Day by Day Nutrition

If we are going to conquer childhood obesity, responsible parents need to know how many calories their children need and how many calories their children are actually eating per day.

The Children’s Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine has developed an excellent tool which will give parents some insight into how many calories their kids need to consume each day whether they are sedentary or very active.  (http://www.bcm.edu/cnrc/healthyeatingcalculator/eatingCal.html).

Keeping a Food Diary/Journal to get an idea of how many calories your child is eating at mealtime, between meals, types and amounts of fluids are drinking is an effective way to track calories.  Patents can get most nutritional information from food labels. Meat and seafood along with produce typically have nutrition information listed at the meat & fresh produce department. Matching the calories eaten versus the calories needed will help parents to determine what strategies need to be employed to help their child lose or gain weight or excel at their sports.  

Activity Definitions for Baylor College of Medicine Healthy Eating Calculator

Inactive: no activity

Low: less than 1 hour a day

Moderate: about 1 hour a day

High: more than 1 hour a day

Translating Calories Into a Plate Full of Food

In addition to calories and BMI, the Baylor College of Medicine tool breaks down the calories into food groups from the Food Guide Pyramid (www.mypyramid.gov).

Table 1. What Counts as a Serving?

Grains Single serving size = 1 oz serving

Bread                                                      1 slice, 1 oz (28 g)

Tortilla                                                   1 small flour, 1 corn

Tortilla                                                   8” diameter = 2 oz

Roll, biscuit, or scone                            1 small (2 in. in diameter)

Bagel                                                       1 oz, 1 mini (2.5 in. in diameter)

Hamburger bun, English muffin          ½

Cornbread                                              2 ½ X 2 ½ X 1 ¼” high = 1 oz

Ready-to-eat cereal                             1 cup

Pasta, rice                                              ½ cup, cooked

Bulgur, millet, buckwheat                     ½ cup, cooked

Oatmeal                                                 ½ cup, cooked, 1 instant packet

Whole wheat crackers                          5

Saltines                                                  7

Pancake                                                  1 (4 in diameter)

Pretzels                                                  1 oz

Popcorn                                                  3 cups, popped

Vegetables Single serving size = 1 cup

Leafy greens (lettuce, spinach)           2 cups raw, 1 cup cooked

Greens (collard, kale, turnip)                               1 cup cooked

Raw or cooked vegetables                    1 cup

Tomato or vegetable juice                   1 cup

Spaghetti sauce                                    1 cup

Carrots                                                   2 medium or  12 baby

Baked or boiled potato                         1 medium

Mashed potatoes                                   1 cup

Sweet potato                                         1 large

Corn                                                        1 cup or a large ear

Cooked corn, green beans, peas          1 cup

Cooked broccoli, baby carrots            1 cup

Fruits Single serving size = 1 cup

Banana                                                    1 large ( 8 to 9 in.) – 1 cup serving

Applesauce                                             1 cup

Chopped, cooked, canned fruit           1 cup

Cantaloupe                                             1/8 medium

Grapefruit                                             ½

100% fruit juice                                    1 cup

Dried fruit                                             ½ cup

Apple                                                      1 small  – 1 cup serving

Grapes                                                    30 – 1 cup serving

Mango                                                     1 medium – 1 cup

Orange                                                   1 medium – 1 cup

Peach                                                      1 large – 1 cup

Plums                                                      2 large – 1 cup

Raisins                                                    ¼ cup – ½ cup

Strawberries                                         1 cup

Milk Single serving size = 1 cup

Milk                                                         1 cup

Soy milk                                                 1 cup

Yogurt                                                    1 cup, 1 regular container

Frozen yogurt                                        1 cup

Hard cheese (cheddar, swiss,

Mozzarella, parmesan)                        1 ½ oz

Shredded cheese                                  1/3 cup

Ricotta cheese                                       ½ cup

Meat & Beans Single serving size = 1 oz

Lean beef, pork, ham                            1 oz cooked

Chicken, turkey (without skin)             1 oz cooked

Fish, shellfish                                         1 oz cooked

Legumes (dried beans, peas, lentils)   ¼ cup, cooked

Baked, refried beans                            ¼ cup

Hummus                                                  2 tbsp

Tofu                                                       ¼ cup (2 oz or 56 g)

