A CDE is a Certified Diabetes Educator and is a health professional that has extensive knowledge and experience with prediabetes, diabetes prevention, and management. They help to educate and support those with diabetes to help them learn more and better understand what having diabetes really means.

How do They Help?

An RD or CDE is able to help you choose nutritious foods and help maintain and control portion sizes to aid in keeping blood sugar levels stable. A registered dietician, also known as an RD, provides nutritional therapy so you can better manage the disease while also being sure that you are still receiving all the essential nutrients you need in your daily diet.

What to Avoid

If you have diabetes, then there are going to be several different foods, especially carbs, that you should avoid. If your diabetes is not treated and controlled, then you may face a series of other problems including heart disease, kidney disease, and even blindness.

Carbs typically include starches, sugars, and fiber. Of these carbs, fiber is the only one that isn’t digested and absorbed by the body like starches and sugar which means that fiber will not raise your blood sugar.

• Sweet Beverages should be avoided because they are extremely high in carbs and are packed full of fructose. Fructose can even lead to insulin resistance and may even increase your chances of other diabetes related problems.
• Trans fats found in foods like peanut butter and frozen dinners are best to avoid as well. They will not raise blood sugar levels but can lead to increased inflammation and insulin resistance
• White breads, pastas, and rice can also increase blood sugar levels, and they contain only small amounts of fiber, so they will also slow down the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream

For more information on what foods to avoid, a nutrition counselor or dietician will be able to help. It is also good to introduce more exercise into your routine, whether it is with a personal trainer one on one or even small group training with others.

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If you are a person that tends to follow fitness and health trends and news, then you may have already heard of something known as the alkaline diet. The alkaline diet suggests that we replace any acid-forming foods in our diet with alkaline foods so we can start to improve our health. There are also several claims that this type of diet can help fight more serious health problems down the road such as cancer.

Is it too good to be true?

While the alkaline diet may seem a bit too good to be true and even misleading at times, it may actually work.

How Does It Work?

When we eat foods, our body does the work of metabolizing these foods and taking the energy from them. When we begin to burn these foods, we end up leaving what is known as an ash residue. The ash that is left behind may be either acidic or alkaline and may directly affect the overall acidity found within our bodies.

Simply put, if you are eating more acidic foods, then your body will be more acidic. Likewise, if you eat more alkaline foods, then your body will be more alkaline. Neutral ash will have no other effect on the body, which is why it is known to be neutral.

Types of Foods

• Acidic foods fall into the meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs, grain, and alcohol groups
• Alkaline foods include more fruits, nuts, legumes, and vegetables
• Neutral foods include natural fats, starches, and even sugars

pH Levels in the Body

The pH levels are used to measure how acidic or alkaline something would be. The range of these pH levels runs between zero and fourteen on a scale. If it is 0 to 7 then it is considered to be more acidic, 7 remains a neutral number, and everything else up to fourteen is considered alkaline.

Does an Alkaline Diet Work?

While the alkaline diet is still under investigation with more research being conducted, it has been found to be a pretty healthy diet to follow. The diet encourages us to eat more fruits and vegetables while saying no to processed foods and junk foods. However, with that being said, it really doesn’t have a lot to do with being either acidic or alkaline. Rather, it has to do with avoiding those unhealthy and processed foods and exchanging them for healthier alternatives.

A nutrition counselor would be someone to advise if you have any questions about your current diet or any of the foods you eat. A nutrition counselor can also help you come up with a plan to begin leading a healthier lifestyle with better foods and more exercise.

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Even if you are health conscious and try to make all your meals at home so you can avoid the added sugar, carbs, and other not so healthy stuff you can encounter with take-out food and eating out, it is important to note that there are still going to be a few days here and there when you are just not feeling up to the task of making that meal at home.

Eating out at restaurants is not something you have to completely skip in order to stay healthy. It all comes down to the choices you make. Follow these easy tips for a successful and guilt free outing.

