Control Cholesterol

Life’s Simple 7: Control Cholesterol

When it comes to controlling your cholesterol the most important fact to always remember is Small steps can create BIG change! Eating right, exercising regularly, reducing stress, quitting smoking and knowing your family history are key facts to gaining control of your cholesterol.

What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a soft, fatty-like, waxy substance found in the bloodstream and in all your body's cells. It's normal to have cholesterol. Cholesterol comes from two sources: your body and food. Your body makes about 75% of blood cholesterol. The other 25% comes from the foods you eat.

LDL cholesterol is commonly known as the “bad” cholesterol. When too much LDL cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can clog arteries, which increases your risk of heart attack and stroke. LDL cholesterol is produced naturally in the body, however many people inherit genes that cause them to make too much. Eating saturated fat, trans fats and dietary cholesterol can substantially increase the amount of LDL that is produced in your body.

What should my cholesterol be?
Total blood cholesterol is the most common measurement of blood cholesterol. Cholesterol is measured in milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL). A cholesterol level of 200 mg/dL or higher puts you in a high-risk category and is cause to take action.

TNT’s quick and easy steps to lower your cholesterol
· Schedule a screening with your primary care physician
· Eat foods low in cholesterol and saturated fat and free of trans fat
· Maintain a healthy weight
· Stay physically active

To take My Life Check or to learn more about this Life’s Simple 7 Control Cholesterol tip and others go to http://www.mylifecheck.org/. For more information and/or cholesterol tips visit Total Nutrition Technology http://www.tntgetfit.com/

Get Active

Life’s Simple 7: Get Active

One of the seven steps outlined in the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 program is Getting Active.
You may be thinking, “I do not have anytime left in the day to get active.” When you see the words GET ACTIVE, we are talking about as little as 30 minutes a day! On average there are 31 days in a month that is equal to 44,640 minutes per month. Surely you can find 30 minutes a day for some “Get Active” activities! The fact of the matter is the benefits of exercising will always outweigh the sacrifices that it takes to get in that 30 minutes a day. The American Heart Association makes it a very simple equation: Physical activity = living a longer, healthier life. On http://www.mylifecheck.org/ you can find out why getting active is so important and get tips on how to increase physical activity.

Here are a few tough love tips from TNT:
-Stop making excuses, there is an activity out there that you are sure to love!
-Remember physical activity is anything that makes you move your body and burns calories…even dancing around your house!
-Get a buddy or make exercise a family affair to motivate you!
-Take part in the AHA’s Heart Walk on September 17th

Don’t you think it’s time to start giving yourself the gift of living well with good health?

To take My Life Check or to learn more about this Life’s Simple 7 Get Active tip and others go to http://www.mylifecheck.org/ and for more information about Total Nutrition Technology please visit http://www.tntgetfit.com/

TNT, American Heart Association and Life's Simple 7!

TNT is partnering with the American Heart Association (AHA) and focusing on Life’s Simple 7, the AHA’s program that allows you to achieve excellent cardiovascular health by keeping seven factors in check! As a result of this partnership, we at TNT thought it would be great to discuss AHA’s recommended Heart Health tips! Over the next seven days we will break down each of Life’s Simple 7 and share our knowledge with you! Remember no matter where you are in life, it’s never too late to make better health choices. All you need is a goal, a plan and the desire to live better. Let TNT and AHA help!

To learn more about this simple step and others go to http://www.mylifecheck.org/ or for more information about TNT visit www.tntgetfit.com

Vitamin D Deficiency

By Diane Smith

Vitamin D deficiency of children and adults has become a hot topic of conversation recently. Vitamin D deficiency appears to be an increasingly prevalent, but largely unrecognized problem. Unborn babies and children who are vitamin D deficient have an increase chance of growth retardation and skeletal deformities. These children may also have an increase risk of hip fractures later on in life. Adults who are vitamin D deficient can form osteoporosis (decrease in bone density) which may cause osteomalacia (softening of the bone) and muscle weakness. A decrease in bone density may eventually lead to fractures.