Tempeh                                                  1 oz cooked

Roasted soybeans                                 ¼ cup

Egg                                                          1

Peanut butter                                        1 tbsp

Oils Single serving size = 5 grams of fat/1 tsp

Vegetable oils                                        count 1 tbsp as 3 tsp

Soft margarine (trans free)                                count 1 tbsp as 2 tsp

Mayonnaise                                            count 1 tbsp as 2 tsp

Light mayonnaise                                   count 1 tbsp as 1 tsp

Salad dressing                                       count 1 tbsp as 2 tsp

Olives                                                      count 8 large as 1 tsp

Avocado                                                 count ½ medium as 3 tsp

Examples of Extras (discretionary calories)

Regular soft drink                                 12 oz can = +155 calories

Cream cheese                                        1 tbsp = +50 calories

Light cream cheese                               1 tbsp = +25 calories

Cheese sauce                                         ¼ cup = +75 calories

Croissant                                                                1 medium (2 oz) = +95 calories

French fries (chips)                              1 medium order = +325 calories

Fried chicken (skin & batter)                               3 wings = + 335 calories

www.MyPyramid.gov

Barbara Day, M.S., R.D., C.N., is a registered dietitian with a Master’s Degree in clinical nutrition.  The former publisher of Kentuckiana HealthFitness Magazine, Kentuckiana Healthy Woman magazine and radio show host of Health News You Can Use, Barbara has over 30 years of experience in promoting healthy lifestyles to consumers.  Barbara has private practice, DayByDay Nutrition, www.DayByDayNutrition.com, where she counsels clients on weight loss, cholesterol management, performance nutrition and an array of other medical issues.  Barbara writes nutrition and health columns for www.LiveStrong.com. She also designs and presents employee wellness programs to small and large businesses. Barbara is a runner, cyclist, hiker and a mother and grandmother to 9 grandchildren.

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When increasing your strength for overall health, you need a resistive force applied to your body that is greater than normal. This resistance can be provided by machines, your own body weight, free weights, or rubber resistance tubing or flat band.

Looking Good & Stronger for the Long Haul

Strength/resistance training  can help me get that toned arms buff look so I can wear those sleeveless dresses & tops.  Not only do exercise bands help with the toning but they also help make me stronger so I can carry my grandkids when needed & play with them, too.

Even though I personally have access to weight machines and free weights when I travel  I always take my exercise tubing. When I am stuck in an airport waiting, I can briskly walk to get my heart rate up then use my exercise tubing to help tone my arms. Using my own body weight, doing push-ups in airport might be a little over the top.  Unlike weight machines, strength bands are portable and inexpensive and offer a versatile workout.

Inexpensive Way to Increase Strength

The exercise tubing is a 4 foot-long tube with plastic handles. You can get the tubes at Target®, Walmart® or Dick’s®. The bands range in price from $5 to $15. Some bands come with instructions on how to perform the exercises effectively. You can also purchase instructional videos for $20 to $50.  You can also hire a personal trainer to teach you how to effectively use the bands to help make you stronger. Nothing worse than investing your time in fitness only to find out you were inappropriately doing the exercises and you get injured or don’t get the results you intended.

Choosing the Correct Strength & Fitness Level

It’s best to go by your current strength and fitness level, not by what strength or fitness level you would like to be. Picking the correct level will help you to work your muscles more effectively and prevent injuries as well. The product packaging should specify what level the tubing is rated for. It might be worthwhile to get at least 2 resistance levels. You can use the lighter levels for smaller muscle groups and more resistance for large muscle groups.

• Extra light – rehab, frail people
• Light – rehab, some women
• Medium – average, untrained women, some older men
• Heavy – average untrained men, active women
• Extra-heavy – active men, strong women
• Ultra-heavy – strong men, women bodybuilder

Don’t Delay Pick Up Your Strength Today

Strength training is as easy as 1,2, 3 if you use exercise tubing at least twice a week. You’ll look great, feel good and be able to get stronger and maintain the strength so you can do all the things you want to do to keep active.

