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“Doughnut burger? You… as a Registered Dietitian, ate a doughnut burger?”

“Yeah, I was at the state fair with a friend and we split one. It was delicious.”

Another question. Another answer.

I began my career as a health professional as a human being. And I intend to leave this sphere as such. In between now and then, I fully itend to continue the trend.

Do I eat well? Yes. I’d say ~90% of the time is pretty accurate. Do I exercise? Yes. I’d say ~6-7 days a week, often 2x/day, is about right. But I AM HUMAN. I’m writing this because I deal with this daily. I don’t aim for that to come off as negative. I’ve learned to understand that it comes with the territory. Of course, I’m just 27 and in 10 years I may be humming a different tune. But I’d imagine it wont change significantly.

The objective of this post is to simply give an insight into a day in the life of a dietitian. Take for example eating with friends. If I order, say, a healthy version of a salad, I am critized for being overly healthly. “You WOULD get a salad.” And then we have the other hand. If I were to order fettucini alfredo, I am also critized (see intro). A lose, lose essentially. So what’s a health professional to do?

LIVE. Practice what I preach to my fullest extent, but enjoy the journey.

Hey, pobody’s nerfect.

Today was a nice morning. We finally got a cool down in the weather following yesterday’s downpour. “Perfect weather” I thought, “for a bike ride to work today.” I don’t ride to work very often, although I’d like to. But I am in and out enough that it just isn’t really all that practical. On the ride in though, I broke a bit of a sweat. And that got me to thinking about something I remember Matthew McConaughey saying a while back. His whole mantra is to “break a sweat every day.” I’m not usually one to cite celebrities when it comes to nutrition or exercise (mostly because of the extremes many of them go to… but can you blame them with millions of dollars on the line?) Either way, I think he’s got it right. Of course, I’d imagine that he personally breaks a sweat for hours on end each day. But his general advice is to Just Keep Livin (JKL), which is subsequently the name of his foundation.

I suppose I like the whole idea because of it’s simplicity. It doesn’t say to start jogging at a heart rate of 120-130 bpm for 5 mins and then increase steadily up to 170 bpm until fatigue sets in. It also doesn’t say to start your bench press with 12 reps for the first set and then, as weight is added, drop to 8 reps per set. Not that either of those is poor advice, but it’s just not for everyone.

It’s SIMPLE. And I like simple. Just break a sweat. Just Keep Livin. Don’t overanalye or overthink it. Just do it. Ah, guess I just put an unintentional plug in there for Nike, huh?

Take home message: The next time you have a “scheduled” workout that you really don’t want to do…. don’t do it. Pick a different, more enjoyable exercise that you would rather do. In the long run, you will be much more likely to remain active and enjoy these short trips around the sun.

Im writing this right now from Challis, Idaho. Four days ago my dad, brother, a family friend and I climbed Borah Peak. Doesn’t really sound like a big deal, right? Yeah I didnt think so either. I was wrong. Background time… I’ve summited Mt. Whitney in California, Mt. Elbert in Colorado, Mt. Humphrey’s in Arizona, and attempted Mt. Rainier in Washington. They are all difficult in their own right, although Rainier is certainly the most difficult with Whitney not too far behind. As a reference point, Mt. Whitney took us 19 hours. Sunday’s climb on Borah lasted 12. HOWEVER, we climbed over 1 mile… vertically… and reached heights of about 12,500 feet. And the climb was technical.

Chicken Out Ridge (COR). This is the name the locals have given the area of the mountain in which many people, well… chicken out. And for good reason. It requires hanging on by fingers and toes and scaling vertical rock walls with no safety net below. In fact a slip of the grip means, at certain points anyways, a several hundred foot fall that would put Wile E. Coyote in the ICU. Luckily for our crew, the weather held off and we were able to make it across COR without any rain, snow, or substantial winds. After COR, however, the climb becomes more of a crawl up sliding rock for rougly 1/8-1/4 mile. Again, doesnt sound like much, but after climbing for many hours and at an altitude of ~12,500 feet, it’s tough… really tough.

After reaching the summit, the really hard part kicks in. There is an old saying that goes “climbing up is optional, going down isnt.” It’s a true kick in the groin. You’ve made it! Yet you havent. And the descent is where the majority of climbing accidents occur. The reason? Tired legs, get-home-itis, lack of concentration, etc. Long story short, we made it. But it hurt and I’m feeling confident at this point of hanging up the boots and pack thankful that I’ve been lucky enough to make the climbs I have without any significant, long-term damage. That I know of at least.

