VLounge Blog

How to Snack the Healthy Way

By Kristi Hatfield, MS, RD, LD at Viverae

When hunger strikes, it is easy to go to the nearest vending machine and grab a bag of chips or your favorite candy bar. While most people know that this is not a healthy habit, many believe that in order to be healthy or to lose weight, it is best to avoid snacks altogether and simply live with your hunger until mealtime. While mindless snacking can sabotage your health goals, planning nutritious snacks throughout the day can actually make reaching your goals much easier.

 

 Fortunately, research shows that eating often throughout the day is a great weight management strategy. So, there is no reason to skip the snacks when you are trying to lose weight!

 

Eating healthy snacks between meals will help decrease your hunger at mealtime, maintain your energy levels throughout your day, and can also increase your metabolism. Keep healthy snacks readily available to help you stay on track when you are in a bind. Consider stocking healthy snacks at your workplace, in your car or in your gym bag. When hunger strikes, you can strike back by being equipped with healthy snacks within easy reach!

 

Here are some suggestions for healthy snacks: 

• Natural peanut butter (1 tbsp) and a medium apple

• Tomato soup (1 cup) with a few whole-grain crackers

• Air-popped popcorn (3 cups) sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese

• Freshly cut veggies (baby carrots, sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes) and reduced-fat ranch dressing (2 tbsp)

• 1 toaster waffle topped with blueberries (1/2 cup) and low-fat yogurt (2 tbsp)

• Whole-wheat crackers and one slice low-fat Colby cheese

• Smoothie: fat-free milk (1 cup), strawberries (1/2 cup) and 1/2 banana

• Flour tortilla with black beans (1/4 cup) and fresh salsa

• Whole-grain dinner roll with deli turkey (1 oz), low-fat cheese (1 oz), and mustard

• Fruits and vegetables: apples, oranges, bananas, pears, grapes, berries, melon, baby carrots, pre-cut celery, peppers, grape tomatoes, sugar snap peas

•  Make your own trail mix with a small handful of nuts, dried fruit and whole grain cereal

• Granola bars and protein bars

 

Get creative and create some new snack combinations of your own! Check our Pinterest board for more snacking ideas! 

Be Active – Invest in Yourself

Being fit and active will help you feel confident, happy and alive. It doesn’t have to mean going to the gym, taking up jogging or wearing spandex. There are many ways to be active, and they don’t need to cost much money.

 

As well as releasing natural chemicals that improve your mood and make you feel happier, having an active lifestyle helps combat stress. It’s a great way to meet people and it can be a chance to give yourself a well-deserved break from the hustle and bustle of daily life – to find some quiet time.

 

Leading an active life can help raise your self-worth and improve your confidence. It can help you feel valued and value yourself. Exercise and physical activity can provide something worthwhile in your life. Something that you really enjoy, that gives you a goal to aim for and a sense of purpose.

 

How active do you need to be?

You should aim to do 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times a week. It may sound like a lot, but it isn’t as daunting as it first appears.

 

Get started

Once you have decided that you want to be more physically active, there are a few things worth thinking about: Apart from improving your physical and mental wellbeing, what else do you want to get out of being active? Maybe it’s meeting likeminded people or learning a new sport.

 

An active lifestyle doesn’t necessarily mean doing a sporty exercise, or limiting yourself to just one activity. A walk, doing housework and gardening are all physical activities.

 

What is right for you?

• Is there a specific part of your body you want to exercise?

• Do you need to be more physically active at home or at work? 

• Do you want a change of scene? 

• Do you like a structured activity or trying something different every time?

 

Long term, staying active needs sustained motivation. You’ll find your own way of doing this with time and experience. Don’t see small setbacks as failures, just something to learn from. Remember, making the regular commitment to doing physical activity is an achievement in itself.  Find ways to get active on VLife!    

 

 

A Happy Healthy Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is one of the most celebrated days that no one really understands why they are celebrating.  On May 5, 1862 in Puebla, Mexico the French army rolled into town to collect on some war debts. Defending the road to Mexico City, the local townspeople made a valiant stand against the much larger and better equipped French army. Against all logic the villagers won a huge victory that day.  Eventually, the French did take Mexico City, but the euphoria of the victory of May fifth was not forgotten.

Today, outside of Pueblo, the holiday is not as widely celebrated because people from Mexico choose to celebrate Mexican Independence Day on September 16^th.  However, in the United States Cinco de Mayo is widely celebrated by Mexicans and Americans alike and is considered the kickoff to the summer party season.

It may be tempting to loosen up your healthy eating plan, toss up the sombrero and have a few margaritas, but don’t let the festivities ruin your diet.   Here are some solutions for your own healthy fiesta!