Barbara Day, M.S., R.D., C.N., is a registered dietitian with a Master’s Degree in clinical nutrition.  The former publisher of Kentuckiana HealthFitness Magazine, Kentuckiana Healthy Woman magazine and radio show host of Health News You Can Use, Barbara has over 30 years of experience in promoting healthy lifestyles to consumers.  Barbara has private practice, DayByDay Nutrition, www.DayByDayNutrition.com, where she counsels clients on weight loss, cholesterol management, performance nutrition and an array of other medical issues.  Barbara writes nutrition and health columns for www.LiveStrong.com. She also designs and presents employee wellness programs to small and large businesses. Barbara is a runner, cyclist, hiker and a mother and grandmother to 9 grandchildren.

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Hot weather has arrived in the Ohio Valley. Usually I run in my neighborhood but today I decided to run through Seneca Park and Cherokee Park. There was plenty of shade but it was still hot. After my run, I was hot and sweaty but I had trusty Seat Shield™  to put over my leather seats which made the ride home more comfortable.

I have an EliteSport™ SeatShield™ and  I keep mine folded in my car when not being used so it’s conveniently available after I’ve been working out. I hate to peel myself out of the car after I have literally stuck to the seat.

The SeatShield™ is a high tech, multi-layered seat cover that can be slipped over your car seat in seconds and can be easily stored when not needed.  Unlike a towel, the SeatShield stays in place.  There are three different types of SeatShields: the AllSport™ UltraSport™ and the Elite Sport™.   All are made out of a tri-laminate material which contains a waterproof/breathable middle layer. The AllSport™ top layer is made of a synthetic non-woven microfiber that becomes soft with use.  The top layer for the UltraSport™ is a velour microfiber that is very soft and durable which allows the SeatShield to fit better on the leather seats. Because the UltraSport has a mesh bottom layer it works well on leather or cloth seats.  The Elite Sport™ has the same top material as the Ultrasport but the Elite Sport™ has a special undercoating that provides a very grippy surface made especially for leather seats.  In addition, it keeps the leather seats cool in the summertime.  All the  Seat Shield™s have a top surface that wicks away the moisture from you so it can evaporate quickly. All the Seat Sheild™’s are washable. I lin99e dry mine.

All Seat Shields are odor-resistance containing a permanent anti-microbial treatment to kill odor causing bacteria. However, if you sweat a lot after your workouts you might want to purchase the UltraSport™ or the EliteSport™ because they remain waterproof not matter how much moisture is expelled from a heavy amount of perspiration.

All SeatShields fits any car with a headrest including SUV’s and trucks with a 60/40 bench.  The AllSport sells for $19.95, the UltraSport sells for $29.95 and the EliteShield™ sells for $34.95 (www.SeatShield.com or 1-888-643-8976).  The AllSport comes in only light gray  and weighs about 4 ounces.  The UltraSport and EliteSport™ comes in two colors: gray, black and beige.  They weigh approximately 12 ounces.

Barbara Day, M.S., R.D., C.N., is a registered dietitian with a Master’s Degree in clinical nutrition.  The former publisher of Kentuckiana HealthFitness Magazine, Kentuckiana Healthy Woman magazine and radio show host of Health News You Can Use, Barbara has over 30 years of experience in promoting healthy lifestyles to consumers.  Barbara has private practice, DayByDay Nutrition, www.DayByDayNutrition.com, where she counsels clients on weight loss, cholesterol management, performance nutrition and an array of other medical issues.  Barbara writes nutrition and health columns for www.LiveStrong.com. She also designs and presents employee wellness programs to small and large businesses. Barbara is a runner, cyclist, hiker and a mother and grandmother to 9 grandchildren.

Top is the Allsport, middle is the Ultra and bottom is the Elite.

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The best foods to eat before a workout depends on how much time you have to eat before the workout and the type of workout. If you are working out early in the morning, eating a snack which contains less than 300 calories and very little fat is recommended.  Breakfast means to break the fast. You workout will be more effective if you eat something. You wouldn’t think of driving your car 100 miles on empty would you? The amount and type of foods you eat are very individual. Some suggestions include: Carnation Instant Breakfast mixed with skim milk,  low-fat yogurt plus 8 oz of water, sport drink or diluted juice, a breakfast bar or energy bar that contains 3 to 4 times as many carbs as protein plus 8 oz water. 1 slice of toast with 1 tbsp jam, jelly or honey (skip the butter) plus 8 oz water or sport drink, 1 large banana plus 8 ounces of sport drink or diluted juice.