As for my nutrition, I packed 2 PBJ’s on whole wheat, 2 powerbars, an apple, and beef jerky. Maybe not the epitome of a true hiker or dietitian, but not bad either. The beef jerky served 2 purposes… 1. Protein to prevent muscle soreness and 2. Salt to replace lost electrolytes. The others should be self-explanatory. For example, PBJ requires no real refrigeration, whereas a turkey sandwich would. I also carried 2 litres of water in a CamelBak pack and an additional 16 oz of sweetened green tea for extra energy and a change of flavor. If there are other RD’s reading this, you may be thinking “That’s not enough”, but keep in mind, everything you have in your pack you have to carry up. So it becomes a balancing act of weight and nutrition. I figured I could suck it up if worse came to worst. I’m tough… D-U-M… tough.

So I made it. I’m alive and just finished a white water kayaking trip this morning. So with that, I’m going to have a bite to eat. I have a plane to pilot back to Indiana tomorrow.

I got the idea for this topic while swimming in the pool the other day… because there ain’t nothing else to do while swimming except to wallow in your own thoughts. But as I went back and forth 25 yards at a time, it hit me. The key to this whole healthy lifestyle thing is about being consistent. Now I’ve known this obviously for some time, but on this day for some reason it seemed to resonate much stronger than it had before.

By consistency, I dont mean perfection. I’m talking about performing the healthy act, be it eating well or exercising, to the the point where you don’t even think about it anymore. A habit essentially. To get my point across, I don’t even really recall how long I was swimming or how far I went. Heck, I don’t even remember what day I went. Hmm, come to think of it maybe I’m not consistent but just slowly losing touch with reality. Oh well, I’m gonna enjoy the ride either way. But honestly, if go more than a day or 2 without a good workout, I feel off and my body says “hey, let’s break a sweat and get out of this funk.”

It’s the same with eating. I subconsciously gravitate towards fruits, vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, low fat dairy, etc. I don’t even go down most of the aisles in the grocery store. Probably 90% of my cart or basket gets filled from walking the perimeter of the store. I also go to the store 1-2 times per week to get fresh fruit and shaved turkey from the deli mostly. Again, I don’t think about it. I just do it.

That’s the ultimate goal I have for all of my clients. Not the losing touch with reality thing, but the subconscious thing. To get to the point where it’s second nature. It takes time, though, and there will be some hiccups along the way, but I believe anyone can do it if they set there mind to it.

Let’s face it, the gym can be an intimidating place… period. What with the skewed population of health conscious people (e.g. that girl with the toned legs and arms or the guy with biceps bigger than your quads). I applaud anyone who is willing to take the time and effort to get in there and do work. Unfortunately, that drive isn’t always channeled in the most efficient or safe way. Take for example the guy sitting at the lat pulldown machine and bringing the bar down behind his head in a jerking motion. I give his rotator cuffs 3 weeks. But today’s post isn’t so much about performing exercises in a safe manner… although I’ll get to that one of these days. It’s more about what exercises/machines are just not worth your time. Because hey, you’re busy! So why waste your valuable time on a machine or exercise that is less effective at getting you to your goals when there is a perfectly good exercise just waiting for you to try it out? I’ll segway here by busting out an old saying in the fitness industry… “The best exercise for you is the one you aren’t doing.”

Now there are plenty of “not-quite-worthless-but-not-far-from-worthless” exercises that I could point out, but I’m going to choose the top 3 or 4. Here they are:

1. The Seated Preacher Curl Machine— I don’t know who invented it, but I do know that whoever invented it didn’t have much going on upstairs. Let’s take a quick look at why it sucks. First, you are seated. This completely eliminates any core benefit you might have received had you been standing and bracing your midsection to prevent swaying. Secondly, you are seated. Yes, you read that right. I want to get this point across. By sitting and curling a bar towards you (and your arms are even braced!), you are working a muscle group the size of oranges… expending almost 0 calories. By standing and curling a bar towards you (or better yet, doing a pullup or chinup) you engage your core, back, shoulders, and chest in addition to your biceps.

2. The Calf Raise Machine— Similar to the preacher curl, you are working a rather small muscle group. If you are on this machine, you are probably looking for really defined calfs, right? Here is an alternative that will get you there quicker. You see, in order to have defined calfs (or defined ANYTHING) you need to clear away that layer of fat. And you do that by burning off more calories. So, try bodyweight or barbell squats and when you reach the top, simply do a calf raise and then repeat back into the squat. Or try out squat jumps. You can YouTube it for how to do it. Squats aren’t your thing? Might I suggest running stairs?

