyplate.gov

- I cook my own meals. This ensures what goes into the food I will be eating, allows me to try a variety of fruits and vegetables and gives me healthful options the next day for lunches.
- I snack a lot on fresh vegetables and fruits. One of my favorite snacks is sliced red, green and yellow peppers because they provide you with so many nutrients and are filling.

     Tips:

• Fill up on vegetables before dinner they will make you fuller and prevent overeating
• Try new vegetables and fruits, there are so many of them!
• Steam and bake as much as you can
• Cook yourself! Its fun and can be very rewarding
• Lose the salt shaker, it is unnecessary and more foods have salt than you think
• If you don't like whole grains, mix whole grains with white rice, or white pasta, baby steps! 

Physical Fitness
- Since discovering my passion for sports nutrition I have made it a point to focus on my personal fitness.
- It helps that my boyfriend and I work out together. This helps me stay motivated because I have someone who keeps me on track.
- I try new routines such as workout DVD's like: Jillian Michaels, Kickboxing, Kettleworx, Pilates, Insanity, etc.
- I work out at home. This gives me no excuses when the weather is bad or time parameters. Like Ryan Shanahan says "Your body is your gym"
- I incorporate physical fitness into my everyday life such as: walk during my lunch hour, walk to and from the train when going to work, all to ensure that I am staying active everyday.
- As of today I am striving to become a personal trainer. Next Summer I have set goals for myself before I actually pursue that passion.

     Tips:

• Walk as much as you can
• Utilize more than just the treadmill there are so many things you can do with weights, medicine balls and jump ropes that can increase physical fitness
• Find yourself a workout buddy someone who you can motivate, and will motivate you
• Drink plenty of water
• Invest in some workout DVD's they force you to try new things and keep your muscles on their toes
• Break a sweat, a workout isn't good as good unless you bread a sweat. 

All of these things have helped shaped my future career in dietetics. Not only have I learned from other public health professionals but I have learned a lot about myself and from you. Many viewers have written to me telling me about their personal stories and you are all amazing! Being healthy is NOT a chore, it is a privilege to be able to control what goes into your bodies and how we mold them. Take action today, every change counts!  

Thanks for a great year!!! 

*** For any suggestions, comments or personal stories you want to share email me at: dietitianambitionja@gmail.com.

5 Things I did this Summer

   This summer was quite an eventful one. I managed to keep it very healthy and work on myself as a future dietitian before the fall semester commenced. Although it was busy I loved every second of it . Here are the 5 things I did this summer that helped me keep it healthy. 

1) Worked with dietitians and modified recipes
- This helped me really learn how to make small changes to recipes to make them healthier. I applied this to my cooking while at home. 

2) Cooked meals and used the leftovers for lunches

- Cooking my own meals helped me moderate what was going in it and to really use vegetables to their full potential. 

- I also used so many vegetables trying different ones to create new and exciting recipes. 

** Some new vegetables I tried this summer are: turnips, parsnips, jicama, escarole and kale. 




3) Stayed active
- I made sure that everyday I walked during my lunch break (as long as the weather allowed) and to and from the train each day. This helped ensure that no matter if I was working out or not I still was able to get some activity in. 

4) Really limited my red meat consumption

- While taking advanced nutrition in the spring I learned a lot about red meat and its over consumption in correlation to cancer. This was frightening because in my house we would eat red meat 3-4x a week (yikes). Since I refuse to eliminate any foods unless of religious or medical reasons I decided to really moderate my red meat intake including: steaks, ground beef, pork chops, hot dogs, ham and bologna. Overall there were 3x that I have eaten red meat since May and although I can't really pin point any specific changes the one thing I did notice was that I feel less bloated. I spent a lot of time creating plenty of recipes with chicken, turkey, tofu and beans to substitute protein properly.

5) Stayed informed.
- Part of being a dietitian is keeping up with everything in the nutritional and public health world. Although I did not blog as much as I wanted to I did make sure to read a lot and stay in tuned to what is currently going on. 
- For people who want to be healthier the first step is educating yourself. It is important that you know what you are feeding your body before doing it because some foods can have detrimental effects and other substantial. 

** Some news from the summer: the mayors initiative to tax sweetened beverages and junk food, controversy over professional athletes going vegan and if it is beneficial or detrimental to their career or not, and so much more. 

What do you think?

       With the most recent debates regarding taxes on sweetened beverages and junk foods, I can't help but wonder what every New Yorker is thinking. Although researchers have found a close correlation between the increase in price of particular foods and the decrease in it's consumption many people are arguing why try to force us to eat better? This health initiative resembles the methods taken to reduce cigarette smoking. Taxing these things are supposed to reduce the likelihood of people buying them and in turn improve the health of the nation. But as seen with cigarette smoking there will always be someone buying them. 

        With obesity crawling its way to the top of nation concerns, a tax on these things might not be so bad. The department of health has been campaigning against sweetened beverages for years now with their slogan"pouring on the pounds" along side an image of a soda bottle pouring fat into a glass. 