Plan Ahead

Know where you are going to go? Then check the menu online beforehand so you can see the choices you will have. Most restaurants these days will have their menus posted online and being able to stack these choices up to other restaurants will prove to be an advantage when finding something good to eat without sacrificing flavor.

Avoid the Extra Carbs

Most restaurants will offer free bread or chips when you sit down. While this free snack is easy, within reach, and tempting, it might be best to say no thank you so you can keep your health goals on track. All it will do is fill you up and offers virtually no nutritional advantage.

Speak Up

When out, do not be afraid to speak up and ask any questions you may have such as what kind of oil is used to cook the food and if they have gluten-free options. Even if you are not troubled with any food sensitivities, a gluten-free meal is definitely a step in the right direction.

Have Fun

Overall, don’t stress yourself out too much when it comes to making these healthy choices while you are out. The entire point of going out is to have fun and experience something different for the night, so don’t weigh down the fun with calorie counting and worrying over whether or not that salad had low-fat dressing or if that piece of bread you snuck was going to undo the week of work you put in at the gym.

Experience life, stay as healthy as you can and seek advice from a nutritional coach or personal trainer if you are feeling overwhelmed or have a few questions as to what healthy choices would be when going out.

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If you have a job that keeps you constantly on the move or you travel a lot, then you may feel that it is a lot harder to stay healthy because you are always on your way. However, there are several things you can do to stay healthy even when you are on the move.

Sleep

Your body needs plenty of sleep, and this is especially true if you lead a very active lifestyle. Traveling can definitely take a toll on your body, especially if you find yourself walking a lot, carrying a lot of luggage, and not seeing a lot of downtime.

Stopping to relax and sleep is the best way to reenergize your body and get you ready for the next day.

Walk

Walking is great exercise and may be the only exercise you have time for if you are constantly on the go. Take advantage of this during the day and get your daily exercise in without having to stop and go to the gym. Walking instead of driving or taking the stairs instead of an elevator are all healthy steps you can take.

Don’t Skip Breakfast

Breakfast is important because it will provide you with the energy you will need to start your day. Even if you can just make time for a smoothie, it is better than nothing and will provide you with the fuel you need until you can stop for lunch.

Oatmeal, a quick smoothie, or even a breakfast bar are all good options if you can’t find time to sit down and eat a full meal.

Drink Water

Staying hydrated is always important. Carry a water bottle with you throughout the day if you are not going to have time to stop and drink water, so you remain feeling energized and focused, rather than sluggish.

Staying healthy while traveling or on the go does not have to be hard to do. Following a few simple tips and finding the time to take care of yourself is really all you need to do to keep your body healthy and strong until you can return home and get back into your regular routine with your personal trainer or even small group fitness session.

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A nutritionist is someone who can help advise you on food and nutrition and how the choices you make in these areas can impact your overall health. You can find nutritionists in many different settings including the gym, hospital, doctors’ office, or even schools and they can offer more customized information for people depending on their current lifestyle and risk factors.

Role of a Nutritionist

A nutritionist will typically begin by explaining what nutrition is and why it is important. They will then have a conversation with you to determine your particular health needs and find out more about your current diet. With all this detailed information, they can then help you come up with a meal plan that can help guide you in a healthier direction.

Benefits of a Nutritionist

Other than being able to provide you with more reliable information, they can offer counseling and instruction as well. They want to make sure to provide you with the proper tools you need in order to begin making your own healthy choices. They don’t want just to sit there and tell you what you can and cannot do.

For long-term results, you have to take it upon yourself to take an interest in your overall health and happiness and work toward a goal.

A nutrition counselor can also offer special diet recommendations for people that may experience chronic health problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, or even heart disease. They often work closely with physicians to help create better diet plans for people that need more specialized instruction.

They can also help you develop recipes and show you the different ways in which you can work with raw or fresh ingredients and will take particular care if you are prone to any kind of food allergies.