3. The Seated Leg Extension / Leg Curl Machine— The problem with these machines is that you are not only seated… again, but you are working your muscles in a way that they don’t function in the real world. Seriously, how many times have you found it necessary to lift an object by curling your feet up towards your body? The 2 best alternatives, by far, are the deadlift and lunge. The deadlift will focus more on your hamstrings, while lunges will ignite both your quads AND hamstrings. And best of all, you don’t need a machine to do either. Resistance can be added to make each more challenging, but even without added weight, both will hammer away at your legs and build a rock solid core.

*Note: I recommend getting with a trainer before attempting these exercises so that you can properly perform them and reduce risk of injury. Also, if there are any bodybuilders reading this, then I am sure you are fuming. Bodybuilders are excluded from this conversation because of the nature of their trade. I am more of a functional training type of guy. I hope that you all find this info useful and PLEASE, I’m always looking for ideas of things to write about, so post a comment if there is a topic you would like to have covered.

Til next time….

This one’s for my faithful follower and dear friend Joey…

You’ve been training for the “big race” now for the past umpteen weeks. Heck, you’ve even been setting your alarm an hour early each day to make sure that you get your training in. Some folks are rise and runners… not taking the time to have a little something before their morning jog, bike ride, swim, weight training session, etc. And that’s fine. Although if you’re doing it for the sole purpose of burning more fat throughout the day, I’ve got some sobering news. The research shows that it just aint the case. You’re better off to put something in your stomach such as some OJ, a banana, or a piece of toast with peanut butter. For most, anymore than that immediately before a good, solid session leaves them running… straight for the nearest toilet that is. But the energy from those foods will help to alleviate any hunger pangs and provide you with energy to get through the workout.

If the race you are competing in is at say, 8 am, then it is best to rise earlier and get in a full meal if possible. Ideally, you would want to consume the following 3-4 hours prior to the event:
– 1 bagel with peanut butter, a glass of orange juice, and a banana
– 1 bowl of cereal (low fiber) with 1% or fat free milk and pineapple with low fat cottage cheese
– 2 pancakes with syrup (little or no butter), 1 poached egg, and a glass of OJ

If you are within an hour of the race start, opt for liquids to speed up the digestive process:
– A smoothie made with milk, yogurt, and fruit
– A jelly sandwich (sans peanut butter)
– Sports gels, gummies, or bars such as a PowerBar

BUT… what if your race is AT NIGHT? Doesn’t happen very often (I sure wish it would though). The following is what should take place throughout the day, assuming the race begins at 6 pm:
– Have a normal, well-balanced breakfast of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats
– Keep fiber relatively low for the day. You’ll have jitters to worry about as it is
– HYDRATE!!! Probably should have put this in the #1 spot. Be sure to drink enough water, juice, sports drinks so that you are using the restroom about every 3 or so hours and your urine is very pale yellow, almost clear.
–  Have a lunch that consists primarily of carbohydrates like pasta, rice, and potatoes. Add a bit of protein from say, chicken or fish to keep your hunger and blood sugar levels at bay.
– Prior to the race, I recommend referring back to the aforementioned instructions on pre-race nutrition.

*Everyone is different and handles food in their own unique way. I know people who can throw down 4 pieces of pizza and then go run for an hour, no issues. Others (such as myself) require more time for digestion. TAKE HOME MESSAGE: Use your training workouts to test and see what works for YOU. And don’t forget the old saying “Nothing New on Race Day”. Do as you did in training! Then when race day comes, go have some fun and take pride in what you have accomplished. Afterwards, have yourself a margarita… Just for you Joey 🙂

I recently spent a full week in Negril, Jamaica. Also known as paradise. It was for a friend’s destination wedding, so I HAD to go. Here’s the kicker… it was at an ALL INCLUSIVE resort. I had never been to one before so the concept was new to me. If you havent been to one, all inclusive truly means all inclusive. All the food and beverages you could want anytime, day or night. Sounds great right? As a dietitian (and human), I was a bit torn. So yes, I had more desserts than I normally have and almost certainly ate more than I should have. But that got me to thinking. Not only about HOW MUCH I was eating, but the TYPES of food I was eating as well.
Jamaican cuisine, as far as I could tell, consists mostly of the following:

Chicken, fish, tropical fruits such as papaya, mango, and pineapple, veggies such as squash, cucumber, sweet potatoes, plantains, and pumpkin, coffee (GOOD coffee), and lots of seasonings… namely jerk.