Humans get vitamin D from sunlight, diet and dietary supplements. UVB radiation penetrates the skin and converts 7-dehyrocholesterol to pre-vitamin D₃; it is then rapidly converted to vitamin D₃. Through physiological processes vitamin D₃ is converted to the active form of vitamin D (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D). Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption which aide in maintaining blood calcium levels. Calcium has many important functions, one of which is maintaining strong bones.

Signs and symptoms of Hypocalcemia (low levels of calcium)

· Paresthesias (numbness, tingling, prickling, or burning) in lips, tongue, fingertips, and/or toes

· Fatigue

· Anxiety

· Muscles painful, achy, progressing to cramps or spasms

· Lethargy

· Poor appetite

· Mental confusion

· Cardiac arrhythmia

Vitamin D has other functions in the body such as; changes in cell growth, neuromuscular, immune and reduction of inflammation.

Populations that are at a greater risk of vitamin D deficiency are; elderly, obese individuals, exclusively breastfed infants, those who have limited sun exposure, people who live in an environment with long winters, and people with dark skin. New studies suggest that low levels of vitamin D are associated with cardiac diseases, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and cancer.

The new Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) listed for vitamin D levels is 800 IUs. You can get significant amounts of vitamin D through sun in less than 10 minutes or you can get vitamin D in dietary foods.

Selected Food Sources of Vitamin D
IU = (International Units)

· Cod Liver Oil, 1 Tbs. (1,360 IU)

· Salmon, cooked, 31/2 oz (360 IU)

· Mackerel, cooked, 3 1/2 oz (345 IU)

· Sardines, canned in oil, drained,3 1/2 oz (270 IU)

· Eel, cooked, 3 1/2 oz (200 IU)

· Milk, nonfat, reduced fat, and whole, vitamin D fortified, 1 c (98 IU)

· Margarine, fortified, 1 Tbs. (60 IU)

· Cereal grain bars, fortified w/ vitamin D, 1 each (50 IU)

· Pudding, 1/2 c prepared from mix and made with vitamin D fortified milk (50 IU)

· Dry cereal, Vitamin D fortified, 3/4 c (40-50 IU)
* Other cereals may be fortified with more or less vitamin D

· Liver, beef, cooked, 3 1/2 oz (30 IU)

· Egg, 1 whole (vitamin D is present in the yolk) (25 IU)

Vitamin D levels can be checked by your doctor through a blood sample. Are you deficient??

Vitamin D Levels

· Deficient <20 ng/mL

· Insufficient 20-29 ng/mL

· Optimal range 30-50 ng/mL

*Vitamin D can be expressed as nmol/L. (1 nmol/L = 0.4 ng/mL)

For more information visit www.tntgetfit.com and Follow us on twitter and facebook

Time for a Road Trip!

Road Tripping this spring/summer? Helpful hints to navigate the fast food trap. Fast Food “go to” meal items that won’t derail your diet!

by: Sarah Cook

Spring is finally here and that means two things: 1) summer is right around the corner and 2) it’s almost vacation time! Road trips and plane rides to fun destinations are on the horizon for you and your family! With smart choices, you can bring your healthful eating plan on the road with you. Most popular fast-food restaurants now make nutrition information readily available to customers, both in-store and online. Before you back out of the driveway or board that plane, review the nutrition information of popular eating spots you'll likely pass on your trip. You may be surprised at what you'll learn. For example, you might think a salad would be your best choice at a fast-food restaurant. A quick check of the menu would tell you that some salads at fast-food places can contain nearly 800 calories with dressing and croutons … maybe more than you'd think. Plan ahead and give yourself a wide range of healthful eating options, wherever the open road might carry you.

The name of the vacation game is preparation. The absolute best way to eat on the road is to pack snacks that travel well:

● Nuts or a Trail Mix

● Snack Bars (Lara Bars, Odwalla Bars, Granola Bars)

● Fruits (apples, bananas, pears, oranges)

● Veggies (carrot sticks/baby carrots, celery sticks, broccoli florets, sliced peppers)

● String cheese

● Yogurt/granola cups

This list is certainly not all inclusive, so whatever you may already have on hand and provided you have the extra room to pack, bringing your own food is a “can’t lose” first option.