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I can’t remember how many Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathons I have actually run.  It’s more than 15. I have been a runner since 1974. I started running initially because I couldn’t lose my baby weight from my first son, Chris. Fast forward to 2010, still running but much slower. My fastest 10K time was 43 minutes and a few seconds, fastest 5K 19 minutes and some seconds. Saturday, I finished in a very slow uninspiring time, 2:33:31. I did not finish first or last. All the participants are WINNERS in my book.

Hanging Out with the Younger Folks

My son, Jon, and some of his friends ran the miniMarathon. Jon drove in from INDY and his friend, Jon Dried and Jon’s wife, Beth drove in from Chicago. Another friend, Cory, and his wife, Stephanie, ran the mini as well.  We all were dropped off together but pretty much ran our own pace. This is the first year in 15 years of running the mini that I didn’t take a camera. Usually I take pictures and write a column called Hot Shots about the run.  I didn’t take my camera because of the rain.  Best sign on the course: Scott has a case of the runs!

Cory & Stephanie, Jon & Beth, and Jon Day

A New Starting Line & Finish Line

At the start time, it was raining but the rain stopped and it turned out to be a great morning for the run. The start was at a different place this year but proved to be easier to get in and out of if you were dropping off a runner or walker.

Several years ago they re-routed the mini & marathon to include a run through Churchill Downs. A short run around the infield at Churchill Downs with the horses and jockeys taking notice of the runners on foot, turns out to be a very popular part of the run/walk.

The course this year changed when you approach the finish line. In the past the finish line was in front of the Kentucky International Convention Center but was moved to River Road by Slugger Field.  After the finish and the trip through water, sport drink and food tables, runners & walkers were routed down to the Derby Festival Fest-A-Ville at the Waterfront which created a fun destination for out-of-town runners and walkers.   Lots of runners and their families were able to greet and meet on the Waterfront.

This year it seemed like the Kentucky Derby Festival  miniMarathon & Marathon sponsored by Wal-Mart had finally officially reached a level that compares with larger destination races.  Registration closed at 15,000 runners that’s about double from several years ago. Congratulations to the race committee and thanks to all the volunteers who made the race possible!

The bands on the miniMarathon course were appreciated as well as the people who had their car radios on, their boom boxes on and just clapped and cheered as the runners & walkers passed by.

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Glucosamine and chondroitin occur naturally in the body.  Glucosamine in supplements comes from the shells of crabs whereas chondroitin sulfate is generally derived from cow cartilage but pig and chicken has also been used.  A study sponsored by National Institutes of Health (NIH) showed that the combination of both glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate seems to be effective in the pain management in osteoarthritis patients with moderate to severe knee pain.  Glucosamine promotes the formation and repair of cartilage whereas chondroitin is supposed to promote water retention and elasticity and inhibits enzymes that break down cartilage. I have used the combination for many years and found them as an effective way to manage my psoriatic arthritis. The trick is to ensure the supplement you purchase has the right stuff.  Go to www.consumerlab.com to make sure the supplement you choose has what the label suggests.

Image from: www.naturalpath.com.

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When I heard about the three Navy SEALs being charged with mistreating a terrorist, I was very disappointed in the Navy. The fact that the terrorist in question did not voice his complaint until sometime after he was jailed is very suspicious.  Plus terrorists are taught to insinuate that they have been tortured as part of their training is also part of the equation. As a person who was involved in the training of SEALs as well as working with SEAL teams, SEALs have an extremely tough job.

I first learned about the Navy SEALs when I was also the first research nutritionist at the Human Performance Lab at the military’s tri-service medical school, Uniformed Services University of the   Health Sciences (USUHS) in Bethesda, MD in mid 80’s.   During my time at USUHS, one of the research areas I was responsible for was a project working with the NAVY SEALs.  In fact, as a result of my research at USUHS, I ended being a nutrition consultant with the Navy SEAL trainees and then I worked with the SEAL teams in Coronado, CA for the next 8 years.