Junk food does contribute to ones diet, especially when there is no physical activity to counteract their effects and it would benefit this nation to reduce these things and consume a more nutritious diet. 

What do you think about taxes on sweetened beverages and junk food in New York City? 

Email all opinions to --> dietitianambitionja@gmail.com

Keep emails under 2 paragraphs long 

If you do not want your name attached to it write "anonymous" next to your name

All posts will be posted until Monday June 25 at 11:59pm

What you have to say: 

"I think that one of the greatest aspects of living in this country is the freedom of choice we are supposed to have. Although I am opposed to the availability and consequential health problems junk food can lead to, it seems to me it would be a more effective alternative to make healthier food more affordable rather than raising taxes on "bad" food. Then the choice would be easier." - Jamie Caroccio

"I do believe in taxing sweetened beverages and junk food.  I don't think that taxing these items will stop people from buying them but maybe it will make them stop and think a little before they actually do. We need to start making better choices for ourselves and if this tax can help some of us do that then I'm all for it." - Nancy Alvarez 




"Im not sure if taxing them all if the right thing to do. However, i do think that over a specific amount of sugar or other ingredients that are detrimental to our heath that could effect obesity should make them elegible for taxation. This country is built on freedom, and taxing every single item categorized as junk food is starting to limit that to an extent. And lets face it, its not like the companies that make these "junkfood" items wouldnt find a way around this tax law by making some new chemical that stands as a substitute for the ingredients that would make these taxable." - Frankie Alvarez 




"I think taxing junk food and sweetened drinks is unfair. People should have the right to purchase certain foods or drinks without being taxed extra because of the ingredients in these items. Although taxing these things may lead to less purchases it will not stop people from buying them completely. Just like cigarettes, which are extremely expensive due to tax people still buy them and will continue to do so no matter how expensive they get. I believe the same will happen if junk food and sweetened drinks are taxed." - Danny Emigholz 

Visit the department of health's website for more information on their "pouring on the pound" campaign at: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/public/dohmhnews8-06.pdf

You are what you drink!

We have all heard the saying you are what you eat, but what about what we drink? Most people don’t realize that many of the beverages we consume provide substantial amounts of empty calories and not enough nutrients. Recently a new initiative has been proposed putting a tax on sweetened beverages, but why? What do these drinks do that has been causing such a commotion among the public health community and why is it of the utmost importance to change?

Popular beverages

Soda



1) Calories
Soda adds empty calories to your diet. This means that soda will not provide any essential nutrients, just sugar.  
EX:  1 can of 120-calorie soda everyday for a year could equal 15 lbs.!


2) Bone health
Dark sodas contain phosphoric acids which is known to interfere with the absorption of vitamin D. Vitamin D is an essential part of bone health because it is required for calcium to be absorbed. Therefore, if Vitamin D cannot be utilized calcium will be lost and bone health will suffer the consequences.

Alcohol 

-       Provides 7 calories/ 1g of alcohol

Recommended intake

Men: 2 drinks/day

Women: 1 drink/day

Serving sizes of alcohol are:

12 oz. of beer

5 oz. of wine

1) Increases urine output

Because alcohol is considered a toxin to our bodies it becomes of utmost importance to remove. Therefore, your liver will work at converting the alcohol to something that can be passed out through the urine and your body will continue to do this until it is all removed.

2) Causes dehydration

Because our urine output increases this will excrete many important electrolytes. This imbalance will force the body to become dehydrated. Dehydrations side effects are much similar to a hangover in that you experience fatigue, nausea, headaches, weakness, etc. That’s why the morning after drinking you are very thirsty because your body is trying desperately to obtain that fluid balance again.

3) Converts alcohol to fat

Once metabolized alcohol will:
a) Be converted to fat and stored
b) Stop all other energy burning systems in the body making it nearly impossible to burn the fat that you just consumed. 

*Remember your body has become so concerned with removing these toxins that everything else is secondary. The toll that alcohol can take on the body specifically the liver, hydration status and body fat is quite a powerful one, especially when consumed in excess. Naturally like most things if consumed in moderation alcohol can have potential benefits as well, such as the resveratrol in red wine and the effect it can have on appetite.

High Fructose Corn Syrup in Juices  

-       A diet high in sugar will interrupt energy burning systems in the body by overloading it. Once broken down to its simplest form sugar has one of two fates either energy use if necessary or stored for later if deemed not. Between the energy expenditure deficit and the overload of sugar fat will continue to be stored. Therefore, it is not these drinks that contribute to the obesity epidemic but the overconsumption of them as well as the physical inactivity to burn it.

Moral of the story:
Choose water more often than not. Be an educated consumer and choose your beverages wisely. There is no need to eliminate them but know why they are bad and how they can influence your health. Remember anything you consume whether a solid or liquid contributes calories to your diet, choose those calories wisely!