Nutrition Corner: Happy National Breakfast Month

September

Happy National Breakfast Month

With our fast-paced lifestyles, breakfast is often neglected or skipped.  Breakfast should be the first meal of the day as a way to feed your body with nourishment, spark your metabolism, give you energy and get your brain functioning. The word breakfast literally means breaking the fast after one has not eaten since the night before.

September is National Breakfast Month and this annual campaign emphasizes the importance of eating a healthy breakfast every day. This holiday celebrates many different types of breakfast from around the world. Don’t make breakfast a low priority.  Wake up to a healthy breakfast as part of a balanced diet and active lifestyle. So celebrate National Breakfast Month by starting your day with a healthy breakfast.

Healthy Breakfast Ideas

*Breakfast taco: scramble 2 egg whites (or one whole egg). Serve eggs, salsa, and low-fat cheese in corn tortilla.

*breakfast parfait: 6-8 oz plain Greek yogurt, low-fat granola and fruit

*peanut butter sandwhich: natural peanut butter and all natural jam or jelly on Trader Joes sourdough bread. Add a banana for a dose of potassium

*oatmeal made with almond milk, topped with dried cranberries or fresh fruit, and slivered almonds

If you are one of the many people who don’t make breakfast a priority, start this month by making breakfast a routine.

*For breakfast ideas and recipes contact-

Penny Glanville Matel, RDN, LDN, ACSM-CPT, ACE-AHFS, ACE-CPT

Jesse: Fall is in the Air!

Sniff, sniff, sniff…. is that fall in the air? It smells like pumpkin spice and everything nice. I love me some pumpkin spice coffee, don’t judge.

Fall is here but where did my summer go? Who knew that dedicating myself to creating a better life would also mean that time would fly by. Summer classes taking away most of my yearly adventure time I feel like I am just getting started and now I have to return back to the books for the fall semester.

It is a lot more quiet now that all the young kids are back in school (don’t pretend you didn’t just nod your head and say ‘Thank Goodness’) so we can all really focus on our health and physiques before the holidays get here and ruin everything.

If only it were that easy, right? I know I have several classes this semester and me being the dedicated student that I am means that most of every day is filled with blocks of study or class time. So full, in fact, that if I am not at the gym by 530 every morning this semester then I can kiss an opportunity to crush a workout goodbye.

Such is the sacrifice I have to make right now. There is no opportunity to say ‘eh, I can do it tomorrow’ and if there was I wouldn’t feel right taking it.

My goals this fall is to continue to lose body fat even in the face of upcoming holidays. My first attainable step for that goal is getting in my workouts even if I have to wake up at the crack of dawn to do it. With this step I know that I will have a good start to the day allowing my body to burn its fuel at peak efficiency thus helping me study/learn better and lower my bodyfat at the same time.

As far as strength goes I still have goals I am going to try and reach. Those still are a 500lb dead lift, 500lb squat and 350lb bench press. Although, I am slowing down the speed at which I reach those goals so I can focus more on the kind of lifting that will help me burn the most fat (that is what I am trying to get rid of after all). Devon (You all know who Devon is right? If not you may want to find her! ) and I have decided to go with a higher repetition, lower rest between sets type of routines. So I will reach these goals but at a slightly slower pace.

So I now invite you to harass, hound, poke, or ridicule me if you do not see me in the gym working out by 530 in the morning. You’re not up at 530? Well that’s ok feel free to find me on Facebook or twitter and ask me if I made it to the gym. 

I’ll be honest.

See you at the gym.

Nutrition Corner: August is "Kids Eat Right" Month!

Everyone has a role to play in ensuring a healthy future for our children. Kids eat right month focuses on the importance of healthy nutrition and active lifestyles for children and families.

Shop Smart: To encourage a healthy lifestyle, get your children involved in selected in selecting the food that will appear at the breakfast, lunch or dinner table. 

Cook Healthy: involve a  child in the cutting, mixing and preparation of all meals. Even a snack can be healthy. They will learn about food and may be even enticed to try new foods.

Eat Right: sit down together as a family to enjoy a wonderful meal and the opportunity to share the day’s experience with one another. Research shows families that eat together have a stronger bond and kids do better in school and have more self-confidence.

Healthy Habits: Set a good example to help kids have great and healthy habits. Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables, choose lower sodium options, and make at least half the grains your family eats whole grains. For beverages, choose water over sugary drinks, and opt for fat-free and low fat milk.

Get Moving: regular physical activity is vital for strengthening muscle and bones, promote a healthy body weight, support learning, develop social skills, and build self-esteem. Kids are encouraged to be active 60 minutes a day.  Physical activity is also a great way to spend time together.

For more healthful tips, recipes, ideas, or tips on how to reevaluate your family's eating and exercise habits, visit your Registered Dietitians at The Works Health and Family Fitness Center, or log on to www.kidseatright.org.

Penny Glanville Matel, RDN, LDN, ACSM-CPT, ACE- AHFS, ACE-CPT

Member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics