Tune to a different channel ;)

Ciaaaooo my sweetest and dearest Nutrinutters!

I have a question for you: Do you know how many times you had a meal together as a family last week?
I read an article about it the other day and it made me realize that I am guilty of not sitting with mine for a while. Anyone else out there in the same boat as me??

I remember as a kid my sisters and I, (I have 2 adorable older sisters...I am the baby or bebushe as my Albanian friend calls me, hope I didn't butcher the writing) we used to be called in to have 3 meals together: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Those were really good times...specially when it was us 3 gals still in elementary, nothing to worry about but how were we to get the cute boy's attention....so topics were very light, even if at the time, it seemed like the biggest problem I'd ever face in my existence (I was always a drama queen).

Somewhere along the way we just became too busy to have meals together. School, work and life got in the way...it is practically a miracle to get all of us one day to have dinner together....how crazy right??

So what do my little stories have to do with Nutrition? Everything! ;)

I do aaaall of the no no's: I eat watching suuuuper classy/educational shows "say yes to the dress" or working on something...sensual eating out the window!! (remember that post?? check it out if you haven't done so). Because of this, I don't relax, don't enjoy food as I should and might over eat depending on my stress.

Here are some numbers for you on how this can greatly affect kids too!

It was found that sharing at least 3 family meals per week has great nutritional health benefits in children and adolescents including:

• 12% reduction in risk of being overweight
• 20% decline in consuming unhealthy foods
• 35% decrease in disordered eating such as bingeing, purging, using diet pills, fasting, skipping meals
• 24% increase in consuming healthy foods

Interesting right?
Why do you think that not eating with the family interferes so much?

Family meals are great not only for creating amazing, precious and priceless memories but also are a great way to guide kids to eat healthier and help develop good eating habits. Remembering always that parents are the ones to set the good examples. Make healthy choices and your kids will follow.

Also, something that we must not forget is that eating is one of the pleasures in life. When eating in family, we must remember that it should be a happy and good experience. Meal time is NOT the time for parents to pick on their kids for getting detention or asking them why homework is not done. This applies for couples or even if you live with roommates too. Meal time is not the moment to discuss unpleasant or stressful topics....who wants to ruin that delicious moment with that kind of talk?

Instead, keep it light! Be playful with your company...discuss the positive things that happened in your day....whether it was a joke someone told you in school or something funny a co-worker did...and if you can't think of anything, you can always talk about the "sauza sparkling tequila" lifeguard commercial....and no, I am not advertising to drink alcohol...I am advertising HIM to the ladies :)  he loves us ladies! ;)

 - wipes drool-

Going back to having meals in family...oh yes...TURN OFF THAT TV!!!!
Here are some good reasons to do so:

• You love your family....enjoy that precious moment...you only live it once...live it well!

• Back to sensual eating, if you don't pay attention to the hunger/fullness cues your body sends you will eat more than your body needs

• Lastly, have you ever seen commercials on fruits, salads or healthy eating?? Yeah, me neither...its always the burgers, chocolate cakes, fries, pizza. Hey, I'm only human, where can I get one of those! Boom! there goes all my efforts in trying to eat healthy ;)

So I leave this for you to reflect upon:

Do you remember when's the last time you had a meal with your family? 

Was it fun, playful and relaxing? 

XOXO

-The Nutrinut-

The grand finale is always so tasty... (part 4 of "411 on proteins")

Ciao Nutrinutters!

Hope everyone has been great!!
For those of you who know me, have followed this journey to completion of my masters in Nutrition...well, not just yet, but at least I've presented my project last week and now I finally feel I can take a few breaths!

 - Celebratory dance -

But continuing where I left off a few weeks ago, I did promise that I'd discuss some ideas on pre and post workout snacks, so let's cut to the chase, shall we?


What is THE best snack to have before your gym session? The answer is.......(drum roll)
it depends what works for you!

But here's an idea of what you should be looking for:

 1- Something that does not digest too quickly
(choose high fiber foods) You need energy for entire workout after all...
 2- High Carbohydrate
 3- Low fat

Here are some ideas:
- A banana with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
- Low-fat yogurt with a fruit
- Oatmeal made with skim milk and fruit
- Trail mix with nuts and fruit
- Granola with low fat milk and fruit
- Smoothie made with low-fat yogurt, fresh fruit and wheat germ
- Carrots/Celery with humus

Notice that all options have a fruit/vegetable (great because of carbohydrate, fiber and vitamins and minerals) and a protein source. 

What kinds of foods can interfere with your performance?

High-fat protein sources such as fried meats and cheeses. This is because fat takes longer to digest and this might give you a sluggish feeling during your workout or even nausea.

As for after a workout, replenishing what was lost during is very important! If done properly, this will play a very important role in how you will feel after.

Keeping your body hydrated will help prevent the fatigue feeling that many experience after. Some good choices to accomplish this are:


- Water
- Juices (preferably fresh to obtain the most nutrients)
- Fruits that are high in water:
   > Watermelon
   > Grapes
   > Melon
   > Oranges
- Coconut water

To replenish muscle glycogen lost during workout eat foods that are rich in carbohydrate 15 minutes after your workout has ended. (follow examples of meals in pre-workout).

Keep in mind that there is no standard miracle meal plan that will work for everyone. Experiment with these options...create some of your own too....and apply to your routine what works best for you ;)

...and hydrate!! Don't forget!

- The Nutrinut -