Read those labels

I saw a quick video this week that talked about label reading and I thought it was a great "study" as they stopped random people on the street and asked them to read the Nutrition Facts on various foods - especially snack foods. What they found was that most people are still NOT looking at the NUMBER of servings in a bag of snacks and there is almost ALWAYS more than one serving in a bag! SO, i am "ranting" today because I feel like many people ARE trying to be healthier and picking out snacks that are claiming to be "trans fat free", "heart healthy", "whole grain" etc and maybe even looking at the "Nutrition Facts" panel to check the number of calories and/or fat but PLEASE PLEASE do yourself the EXTRA favor of checking out how many servings are in that package! There are plenty of people who are frustrated out there because they feel like they are eating all the "right" foods and still not achieveing their goals and this can be happening becuase of the "right " foods but still in the "wrong" portions! READ THOSE LABELS :-) Jill

Hope everyone had a great Easter! Isn't it great that it's springtime and warming up? When it finally gets warmer, it's hard to resist taking a walk outside, not only is it great exercise but it's a great way to de-stress. One of my favorite places lately to walk is the Little Sugarcreek Greenway trail to Freedom Park. This is a great trek that takes about 1 hr roundtrip. The easiest way to access it is to park behind the Michael's at Park Road Shopping Center (corner of Park Rd & Woodlawn) and walk the concrete bridge over the creek to access the trail.

Here's to a happy and healthy spring!

Kim

Easter tempations (from Jill)

Hi! This is Jill again and just thought I'd touch on the topic that I've been talking about alot this week, which is how to deal with the holiday this weekend. Most people are going to make the meal itself their "cheat meal" which is great but I think we all tend to overlook both the preparation AND the leftovers so... As you are cooking, try to set out a bowl of raw veggies to munch on (carrot sticks, celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, etc) AND a large cup of water so that, when you are tempted to "take a taste" of this or that, try to go to YOUR bowl and cup first. All those little bites and licks before hand can be a whole other cheat meal in itself :-)

As for the leftovers, send them packing! If you aren't having alot of people over, try to remember this as you are cooking and scale back on the recipe - buy a smaller ham, only make one type of starchy side and maybe try individual desserts instead of a whole cake. If you ARE having alot of people over, stock up on some tupperware beforehand so you can send people home with the leftovers. SOME leftovers, may be okay, like having a lean ham sandwich for the next day or two, but anything that was made with alot of butter, cream, oil, etc is NOT something you want staring back at your from the fridge for the next few days :-) Remember, ENJOY the meal and the time with family and friends but try to go right back to your healthy eating the next day! HAPPY EASTER!

Introduction

Hi Everyone!

Well I thought this week I would take Jill's lead and introduce myself as well...

I have been in Charlotte for several months now and enjoying it so far. Before moving to Charlotte, I lived in Phoenix, AZ for several years. While in Phoenix, I returned to school to study nutrition and I worked for awhile at a hospital. Though I enjoyed meeting the patients and providing them with info on a variety of diets, I knew that I wanted to be more involved with preventive care. That interest led me to Charlotte and TNT.

When I am not working, I love to cook; my favorite food being anything Asian. I also love to stay fit by walking my dog, Zoe and going for hikes.
Have a great week!

Kim

Jill's first post

Hi, Everyone,
I thought that, for my first blog, I would just introduce myself and tell you a bit about my background. I have always been interested in nutrition and was lucky to find this major as a freshman at Penn State University. My interest in nutrition stems from my years growing up as a dancer, gymnast and soccer player. I knew I needed fuel to get through my activities and I wanted to learn more about it. I also came to realize, through personal family experiences, what a role nutrition can play in health and disease-prevention. Becuase of the impact nutrition has had on MY life, i feel passionate about it as an important part of everyone's life.

After graduating, doing my intership and passing the boards for my license, I've had some really great jobs all over the Northeast and down here in Charlotte. I've worked in alot of rewarding settings both with in-patients and out-patients and both adults and pediatrics and coming to TNT has been the best experience of all.

