just one thing Blog
Nutrition and Lifestyle Tips ... Quick reading and lots of resources
to make doing "Just One Thing" a realistic goal!
to make doing "Just One Thing" a realistic goal!
|
Meatless Monday is not just a great idea, it’s a global movement! In collaboration with Johns Hopkins University, Meatless Monday is an effort to decrease meat consumption for our health and our planet’s health. If you are a meat eater, going just one day a week without meat, especially red meat and processed meat, is not a big sacrifice but has big benefits for you: better heart health, lower risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, healthier kidneys, and improved weight management, not to mention saving money. Eating less meat is also good for the earth: reduced use of resources (including the land and water needed to raise meat) and reduced pollution (including methane gas emissions and waste products). Meatless options are plentiful; try these plant-based foods that provide protein and other nutrients:
Check out these recipes and additional resources from the Meatless Monday website, plus read about the Meat Free Monday movement started by Paul McCartney and even more recipes here. 😊 Just One Thing to do: Enjoy Meatless Mondays for a healthier you and a healthier planet! 
0 Comments
I have been waiting months for the sound of crunching leaves under my sneakers 😊. Every Fall, I get a renewed burst of energy for exercise, since it means I can take it outside. Why should you exercise if you aren’t as excited as I am? The benefits of physical activity are numerous:
Check out more benefits from the Mayo Clinic here and remember, it does not have to be boring, strict or painful - just walking or playing are great. Find tips for making fitness fun for the whole family here. Just One Thing to do: Get outside to move a bit and make fitness fun!  I love football season, whether I’m outside playing catch or watching a game, or inside cheering on my team from the sofa. Usually watching games means snacking on fun, tasty foods and drinks. The occasional nachos and hot dogs are fine, but if you find yourself in this ritual once or twice a week, consider some more nutritious options. For beverages, have a variety of options available, including beer, light beer, alcohol with light mixers, and sparkling water. A good rule is to drink a cup of water between servings of alcohol. For hearty snacks, make pulled chicken barbecue on mini buns, turkey chili, or French dip sandwiches. For somewhat lighter fare, try chicken nachos, hummus and pita bread, or bean dip with corn tortillas. I love these sweet potato skins. Have a variety of fruits and vegetables on platters for easy munching, along with big bowls of light popcorn. Check out these links for colorful, nutritious recipes from Cooking Light and Eating Well. Just One Thing to do: Enjoy football snacking with a variety of healthful foods and drinks.   I did not coin the term “portion distortion” but I wish I had; it calls attention to our changing views and social norms about what is considered a normal amount of food to eat at one sitting.
You may have heard that restaurant portions are enough for two people, but they have actually grown large enough that one serving would be the right amount for three people. That means we need to save 2/3 to take home with us or share the meal three ways. For example, a burger at Applebee’s or TGI Friday’s can give you enough calories, fat, and sodium for more than half your day’s needs (or your whole day’s worth if you are inactive and over 60). Even if you do not eat out often, the portion distortion of restaurants have a carry-over effect, in that now people expect portions at home to be similarly large. Dinner plates have gotten larger, too, making it difficult to judge how much to serve ourselves. To reset your visual image of portion sizes, compare approximately 1 serving of each of these to the item listed: Vegetables: baseball Beans and legumes: computer mouse Meat, poultry and fish: the palm of your hands or a deck of cards Fruit: tennis ball Cheese: wine cork Peanut butter: golf ball Grains: baseball or hockey puck Check out other good visual tools here and here. Just One Thing to do: Enjoy food, real food, good food. Just don’t go overboard on portion sizes. Today we celebrate the 125th anniversary of Labor Day, a holiday honoring the American worker. Being an American worker, I am keeping my blog easy by recommending previous posts and publications! Fortunately, this information does not go out of date. If you are grilling or picnicking today, as many of us are, consider limiting processed meat (read more) and enjoying smaller beef portions (read more) as well as eating alternatives such as plant based burgers (read more). Also, be sure to follow safe grilling guidelines (read more). Lastly, don’t forget to include a variety of fruits and vegetables recommended by the DASH diet for health and longevity (newspaper article). Just One Thing to do: Have a wonderful Labor Day and happy eating!  |
My Blogs
|
RSS Feed
