Girl Talk Camp with the AHA

TNT is partnering with The American Heart Association and taking part in the “Girl Talk” Camp going on at Providence Day School. This is a week long event and each day, the girls, ages 11 to 18, take part in a Nutrition Class and will learn critical information for making healthy choices in life. Over the next 5 weeks, you’ll get to see what each day is like for these girls. We hope that you find this information helpful!

The first day, TNT spoke about the food pyramid and the importance of each food group. Here is an overview of what was discussed:

Calories in carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and for the adults, alcohol. In carbohydrates there are 4 calories/gram, fats have 9 calories/gram, protein has 4 calories/gram, and alcohol has 7 calories/gram. Next we discussed the pyramid and which vitamins and minerals are beneficial from each group and an estimated number of how much of each food item you should consume each day.
· Meat/Beans – (6 oz/day)
· Vegetables - Vitamins and Minerals (4 or more servings/day)
· Fruits – (3 or more servings/day)
· Fats/oils – (7 tsp/day at most)
· Grains/Breads - To give energy (8 oz/day – make at least ½ whole grain)
· Dairy/Milk - To make bones strong and Healthy (3 cups/day)

To get your personalized amount of nutrients you should be getting each day, visit mypyramid.gov and enter in your age, gender, weight, and how much physical activity you engage in each day. From there, you’ll learn how much Protein, Fruits, Veggies, Grains, and Dairy you should consume each day. I encourage all of you to visit mypyramid.gov and explore your own nutrition. You might be surprised by what you find.

For more information on creating your own personalized food pyramid visit
http://www.tntgetfit.com/
or
call 1-704-549-9550

What's in your cereal?

CEREAL BLOG
By: Jessica Finkelstein & Jennifer Gusmer
*Courtesy of Spark People

Every morning we wake up and for most people the first thing we think about is “What should I have for breakfast?” This is such an important question and if your answer is cereal, we have a great guide for you to get the most out of your cereal each morning.

We all know that the cereals found in the grocery store are loaded with sugars and additives, most of which we can’t even pronounce. The boxes have attractive claims on the front claiming “Now Whole Grain” or “Reduced Sugar”, but are they really? Did you look on the back of the box where the ingredient list is and actually see “whole grain” as the first ingredient or look at the nutrition label and see if the sugar is 5 grams or less? Here are some rules that you should follow when shopping for your morning meal.

1) Keep in mind the “Rule of Fives”. There should be no more than 5 grams of sugar per serving and at least 5 grams of fiber.
2) There should be at least 3 grams of protein per serving in your box of cereal.
3) Make sure to look at the ingredient list and read it. The first couple ingredients should be “whole wheat” or “wheat bran”. Just the word “wheat” is not good enough.
4) Read all of the ingredients, yes the entire list, and look for any type of hydrogenated oils, such as “partially hydrogenated soybean oil”. Keep an eye out for artificial dyes and colors.
5) Note to self, if there are ingredients with names that you can’t pronounce they are most likely chemical preservatives that shouldn’t be going in your body.

So next time you’re in the grocery store keep in mind these 5 rules when you go down the cereal aisle so you can purchase your next breakfast. Your body will appreciate it!

Super Mom Application

Fruits and vegetables provide some of the best nourishment of any foods, but they are often the most difficult food to get kids – and adults – to eat. I have two young kids and have recently hit the stage where my daughter Avery, now two, certainly has an opinion about what she eats. Her younger brother, Jake, is only six months old, but will soon have the opportunity to eat real food, too.

Here are a few of my tricks to ensure that my family consumes five servings of fruits and five servings of vegetables a day.

· I either use organic vegetable baby food or I’ll puree vegetables and add to all of my mixes such as muffins, pancakes, French toast, macaroni and cheese, meat loaf... you name it, I add vegetable puree. My husband does not like vegetables, so I have to be creative and this is one way to do it.

· I make a lot of smoothies for the family and add a special ingredient that my family never detects - fresh spinach. Spinach really has no taste and when mixed in a blender along with milk or yogurt, fresh fruit and even some peanut butter or flaxseed, my family gets a well balanced treat. A smoothie mix with spinach also makes for a great summer treat.

· While adding puree or baby food to meals is certainly beneficial and helps ensure your family gets the proper servings of fruits and vegetables, I also think it’s important to keep introducing actual fruits and vegetables to my kids. I’ve found that the way the food is displayed to be key. For instance, a plain apple slice or banana may not cut it for my daughter; she isn’t interested. But, when I add peanut butter to her apples, bananas or pears she thinks it’s a great treat. I also add melted cheese to carrots, broccoli, etc.

· I try and set a good example by eating a lot of fruits and vegetables in front of my daughter and letting her see how much I enjoy them. She watches me dip raw vegetables in a healthy low fat dip and she wants to try it, too. We’ve shared many fun vegetable eating sessions this way.

· I also add chopped vegetables to my homemade breads, omelets and other meals so she sees the vegetables, but they are blended in with other ingredients.

I’ve found great success using these methods. I think it’s important to start good healthy eating habits early on so that kids develop a likeness for fruits and vegetables. It’s also important to keep reintroducing the fruits and veggies that young kids reject and try new ways to serve it. Appetites and tastes can vary day to day, so just because kids turn it down one day doesn’t mean they’ll never eat it. Persistence, creativity and most important, commitment are important for providing healthy eating habits and meals for your family. It’s certainly not always easy, but the rewards are lifesaving.

Featured Partner: Rincon Recovery

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Go Red For Women - Wear Red February 5th

Six years ago, the American Heart Association started a movement to empower women to take control of their health and lower their risks of heart disease - our leading cause of death! This movement is called Go Red For Women.

I have been a volunteer for the American Heart Association for many years and serve as an ambassador for this campaign. Tomorow is National Wear Red Day and I encourage both men AND women to wear red and show your support.

As women, we tend to pt other people first - our family, friends, neighbors and the list goes on. Our health is a priority!

I encourage you to ...

Take the Go Red Heart CheckUp:
It is not enough to be aware of the risk factors associated with heart disease. You must take action to prevent it. The Go Red Heart CheckUp is an online tool that provides a 10-year, personal heart disease risk assessment. Once completed, women take their results to their healthcare provider and develop a personal health plan that matches their individual needs.

Wear the Red Dress pin:
Millions of Americans have added the red dress pin to their wardrobe to support the women and heart disease movement. It's cute, makes a statement and its free when you join the movement!
Participate in National Wear Red Day - February 5, 2010:
The American Heart Association encourages women to wear red – whether it is a red dress, a red t-shirt, a red dress pin or red lipstick. Show the world you passionately support Go Red For Women, the movement to improve women’s heart health and save lives.

Get a copy of the "Love Your Heart" cookbook:
Go Red For Women is publishing a 5^th anniversary edition of heart-healthy recipes to help women live longer stronger lives. Get your copy here.

I look forward to seeing you all in red tomorrow! Thank you for joining me!

UCity Magazine: Living Lean

image via. UCity

"We let them know it's not going to happen overnight, we encourage them to set a goal and work toward it. Health is not idle. Every day you choose to do nothing, you're taking a step backward."

What a great way to start off the new year! UCity Magazine did an awesome article for us, check it out after the jump (Page 19!)

http://universitycitymagazine.com/0110/

Happy New Year!

Image via. @onwingedheels

"Let life happen to you. Believe me: Life is always in the right."

-Rainer Maria Rilke