I love getting to sit one-on-one with each client and help them work on improving their health. I think we both learn from each other - since each person is unique, they have their own unique outlook on the role foods plays in their life, how they approach various situations, what techniques work for them and what they deal with each day as it all relates to nutrition - I can treat each person differently and find out what works for THEM. Seeing a smile at the end of a session or just hearing that they really learned something new is what I strive for.

Anyway, you'll be hearing from me each week so I thought you might want to know a bit about the person who was writing :-) Have a great weekend! Jill

One week and counting

So I have one week to go before my child arrives. It is so exciting. Once again this pregnancy has been a beautiful journey and I have learned so much. Not too sound like a broken record but I really can not emphasize enough the importance of eating right and staying physically active... (Not just during pregnancy but for everyone at all stages of one's life). I am not sure where the concept of .. "I'm eating for two...so I'll eat what I want" came from. All we really need is an extra 300 calories a day while pregnant (500 while nursing). An extra 300 calories is not that much. Why would we want to add junk to our body if we are nourishing a life within us? The extra baby weight is tough enough to carry around while pregnant ..but too add unnecessary pounds makes it that much harder on our joints, energy level and overall health. We recently rolled out a new specialty program called "TNT mom's". I highly encourage all mom's "to be" or "trying to be" to take advantage of this program.. it will get you on track and keep you on track during this exciting time of your life. Do not feed into excuses while pregnant...If you are in your first trimester and have morning sickness..think baby steps.. some walking is better than none. Bargain with yourself and say you will do at least 15 minutes. You may be surprised that once you hit that mark you feel better and want to keep going. During your third trimester you my feel the same.. tired and worn down.. but I am a true believer that if you do a little of something it will make you feel so much better. Mentally and physically!
I'll end with this quote I recently ran across...
- "A person with health has many wishes... yet a person without their health has but one" anonymous
Have a super day
Until next week
ang

Eating healthy at work

Hi Everyone!



Haven't we all been in this circumstance? We decide to start eating more healthy so we'll look cute in that new spring dress. So the first area we try to clean up in is what we're eating at work. We make full intention to skip the lunch run to the pizza place around the corner and pack a healthy lunch instead. We bring healthy snacks to store in our desk; doesn't a bowl of fresh fruit look enticing sitting on one's desk? However, it never fails someone out there always brings in the cinnamon rolls made over the weekend or puts a big dish of chocolates on their desk for everyone to grab. When you stop by the breakroom to refill your water bottle, there's that plate of leftover cake on the counter, calling for you "eat me, eat me".



What's a person to do? A great idea is to get the whole office motivated to start a healthy eating campaign. Encourage fellow co-workers to start bringing healthy snacks in....do a healthy potluck lunch...start a friendly competition to see who can lose the most (healthy) weight in a month, provide non-food related gift cards as prizes...ask for healthier foods to be served in the cafeteria and/or at staff meetings.



The workplace doesn't have to be a scary place where all those tempting foods hang out. It'll make your life a whole lot easier when you work in a healthy environment...and more then likely many of your co-workers will be thankful for it as well.

Here's to a happy, healthy spring!

Kim

I'm just about cooked

Hello Everyone and welcome to TNT's new blog site..I want to thank Erina, my marketing assistant for helping us set this up. Of course we will be using the blog section for nutrition and fitness updates as well as "what's new with TNT".. but I think it will also be a fun way for me to communicate with clients and friends and family regarding my progress with pregnancy and "what's new" with my pregnancy. As of today I am 2.5 weeks out. Other than not being able to sleep and running to the bathroom every 15 minutes I think I am doing pretty good. I feel good and am anxiously awaiting for my little one to arrive. Yes, I have still been working out. I think my workouts and healthy eating has a lot to do with having such a wonderful pregnancy. So for all of you females who are wanting to get pregnant.. this is all the more reason to be sure you are living a healthy lifestyle NOW. Trust me your body will thank you as well as your baby.
I'll be sure to send out a picture of my pregnant belly shortly.. I know most of you will get a kick out of this..but remember...this is the ONLY time you will see me with a belly..lol
Have a Super Day
ang