Posts in category: Emerging Trends

With the Holiday Season right around the corner, those of you trying to ‘Bulk’ this winter, are as happy as can be. But what about those of us currently focused on losing weight. How can we be expected to over come the temptation? The secret to overcoming temptation is moderation. Here are some tips to help you and your goals survive the holiday season.

GENERAL TIPS TO PREVENT WEIGHT GAIN

• Do not expect to lose weight during the holidays, instead focus on not gaining weight.
• Don’t completely restrict yourself; Allow yourself to enjoy small portions of traditional holiday foods.
• Save your calories for the foods you truly love.

SIMPLE WAYS TO CUT CALORIES

• Survey the spread before making your plate. It always disappointing to get to the heart of a buffet line and see your favorite dish with no room left on your plate (Why did I get the buttered roll and bread?). Solve this problem before you get in line with some strategic reserving of plate space.
• Don’t skip breakfast and lunch to save space for a big meal. This will cause overeating, and eating your calorie allotment in one sitting, is not the same as eating it over the course of 12 hours.
• Eat a snack containing fiber and protein before leaving home to eat less.
• Limit beverage intake so you can eat your calories instead of drink them.
• When you are a guest, bring a low calorie dish to share.
• Try not to hang out near the food.
• Watch portion sizes.
• Don’t feel obligated to clean your plate if you get full sooner than expected.
• Eat until satisfied not stuffed, you can always eat again in a couple hours!
• Eat slowly and focus on flavor.
• Stop eating frequently to socialize.
• Learn to politely say no.

QUICK WAYS TO BURN CALORIES

• Walking, running, stair climbing can be done anywhere and takes 30 minutes.
• Resistance bands fit into suitcases and can work out the entire body.
• Tabata, cross fit, yoga, and many other exercises can be done in a home with limited space in less than 30 minutes.
• Most towns have a thanksgiving 5k walk/run (“Turkey Trot”) – Start a new tradition!
• Do an outdoor activity (weather permitting) before the big feast.

INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS

• Reduce fat by replacing oil with applesauce in baking.
• Can also use a banana as a substitute for oil or butter.
• Reduce sugar and fat in recipes by adding protein sources. Whey protein powder can be added to many recipes to balance the macronutrients.
• Greek Yogurt is a great substitute for sour cream, and can be used with spice mixes (french onion, ranch) to a make high protein, low fat, low carbohydrate dips! This greatly reduces the calories that are often eaten without even realizing it.
• Using spray butter to flavor your mashed potatoes is a great way to reduce calories and save flavor!
• Use an egg white and 1 Tbsp. of powdered flax seed instead of a whole egg.
• Look for light or low-fat versions of common ingredients.
• Use ground oatmeal, almond flour, coconut flour instead of white flour to reduce calories and add a unique taste to the dish.
• Almond milk can be used to replace milk in recipes.
• Use nuts and dried fruit in baking mixes to add flavor and texture instead of candied bits and frosting.
• Using 1 scoop of Daily Whey with 1 Tbsp of Almond Milk make a low calorie, high protein Almond Vanilla frosting!
• Black Bean brownies sound odd to many, but are very hard to distinguish from normal brownies. (Yes family and friends you have unknowingly eaten Allison’s Black Bean Brownies and gone back for seconds!)
• Oats can be used for breadcrumbs. This isn’t guaranteed to provide a reduction in calories, but usually has more fiber than the bread it replaces.

SEASONAL FUNCTIONAL FOODS

• Winter squash and pumpkins can be used in both sweet and savory recipes.
  • Good sources of complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.
  • Contains Beta-carotene, vitamin C, Riboflavin, Iron.
  • Functional Ingredients in pies, cookies, custards, soups, side dish.
  • Pumpkin Seeds can be toasted for high-fiber snack.
  • Contains phytosterols, folate, tocopherols, carotenoids, phosphorus, selenium, zinc.
• Bright orange and yellow squash (ex. Butternut)
  • Commonly sliced, stewed, boiled, and baked.
  • Contains Carotenes, lutein, calcium, magnesium.
  • Acorn and Hubbard squash are good sources of potassium and fiber.
• Apples
  • Crab, Bramley, Jonathan best for pies, cakes, crisps, and chutneys.
  • Golden or Red Delicious best for eating.
  • Contain Phytosterols, quercetin, vitamin C, beta-carotene, lutein.
  • Source of Pectin: Soluble fiber which slows digestion and helps reduce cholesterol.

This is an article I wrote and submitted as a guest post on nailbiterstoolkit.com. Enjoy!