 

Baja Fish Tacos

Ingredients

• Cooking spray

• 3/4 pound mahi mahi or other firm white fish fillets

• 2 teaspoons fajita seasoning

• 2 cups pre-sliced green cabbage (about 6 ounces)

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

• 1/2 teaspoonsalt

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

• 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

• 2 1/2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream, divided (optional)

• 1/2 avocado, pitted and diced

• Bottled salsa

• Lime wedges

Directions: Lightly spray grill rack with nonstick cooking spray, and preheat grill.  Sprinkle both sides of fish with fajita seasoning, gently pressing into flesh. Grill fish 3-4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Flake into pieces with a fork; keep warm.  In a small bowl, mix together cabbage, lime juice, salt, and cilantro.  Wrap the tortillas in paper towels, and microwave 1 minute on HIGH or until they're warm.  Place taco ingredients on the table for assembly. Spread each tortilla with 1 teaspoon of sour cream, if desired, and top with fish, cabbage mixture, and avocado. Serve with salsa and lime wedges on the side.

 

Skinny Margarita

• 1.5 oz of Tequila

• 1 tbsp of agave nectar (OR Crystal Light powdered mix: Margarita)

• 5 oz of water

• 1 oz lime juice

Directions: Combine all ingredients, mix well and serve over ice. For a frozen margarita, place all ingredients (dissolve Crystal Light in water first) in a blender with 1 cup crushed ice, and blend on high until well mixed. Optional: Garnish with a slice of lime. Serves 1 (cal: 105, fat: 0g, sodium: 15mg, carbs: 3g, protein: 0g).   If you prefer beer, then go ahead and crack open a Corona Light – don’t forget the lime!

 

Quick and Easy Guacamole

Ingredients

• 1 ripe peeled avocado, seeded

• 1 lemon, juiced

• 1 chopped, seeded, tomato

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 Directions: In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lemon juice, toss to coat. Using a potato masher add the salt and pepper and mash. Then, fold in the tomatoes and cilantro, Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.

Metabolism Boosters: Food for 2-Minute Drill

By Kristi Hatfield, MS, RD, LD at Viverae

Your metabolism is basically how efficiently your body burns fuel in the form of calories. The higher one’s metabolism is, the more calories the body burns. You even burn calories when you are breathing, sleeping, and performing high-energy tasks and exercises.  How fast your body burns calories at rest is known as your basal metabolic rate. The additional calories you burn through lifestyle activities and exercise completes your total metabolic rate.

 

Revving up your metabolism throughout your day is the key to keeping your weight down and your energy levels up for the 2-Minute Drill Challenge. That’s easy to do if you incorporate regular exercise throughout your day and know the right foods to eat.

 

Certain foods have a “thermogenic” effect, which means that they take more calories to digest than other foods. You can sometimes feel your body’s temperature rise when you eat these foods – this is a sign that your metabolism has increased to burn these foods. While these foods only make up about 5-10 percent of your metabolism, they can make a difference over time.

 

Keep these go-to foods in your kitchen to speed up your metabolism at mealtime:

 

Lean Protein – When choosing cuts of beef, pork, lamb and veal, choose the leanest you can find and trim off any excess fat before cooking. The same goes for poultry, although chicken and turkey tend to have less fat than most meat.

 

If you're looking to get your protein from fish and shellfish, the AHA recommends canned light tuna, shrimp, pollock, salmon, flounder, sole, crabmeat, catfish and clams.

 

Spices – Herbs and spices have been used medicinally for centuries to treat or prevent a variety of conditions. Cinnamon, Ginger, Cayenne and Cardamom can all be used in a variety of foods to add flavor and promote a healthy metabolism.

 

Green Tea – The health benefits of green tea are vast and include cancer prevention and a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. The herbs contained in Green Tea have a mild thermogenic effect. Take 300 mg 30 minutes before breakfast and another 300 mg 30 minutes before lunch.

  

Now it is true that your metabolism does slow down with age, however, maintaining regular physical activity levels can keep your metabolism humming. Just two minutes per day, twice per day can have excellent health benefits. Here are 10 more ways to kick your metabolism into gear. 

Physical Activity Guide - Move for 2-Minute Drill

 

By Bradley Jimerson, NSCA-CPT Viverae Wellness Director

With so many fun ways to be active – Zumba, Pilates, rollerblading and cycling, to name a few – it can be daunting to figure out what activity will best help you reach your health goals. Nonetheless, both aerobic and muscle strengthening exercise provide benefits for your health. Regular exercise helps you maintain a healthy weight and can increase your chances of living a longer healthier life.

 

Use the following information as a guide to get moving for the 2-Minute Drill Challenge:

 

What are some of the other unique benefits of physical activity?