Sometimes, however, not all goes as planned when traveling, so you might find yourself in need of a meal on the road. Here are some restaurants you’ll want to keep an eye out for when you’re at the airport, on the road or visiting a new town. I’ve selected some better choices from each restaurant in which items listed fall generally under 400 calories or so, under 15 grams of fat and under about 600 mg sodium:

● Jason’s Deli (www.jasonsdeli.com)

○ Savvy Chicken Salad Sandwich Wrap

○ Baked Lays

○ Unsweetened Iced Tea

● Noodles and Company (www.noodles.com)

○ Chinese Chop Salad w/pita bread

○ Bottled Water

● Chipotle (www.chipotle.com)

○ Fajita Vegetable Burrito Bol (w/o cheese or sour cream)

○ Bottled wate

● McDonald’s (www.mcdonalds.com)

○ Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich

○ Side Salad

○ Newman’s Own Low Fat Family Recipe Italian Dressing (1/2 pkg)

○ Bottled Water

● Einstein Brothers Bagels (www.einsteinbros.com)

○ Turkey Tornado Wrap (sprouts, tomato, lettuce, and reduced fat cream cheese)

○ Chicken Noodle Cup (small)

○ Minute Maid Lite Lemonade

● Chik-Fil-A (www.chick-fil-a.com)

○ Chick-fil-A Chargrilled Chicken Cool Wrap

○ Fruit Cup (small)

○ Diet Lemonade or unsweetened tea

● Subway (www.subway.com)

○ 6” subway club sandwich on whole wheat (w/o cheese, and either mustard or light mayo w/any veggie toppings)

○ Apple slices

○ Bottled water

In the very likely event that you are somewhere that doesn’t have one of these restaurants around, use these general tips to help guide you to the best choice:

• Pick baked, broiled instead of fried, crispy

• Choose lean proteins (turkey, chicken vs. salami, bologna)

• Utilize the salad option when at all possible

• Avoid calorie dense condiments and choose mustard or low fat versions instead

• Always choose whole grain bread products when/if available

• Avoid empty calories in sweetened beverages...stick to water or unsweetened iced tea

• For side items, choose fruits, veggies, or light/baked potato chips. Try to avoid mayonnaise based salads (potato, pasta, etc.)

• Avoid full fat cheeses (cream cheeses, sour cream included!) and choose lower fat or lighter options when available.

Eating well on the road can be tricky, but it is possible! Planning ahead and making informed choices will lead you down the right path. Don’t forget, fast food restaurants have their nutrition information posted, so if you are in a pinch and unsure of the best option, ask to review this information before you order! You’ll be a happy, healthier traveler if you do.

Holiday Weight Myths to Avoid

Three holiday weight myths you want to avoid!

1) I am not going to worry about my weight until the New year

MYTH BUSTED: There are 3500 calories in a pound of fat. By consuming just 2 extra cookies and handful of chocolates a day at 500 calories a pop, you could gain 1 pound in just 7 days. Add that on top of cutting out your exercise due to your busy shopping schedule and you could easily gain an extra 3-5 pounds in just a few short weeks. Taking it off is much harder than putting it on so don’t even get caught up in this mind set. Avoid the extreme thinking and stick with moderation.

2) I am NOT going to eat on the days I have parties so I can save my calories for the event.

MYTH BUSTED: This will only put your body in a fat storing mode. Your body will burn less calories due to not being properly fueled during the day and then at night your body will not know what to do with all of the extra calories other than store them as fat. Turn your body into a fat burning not storing machine by eating small frequent meals and snacks during the day leading up to your big party. This will help tremendously as you will end up eating less, as well as make it easier to choose healthier food choices too. Tip: While at the party grab a plate and select your food choices. Instead of grazing from the table graze off of your plate and once the food is gone you are done

3) But I have to bake all of this food!