So from the outside looking in (that’d be you), all’s well. But the story doesnt exactly ends well. And the reason is that they also  seem to really love their oil (aka fat). The plantains were always fried, the sweet potatoes came in the form of chips, the veggies were beyond sauteed and were so full of oil they were soggy. I also highly questioned their food safety practices once I saw an employee pushing a cart full of fresh chicken down the sidewalk in 90 degree heat, uncovered, and not on ice. Pair that with the luke warm buffet temps and you can understand my skepticism. Let’s just say there werent any ServSafe certifications on the walls.

My point is this: Just because a diet looks and sounds healthy on the outside, remember… the cooking technique can make all the difference. Keep this in mind the next time you are at a restaurant. Go by the numbers, not by the story. And thanks for reading!

Does anybody read this? I’d love some comments. Do you like it, not like it, should it be shorter, longer, different topics, etc? If it sucks, that’s fair, I’ll work on that. Just looking for some feedback. THANKS!

You cut calories. Cut booze. 8 hours sleep. More veggies. Stuck. Plateau. WTF?

First of all, CHILL. You’ve done great! Better than the vast majority of Americans. It’s time to take a look at your activity level. Maybe you’re a desk jockey. Maybe you’re a school teacher. Maybe you’re in between jobs and spending you’re days cold calling. NO WORRIES. A famous baseball player, Mickey Rivers, once said:

“Ain’t no sense worrying: If you have no control over something, ain’t no sense worrying about it -you have no control over it anyway. If you do have control, why worry? So either way, there ain’t no sense worrying.”

You just need to change it up a bit. You see, the body is an extraordinary machine. It’s ability to adapt is uncanny. Still blows my mind. NOW, I stand pretty firm in the fact that any change to the body (particularly from a weight/vanity standpoint) is 75:25 nutrition to exercise. Disagree if you will, but it’s a heck of a lot easier to cut out 2, 20 ounce sodas and a couple of Oreos than it is to run 5 miles (btw, done daily both will eliminate 500 calories from your diet and help you lose 1 lb per week).

That being said, there is NO replacement for exercise. But what is exercise? The American College of Sports Medicine, or ACSM, labels it in terms of moderate and vigorous. Moderate being walking at a brisk pace, bicycling under 10 mph, doubles tennis, ballroom dancing, etc. Vigorous would be things such as running, singles tennis, or taking a spin class. On a 1-10 scale, think of moderate as a 5-6 and vigorous as 7-10, 10 being the most difficult. The health benefits (decreased risk for such diseases as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc) seem to hit when you rack up at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week. Feeling ambitious? Kick it in high gear and do 75 minutes of vigorous each week to reap the same benefits. No time? No problem. 10 minutes here, 10 minutes there. IT ALL COUNTS! There is even emerging research that is examining the caloric expenditure of the stuff we do on a daily basis. Do you fidget in your seat? Increase. Do you push the door open instead of hitting the handicap button? Increase. The results should be interesting.

Now if you know me, I’m certifiable when it comes to exercise. LOVE IT. All kinds. Swimming, biking, running, lifting weights, rock climbing, hiking, snowboarding, surfing, skiing…. the list goes on and on. But the truth is, in terms of the health benefits, you dont have to do all that crap if you dont want to. Just do some walking or gardening. You see, thats the great thing about it… it’s so versatile. It fits everyones interests and lifestyles! Are there additional benefits to performing more exercise than 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week? Sure. And I encourage it. BUT only when you are ready. And always check with your doctor before starting any exercise regimen.

Ah, I’m not ready to quit writing yet. HEY, you know what? You, yes YOU, can do a triathlon. They are severely over-hyped in terms of their difficulty. Ok, I know what you’re thinking. “I can bike and run with some training, but the SWIM…. forget about it.” One hand in front of the other. That’s all there is to it. If you get tired or feel a cramp during the swim, just float. Take a few breaths, relax… you’ll be fine. These events have people in canoes, boats, scuba divers, etc. Most sprint tri’s are about 400-600 yards of swimming, 12-18 miles on a bike, and 3-5 miles of running. Its fun to see what you’re capable of.

I also stand firm in the stance that we, as Americans (and humans in general I suppose) are soft. I would say that 99.9% of the population (maybe even more) doesn’t know what it TRULY means to push oneself… me included. So why not suck it up and take the plunge? It’s exhilarating… might even be life changing. Healthier, stronger, happier. What do you say?