Leading a healthier lifestyle is not something that you have to do on your own. There is always help and guidance available when needed. Sometimes it is best to seek advice and recommendations, especially if you find that you have a lot of questions that you haven’t been able to find direct answers for.

Having the support of a nutrition counselor and even a personal trainer can also help keep you focused and motivated, and they will further encourage you to reach all your weight loss and health goals while providing you with essential tools for the future.

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Brining is a wonderful method for fast, flavorful salmon fillets. The cool thing about this quick brine is that it only takes 15 minutes. Let the fillets brine while you heat up the grill, set the table, and prepare a salad. Then the fillets cook directly on a nonstick skillet (or when I do many fillets I’ll use my pancake griddle) and are done in under 15 minutes.

Why’d I call these fillets “buttery” when there is no butter involved? This you’ll understand once you take that first bite – the buttery quality of the brined salmon is impossible to miss. And it’s oh so enjoyable! I recommend making enough to enjoy leftovers the next day.

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

Servings: 4

Here’s what you need

8 cups water
½ cup kosher (coarse) salt
1 Tablespoon cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon lemon zest
4 (6oz) salmon fillets, skins on
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. In a large bowl combine the water, kosher salt, black pepper and lemon zest. Whisk until the salt has dissolved. Add the salmon fillets and let soak for 15 minutes. Remove from the water and pat dry with paper towels.
2. In a small bowl combine the teaspoon of sea salt with the teaspoon of black pepper.
3. Place a large, nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle half of the salt and pepper mixture over the skillet and add the salmon fillets, skin side down. Cook until the salmon skins are browned and crispy, about 8 minutes, and sprinkle the remaining salt and pepper mixture over the tops of the fillets. Flip the fillets and cook for an additional 8 minutes, until flaky and done. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Nutritional Analysis

274 calories, 12g fat, 2g carbohydrate, 0g sugar, 564mg sodium, 1g fiber, and 40g protein.

I hope that you get a chance to give this recipe a try this week. Remember that I’m only a call or email away to assist you in all things fitness. And if you are not yet one of my prized clients then call or email me now to set up your first workout – I’d love to help you achieve your best body ever!

Fall is here, and with Fall we have the onslaught of Pumpkin Spice flavored everything in our midst. All of our favorite coffee shops are coming up with a new and delicious drink that is probably packed full of sugary sweetness that does nothing but pumps us up for a bit and then leads us into a sugar coma and crash not even a few hours later.

Are there better options for coffee during the fall season, so we don’t have to sacrifice our treat or pick me up? Of course, there are!

Pumpkin Latte

A lot of the most popular drinks we find at our coffee shops actually target younger kids. They are packed full of sugar, topped with whipped cream, and can be in excess of 360 calories! Even the Pumpkin Spice Latte boasts of 380 calories and 49 grams of sugar.

However, if you want your pumpkin fix without all the added fat and sugar, then try ordering the latte with skim milk, no sugar, and no sweetener. Doing so can actually knock almost 100 calories off this fall favorite.

Café Americano

A Café Americano is coffee at its finest and in a very simple form. The actual drink only has around 10 calories which makes it one of the best and healthiest choices you can get. But, keep in mind, you cannot add any sugar, sweeteners, or whipped cream to this and it is best if it is soy or skim milk instead of the creamer.

Skinny Cinnamon Dolce

This drink, another fall favorite, is loaded with sugar and fat if a few changes aren’t made. Ask for the sugar-free syrup, nonfat milk, and don’t say yes to a whipped cream topper. You get all the fall flavor you are looking for, without sacrificing your healthy diet in the process.

As you can see, there are many ways you can still enjoy your favorite coffee drinks during fall but without the excess sugar, calories, and fat. Make health-conscious choices and substitute some of those ingredients out for a healthier option and refrain from drowning the drink in whipped cream which offers zero nutritional value.

Another tip? Make the coffee yourself at home! Not only will you save money, but you will also have more control over the ingredients being used to make your favorite drinks. If you are still unsure, be sure to ask a nutritional coach if they have any other helpful tips.

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