MYTH BUSTED: Take advantage of this time to finally get creative. By swapping out just a few simple items you can save BIG on calories without sacrificing the taste Example: When baking a quiche: substitute eggs with egg whites and regular cheese with part skim half and half creamer with fat free creamer or even skim milk and before you know it you have reduced your quiche down to half the amount of calories. Just 410 calories to 225 per slice. If you are ever stumped on how to swap out an ingredient just Google it. The items listed above are typically pretty safe bets. You don’t have to get to crazy with changes just baby steps. But this will save you Big in the calorie bank

Holiday Survival

Anyone who has been on a diet has experienced the frustration of trying to maintain a weight-loss program during the holidays. Because food is the focus of many holiday celebrations, it can be a real challenge to a dieter’s willpower.

There is a way to approach holiday eating without sabotaging a weight-loss program. First, plan plenty of activities for which food is not the primary focus. And, when food is an important part of the celebration, it helps to:
-Change some traditional holiday habits
-Get help from family and friends
-Reduce the holiday stress that often leads to compulsive eating

Changing some habits can keep a diet going without having to give up holiday treats altogether. For example, a person can make a list of favorite holiday food and then pick out two or three of your favorites to enjoy this year, and say good-bye to those dishes that are higher in fat and sugar. By eliminating some of the holiday dishes, you will have already eliminated some of the excess calories.

Another technique is to eat holiday treats in smaller quantities, such as baking a small-size cake that the family will finish at one sitting with no tempting leftovers. Divide your plate in thirds. One third is for the lean proteins, one third is for the veggies. The remaining third is for the starches.

Lastly, try to use low-calorie, low-fat substitutions for rich ingredients like sugar, butter or cream, for those holiday dishes that you just can’t eliminate.

Whatever changes you decide to make, it’s important to ask family members and friends to respect these choices and to refrain from tempting the dieter with other holiday goodies.

Sometimes the stress of the holidays causes people to eat more than usual. If that’s the case, it helps to seek out friends and family for support and to engage in activities that produce feelings of contentment or happiness.

There are 87, 840 minutes in the months of November and December combined. Surely you can find 30 minutes a day to fit in your exercise. For instance, rake leaves for 30 minutes. Raking leaves is a great way to burn those extra calories. If you have children involve them in this activity. You can rake piles and let them jump in them. What Fun! Enjoy your time and family while burning calories.

For additional tips on reducing calories and fat during the holidays, or if you have specific medical concerns about your meal plan, consult your health educator provider for advice on maintaining a safe weight-loss program during the holiday season.

How it all adds up

Drinks
1 mixed drink 250 calories
1 glass of wine 120 calories
1 glass of cider 120 calories
1 cup of eggnog 345 calories

Snacks
1 celery stalk with cream cheese 45 calories
1 cracker with cheese 70 calories
1 cup mixed raw veggies 25 calories
½ cup mixed raw nuts 440 calories
½ cup fresh fruit 60 calories
1 ounce regular potato chips 150 calories
1 Tablespoon of dip 75 calories

Salads
3 cups of salad with diet dressing 100 calories
1 Tablespoon Ranch dressing 75 calories
½ cup Jello mold 120 calories
½ cup Waldorf salad 110 calories

Main Course
6 ounces of ham 360 calories
6 ounces of turkey – white and dark 340 calories
6 ounces of Prime Rib 330 calories
6 ounces of turkey – white meat only 240 calories

Side Dishes
½ cup of stuffing 180 calories
½ cup of cranberry sauce 190 calories
½ cup of mashed potatoes 150 calories
½ cup gravy 150 calories
½ medium baked potato 80 calories
½ cup green bean casserole 225 calories
½ cup candied sweet potatoes 150 calories
½ cup steamed green beans 25 calories
1 dinner roll 110 calories
1 pat butter 45 calories
1 teaspoon sour cream 45 calories

Desserts
2 small chocolate chip cookies 150 calories
1 slice apple pie 410 calories
1 slice pecan pie 480 calories
1 slice pumpkin pie 180 calories
½ whipped cream 75 calories
½ cup vanilla ice cream 145 calories