You did it! After months of snapping your wrists, moisturizing, filing, and clipping your way through a vice only surpassed in addictive tendency by smoking, it’s done. You have stopped biting your nails! You are so excited you want to show off your beautiful… wait, why do my nails look so brittle?

Brittle, weak nails are a very common problem experienced by a large segment of the population. What people don’t realize is the underlying problem is likely related to an imbalanced diet. Your fingernails are made of keratin, a structural protein also found as a main component in the skin and hair. If you have ever gone to a store that sells supplements, you will often find a product that claims to help ‘Hair, Skin, and Nails’. These products usually contain a blend of numerous amino acids, vitamins and minerals, without which keratin production is compromised.

There are different types of nail abnormalities, all of which can be narrowed down to a list of potential nutrient deficiencies.

• Dry Nails that peel or break easily can be a deficiency in calcium, vitamin C, D and/or biotin.
• Weak/Fragile nails (thin and brittle)may need additional protein, B vitamins, zinc or iron.
• White moon shape at nail base lack of iron and/or zinc.
• Frequent hang nails increase intake of vitamin C, folic acid, protein.
• Nails with vertical or horizontal ridges lack of B vitamins or iron.
• Vitamin D Deficiency reduces body’s ability to absorb calcium, a necessary mineral involved in many processes in the body. Recent studies are suggesting we need more vitamin D than originally thought. In fact, most people living 200 miles or farther north of the equator have less than ideal serum vitamin D levels. This deficiency can ultimately affect the quantity of calcium present for nail formation.

Balancing out your diet can easily solve all of these problems. Addition of dark green vegetables such as asparagus, spinach, kale, brussel sprouts, and broccoli, can account for most of the vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Replacing processed wheat products with whole grains can also be an easy addition to increase intake of folate and B-vitamins. Finally, increased consumption of High-Biologic Value protein sources ensures your body has enough amino acids to spare for nail production. HBV sources include meats, eggs, dairy, nuts and nut butters, seeds, and legumes.

If the dietary additions above seem major, it may benefit you to purchase either a multivitamin or a Hair, Skin and Nails formula. These items can be taken with 12oz of water before a meal. The only vitamin that may need added is vitamin D. If you do not get consistent exposure to sunlight, a 2,000IU daily supplement can have numerous benefits beyond your nails. The key nutrients to look for in a Hair, Skin and Nails formula are: L-Cysteine, L-Methionine, Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, Phosphorus, Biotin, Folic Acid, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, and Vitamins A, C, D, and E.

Andrew Wade, RDN, LDN

Your product or service is the solution to a huge problem. You need a centralized location for prospective clients to find you. In modern business practice, often times a website precedes a brick and mortar structure.

When you decide it is time to start a website, there are a couple key things to consider along the way.

Step 1 is selecting a web domain (web address), hosting group, and most importantly the web designer or developer to build the site. The distinction between the two is significant, though many web producers will consider themselves both. Finding someone who does both is relatively easy, but it helps to understand the difference. The development of the site is the backend functionality. For sites with complex needs it helps to have someone with a development background. The designer is more focused on the aesthetics of the page. For most Dietitians, someone with a strong design sense will be advantageous, after all your website is the literal face of your business.

There are many web developing companies that boast superior services, and of course these come at a cost. Most local website developments will cost between $2,000 and $3,000. This can be largely reduced using freelancers through products such as Upwork. Both of my websites were built and are maintained using a freelance designer hired and managed through Upwork. It is a third party group that connects customers and freelancers, mediates the contract, monitors progress, and settles payment once the task is complete. It also provides the users a forum and communication portal to discuss projects and manage tasks. This can be a huge asset, and lead to a great reduction in cost. These same rules can be applied to SEO specialists, like Diamond Pillar.

Once you have selected your domain name, and your wed developer is hired with access to your hosted domain, Step 2 is to build! It helps to outline this ahead of time. True outline format is actually beneficial.

What do you want your website to say?

What do you want your clients to see first?

What do you want your clients to find while searching?

For all products and services, the goals of a website are to intercept, interact, educate, and advertise. These 4 points are what you need to consider when deciding what to put on your website.

Intercept: how do you want them to find and contact you?

Interact: Is a forum, community chat relevant? How do you wish to communicate? Newsletters, email contact forms, social media are all good options.

Educate: What does your client base need to know about you or your service? Are there tools, topics or resources you want to direct people to?

Advertise: This is the face of our business after all! What do you want from them? Is their web presence the goal, or are you pitching a product or service? This is your media to make that clear.

Take this content and discuss with your developer. It is their job to help you display this content. Don’t forget pictures, logos, and color schemes you prefer. Another thing to keep in mind is websites are easy to update, and good websites constantly change, so don’t worry if you continue to make additions and adjustments along the way. Happy building!