If you really want to get an in depth look at what the Navy SEALs do and who they are, you need to read the #1 National Bestseller, Lone Survivor written by Marcus Luttrell (www.amazon.com). The book details the ABCs of SEAL training and also some of the actual SEAL missions.  As a result of reading Luttrell’s book, you may gain some perspectives and insights as to what the Navy SEALs are trained to do and how  important they are in keeping terrorists out of America.

After reading Lone Survivor, you may even understand that the war on terror (I know that’s not what the Obama administration calls it) is not like any wars that we have fought in the past. In fact, in the mid 80’s when I started working with the SEALs, the whole point of the research was how to keep more SEAL trainees from bailing out. At that point in time, the Navy wanted to train twice as many SEALs due to the fact that the next war (which is the one we are raging today) was going to be a terroristic type war.  It’s amazing to me that in the 80’s our military was already predicting what happened on September 11, 2001. When I was working with the SEALs, they were recruited from within the Navy populations, today the Navy recruits a different way for the SEALs. They recruit high school & college athletes. If they can make the cut from passing a series of physical testing they join the ranks of the Navy. The recruits take a basic training in the Navy and then are put through the vigors of 6 months of training at Coronado, CA. You can read the specifics about the training in Lone Survivor.

Successfully completing SEAL training is definitely a mind over matter situation! Some SEAL trainees are forced to bailout due to injuries. Looking at nutrition and injuries were areas of the research we were involved in as a lab. We learned that many trainees were not fueling their bodies properly, were dehydrated so when our nutrition strategies were implemented the SEALs found these suggestions to be very helpful in retention. In addition, the orthopedic surgeons affiliated with our lab were able to make some training suggestions that would help with injury prevention.

When I worked with the SEAL trainees, our lab worked with three separate classes and followed them through training to graduation. I learned firsthand that the mind could take your body further than the textbook thought it could. We participated in 3 Hell Weeks which was pure hell for us, all though we were just observers. One of my jobs was to calculate how many calories and fluids the trainees needed and also how many calories they were eating for their 4 meals a day. They typically ate midnight rats. Unlike Ranger training, SEAL trainees were sleep deprived not food deprived.

If you want to learn more about the Navy SEALs read Marcus Luttrell’s Lone Survivor or go to http://www.sealchallenge.navy.mil

Images from: www.Navy.mil.

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My son, Jon, called me several months ago about a new app that he found for his I Touch called Lose It! Jon is a runner and very health conscious.  He is on a mission to ensure he’s maintaining a healthy lifestyle even though he works a lot of hours.  Jon is a radiology resident and is constantly faced with time management as well as making good food choices when he’s very busy.  He’s been very successful at controlling his weight even though he works lots of hours and also has to balance his time for his wife and three kids.

Jon has been so successful at maintaining his weight he has told a lot of his friends and family about the Lose It! program as well. My husband, Ordie, is currently using the Lose It! to help him maintain his weight as well.

As a dietitian, I have always encouraged my clients to keep food diaries but using this Lose It! App makes it incredibly easy for me and my clients as well. But the one drawback is that you have to have either an I Touch or I Phone.

Lose It! is free app that you can download directly to your I Phone or I Touch. For more information about this weight loss app you can go to www.loseit.com.

Getting Started

To start the Lose It! Process you need to get an accurate weight. Then you need to decide how many pounds you want to lose per week. The program then determines your daily calorie budget. The number of calories you burn at rest is estimated using a standard formula on height, weight, age and gender using the Mifflin equation. If you have had a resting metabolic rate using the Med Gem or Body Gem you can manually add this number of calories. You can adjust this daily calorie budget using the Adjustment field under the Daily Calorie Budget screen.  Next you begin to add your foods for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. You can add custom foods that are not in the database and also add custom recipes as well.  In addition to you can add your specific nutrient preferences as well.

Exercise Calories

The exercise database is exceptional.  The calories burned are based on your individual weight.  It’s very interesting to scroll through the exercise to see how many calories can be burned for example I can burn 225 calories on an  elliptical for 30 minutes of exercise, burn 161 calories for hiking for 30 minutes, burn 225 calories running 30 minutes or burn 74 calories walking for 30 minutes.