• Strengthens your muscles, bones and joints, which reduces arthritis pain and reduces your risk for osteoporosis

• Improves your quality of sleep and helps fight depression

• Helps control your weight, blood pressure and blood sugar which prevents diabetes and heart disease

• Raises your “good” cholesterol (the cholesterol that fights heart disease)

• Helps you look and feel your best

 

What type of activities should I do?

• Aerobic activity (such as walking or swimming) increases your heart rate and strengthens your heart. It also burns calories and promotes good circulation by pumping more blood throughout the body.

• Muscle strengthening activity (such as weight training, push-ups and sit-ups) provides extra benefits not found with aerobic exercise alone. It increases your bone strength and muscular fitness and is very effective in fat loss.

• Flexibility Activity (such as stretching, yoga, or pilates) decreases tightness in the muscles, which is the number one cause of lower back pain and joint pain. It can also improve range of motion in your joints so you can perform everyday tasks better and pain free.

 

How much aerobic activity do I need?

• For moderate-intensity activities, (such as brisk walking, dancing, or raking leaves) do at least 2 hours and 30 minutes per week.

• For vigorous-intensity activities, (such as jogging, swimming laps, and jumping rope) do at least 1 hour and 15 minutes per week.

Cancer Awareness: Understanding the Basics

How much do you suppose the average person knows about cancer? The truth is, not nearly enough.

 

Cancer is one of the most widespread diseases in the world, claiming almost 600,000 lives every year in the U.S alone. Developments in cancer treatment are frequently in the news, and billions of dollars are spent on cancer research annually.  Still, how much do you fully understand about the disease? And, how is it that there can be so many diverse types of cancers that afflict virtually every part of the body?  In this article, we’ll explore cancer basics and the risk factors.

 

What is Cancer?

Cancer is the term for a group of diseases in which cells grow out of control and start to invade other tissues. Cancer cells are able to spread to other parts of the body through the blood stream and lymphatic system. But, regardless of where cancer may spread, it is always named for the place it first started growing in the body. For example, breast cancer that spread to the lungs is still called breast cancer, not lung cancer.

 

There are more than 100 different types of cancer. Colon, breast, lung, and prostate cancer are among the most common forms. It is important to note that all cancer types behave in different ways and respond differently to various treatments. Breast cancer, for example, grows at a completely different rate than lung cancer. This is the reason why cancer patients need treatments aimed at their particular cancer type.

 

What are the risk factors?

While the exact causes of cancer remain unknown, there are certain risk factors that increase the likelihood of a person developing the disease.

 

• Age – the older the person is, the higher the risk of he or she getting cancer

• Family history – if a close relative has had cancer, the risk of developing cancer is increased

• Environmental – “processed” foods, additives, and polluted air and water have all been cited as possible causes. Cigarette smoking is conclusively a cause of lung and other cancers.

 

The risk of developing cancer can be reduced by practicing a healthy lifestyle, which includes exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet, and avoiding tobacco products. If cancer runs in your family, be sure to discuss this with your doctor. The sooner a cancer is detected and treated, the better the chances of that treatment being successful.

 

What is Cancer? 

Hop Into a Healthy Easter

Big chocolate bunnies, Cadbury eggs and a big Easter meal can wreck a healthy eating plan.  When you are creating a healthy lifestyle, don’t deprive yourself of favorite indulgences. A healthy meal plan and moderation is crucial. Learn how to indulge with a few tactics in mind.  Hop into Easter with these healthy tips.

 

Five Tips for a Healthy Easter

Avoid the big chocolate bunny:   As tempting as it looks; buy small individually wrapped jelly beans and chocolate eggs. 

 

Revise the Easter basket:   Don't just pack it with candy.  Besides the candy and Easter baskets, the big meal can be a problem as well.  Purchase non-traditional gifts (books, jewelry, gift cards) which are more appreciated than candy.

 

Don’t go into meals starving:  Never sit down with an empty stomach because you will most likely overeat; instead, drink plenty of water and snack smart before to prevent spikes and dips in blood sugar levels (at just 76 calories, a hard-boiled egg is a great option).

 

Consider healthy substitutions:   Tweak traditional recipes to lower calories, fat and sugar content; try substituting applesauce for oil, skim milk for cream, egg whites for eggs, and simply reduce the amount of sugar in baked goods without sacrificing sweetness.  Also try these Weight Watcher recipes Apricot Citrus Stuffed Ham and Ginger-Sesame Asparagus.

 

Be active:  Walk before or after your big meal.  Coordinate a neighborhood Easter egg hunt or parade.  Enjoy the spring weather and get outside!

