Girl Talk Week Two!

So as all you followers know, last week was the beginning of the camp “Girl Talk”, where TNT was partnered with American Heart Association. TNT promised that you would be getting a dose of what was presented at this camp, so as promised, here is a break down of the second day.

The girls learned about how to shop in the grocery store and the most important areas to be shopping in. These important areas are; Produce section, Fresh Meats, Dairy, and Breads (minus the bakery J). The things that should be avoided like; processed foods such as frozen meals like Stouffer’s, cake mixes and brownie mixes like Duncan Hines and Pillsbury, prepackaged meals like Hamburger Helper, and macaroni and cheese and ready to go lunches for kids like Lunchables. These foods have additives like high-fructose corn syrup and partially-hydrogenated oils which can do harm to the body. TNT also went over how to properly read nutrition labels and understand the ingredient list on packages that seem to be unavoidable to young kids. The key to understanding the grocery store is that everything you need to eat healthy is located on the outside border of the store. Most of the time starting with your fruits and vegetables, going through the bread, then the meats, then the dairys and ending at the checkout counter! All the necessities that you need are on the perimeter! This should definitely help with a quick trip to grocery store on your next visit.

If you’d like to have more information on learning how to read a nutrition label, understanding the list of ingredients or to go on a grocery store tour contact TNT at 1-704-549-9550 or visit us at tntgetfit.com.

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!