Motivators

You can set up motivators to keep you on track.  These motivators include: reminders on your phone when you forget to log, daily or weekly emails that share your progress with others, and sharing your progress on Twitter and Facebook.  You can also add friends as motivators.  I am getting daily updates on my I Phone about how well my son, Jon, is doing with his commitment to exercise and eating healthfully.  This information tells me how many calories he ate, was he over or under and also how much he exercised.

Try Lose It! I think you will like it and find it useful in helping you to lose and maintain a weight loss, too!

Image from: www.longevityclubs.com.

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Know Your Numbers – How Many Calories You Need Each Day.

Knowing how many calories you need each day will help you to determine how many calories you can eat.  You can figure out your calorie requirement by going to www.mypyramid.gov.  There is lots of really great information on this website:  food guide pyramids for every age group, nutrition tips, recipes, menus, plus an array of exercise tips.  Or you can have your resting metabolic rate analyzed individually rather than depending on a formula to estimate your needs.  A resting metabolic rate test would give you a more realistic number of calories you personally need each day (www.DayByDayNutrition.com).  Once you determine your resting metabolic rate, then you need to determine how many calories you actually burn being active.

Not All Activities are Created Equal in Calorie Burn

If you weigh 130 pounds and leisurely walk on an asphalt road for 30 minutes, you can burn 141 calories.  But if you kick it up a notch and walked 4 miles per hour for 30 minutes, you could burn 171 calories. But if you run an 11 minute mile you could burn 237 calories for 30 minutes (7.9 X 30 minutes = 237 calories). The current US Dietary Guidelines suggest if you want to lose weight, you need to exercise at least 60 minutes a day.  As you can see, a 30-minute stroll maybe with a friend or walking your dog does burn some calories but not enough to elicit an effective weight loss.

Moderate – intensity exercise which is the type of exercise that help one lose weight is exercise where you noticeably increases your heart rate and your breathing rate. You can talk but you can’t sing. Examples: ballroom or line dancing, biking on relatively level ground, canoeing, doubles tennis, sports where you catch and throw (baseball, volleyball), walking briskly and water aerobics.  Vigorous exercise occurs when your heart is beating noticeably faster and you are probably sweating.  You can only say a few words before you catch your breath.  Examples: aerobic or fast dancing, biking more than 10 mph, hiking uphill, jogging, jumping rope, martial arts (karate, etc), race walking, running, singles tennis, sports with a lot of running (basketball, hockey, soccer) swimming fast or swimming laps (www.health.gov/paguidelines/committeereport).

To get a more realistic number of calories burned when exercising you could use a heart rate monitor.  You heart rate needs to go up if you are using your exercise to help you burn more calories.  While it’s true if you are out walking you are not being a couch potato but you are not burning a lot of calories either.  Note: I personally use a FT 40 Polar® Heart Rate Monitor which tells me how many calories I burn after an exercise bout which I personally find very useful (retails for $179; Amazon under $150).

The take home message here is you can tack on the active calories to your actual calorie needs and you will break even: calories in vs.  calories out = weight maintenance.  But if you want to lose weight, you need to either burn more active calories or just simply eat less.  However, eating too few calories may end of being counter productive.  Typically, when I am working with a client, I expect them to commit to burn at least 250 calories each day if they are not currently exercising and then move them over time to commit to at least a 500 calorie burn each day.

Keep a Food and Activity Record for Effective Weight Loss

It’s no secret.  People who lose weight and keep it off, religiously keep a food and activity diary, according to the National Weight Loss Registry (www.nwcr.ws).   It’s similar to keeping track of how much money you have in the bank through your checkbook.  In addition, there is variety of ways how NWCR members keep the weight off. They report continuing to maintain a low calorie, low fat diet and also doing high levels of activity (N = 5,000).  Here are some interesting facts from the data collected: 78% eat breakfast every day; 75% weigh at least once a week; 62% watch less than 10 hours of TV per week; and 90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day.

For effective weight loss here’s some basic recommendations: Be wise and exercise.  To downsize you need to portion size.  Eat more of the best and less of the rest.

Image from: www.Sacromentoscoop.com

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