 

Enjoy Easter without gaining extra pounds in the process.

30 Different Ways to Cook Chicken

By Kristi Hatfield, MS, RD, LD at Viverae

When you think of a healthy meal you probably think of a piece of grilled chicken, steamed vegetables and a serving of whole grains. This may be great every once in a while, but most likely you will get bored by eating the same thing every day!  Don’t let your intentions to eat well be sabotaged by not knowing enough healthy recipes. It’s true that chicken is a great option, but try to add some variety by cooking your chicken in several different ways. You can also add variety by using your leftover chicken in a dish the next evening. Consider the following ideas:

 

Healthy preparation methods for chicken:

• Baking

• Grilling

• Roasting

• Slow cooking in a crock pot

• Sauteeing

 

You can also prepare your chicken with a different marinade, but keep an eye on sodium and sugar amounts in the marinades. Look for low sodium/ low sugar versions and add your own salt free herbs and spices.

• BBQ

• Honey Mustard

• Dijon Mustard

• Italian

• Spicy Mexican Salsa

• Cilantro Lime

• Lemon and Capers

• Use your imagination and come up with a new combination!

 

Make your chicken easy to hold:

• Grilled Chicken Sandwich

• Pulled Chicken Sandwich

• Ground Chicken Burger

• Chicken Salad Sandwich

• Chicken Taco

 

Bake your chicken in a casserole:

• Chicken, Broccoli, Rice Casserole

• King Ranch Chicken Casserole

• Chicken Enchilada Casserole

 

Add chicken to your favorite pasta dish:

• Chicken Spaghetti

• Broccoli Chicken Penne

• BBQ Chicken Pasta

 

Use a crock-pot or make a soup with your chicken:

• Black Bean Crock-Pot Chicken

• Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

• Chicken Noodle Soup

• Chicken and Dumplings

• Chicken and Vegetable Soup

 Top your salad with chicken:

• Grilled Chicken Green Salad

 

Be creative and come up with some new combinations of your own! Find more ideas on our Pinterest boards.

Healthy Lifestyle Choices: Live for Weigh-2-Win

By Blair Uberman, Mental Health Professional at Viverae

Throughout life you’ll be faced with numerous health choices for yourself and your family. The choices you make will ultimately influence your quality of life and cost of your care. People who learn as much as possible about their choices are often more confident in the health decisions they make.  Check out pinterest for healthy choices. 

When it comes to achieving optimum health, knowledge and discipline should guide your choices. But perhaps the most positive health decisions come from a combination of reliable medical facts and your personal values. These consist of your experiences, fears, beliefs and lifestyle, and they contribute greatly to your health choices.

 

 

 

The things you eat, drink, do and think all impact your health. Exercise and rest play a particularly big role, as does your level of physical and emotional stress. Fortunately, you have control over most of these things. By making healthy choices a priority, you are one step closer to taking charge of your overall wellbeing.

 

Lifestyle choices  are a reflection of your health. Keep in mind that your success in the Weigh-2-Win Challenge is determined by these same choices. What are some healthy lifestyle choices you’ll make to lead a longer, healthier life?

 

Developing Healthy Habits: Learn for Weigh-2-Win

By Viverae Senior Health Specialist Alex Quezada, MPH

Developing healthy habits is something that most of us add to our New Year's resolution list and never actually work on. The main reason why cultivating healthy habits is so difficult is because it requires a major shift in lifestyle, changing your routines and your life in general. Most people are simply not ready to commit to significant life changes and their attempts end in failure.

 

Nevertheless, if you learn to incorporate healthy habits into your life through different approaches, it is very possible to achieve your health goals and even lengthen your lifespan.

 

 

Develop your healthy habits action plan for the Weigh-2-Win Challenge with these approaches:

 

1. Start with simple habits. Choose something small like drinking more water or eating more fruits and veggies each day. This will make you feel successful and give you the boost to move onto something more challenging.

 

2. Give each habit one month. Pick one habit to incorporate every month and commit to following through. Tell yourself that after 30 days you can try something new if this one doesn’t work. Take it step-by-step and feel how easy it is to live well.

 

3. Learn about your healthy habit and why you need it. Before committing to a 30-day trial, write a list of benefits that come along with this habit and revisit it every time the going gets tough. Understanding why cultivating this habit will improve your life is one of the most important factors in making it permanent.

 

4. Build a support team. Let your friends and relatives know about your plans and ask them to monitor your progress. If you’re trying to avoid sweets then ask your co-workers not to offer you donuts and cookies. If you want to be more physically active, set an exercise date with a friend or significant other.

 

Learning how to develop the first healthy habit will likely be the most difficult one, but every one thereafter will only get easier. What healthy habits will you work on?