Best Teen Diets Nutrition Blog: January 2013

Fruits Veggies

This article came from Emma Christensen of theKitchn, a daily publication that shares tips, advice, stories, reviews and recipes on home cooking and kitchen design. Read on for 10 new ways to spice up your morning yogurt (and why not, go ahead and use the same tips for your morning oatmeal).

I've been eating yogurt every day for breakfast for, oh, five years now? Yes, that would certainly get boring after a while - if it was exactly the same day after day! What starts off as a plain bowl of yogurt changes daily as I add in fruit, drizzle on sweetener, or sprinkle something crunchy on top. Here are my favorites!

Personally, I love plain, nonfat, unsweetened yogurt. It's tangy and smooth, and works as a foil for just about anything I feel like putting on top. I go through about one tub every week, scooping out about a half a cup of it every morning.

Just as with salads, I try to have a variety of toppings on-hand so I can mix and match every morning and not get bored. Also like salads, I keep it simple with just a few ingredients each day.

1. Fruit - A crisp apple cut into small chunks or a single banana is my standard, but I like to change it up when fruit is in season at the farmer's market.

2. Granola - Classic with yogurt and with good reason! Granola adds crunch and texture to yogurt. I've been obsessed with this Olive Oil Granola lately.

3. Cereal - When I'm out of granola, I'll steal some of my husband's cereal. (Cheerios are my favorite!)

4. Graham Crackers - Crumbled on top, this is another crunchy add-in.

5. Toasted Nuts and Seeds - I keep a container of toasted mixed nuts in my fridge for both my breakfasts and my salads. Seeds like flax and sunflower seeds are great, too.

6. Honey - My sweetener of choice. I treat myself with good local honey. The flavor is so good that a little goes a long way!

7. Maple Syrup - Less sweet than honey and a good pairing with granola or toasted nuts.

8. Jam - Different flavors of jam add great variety, especially in the winter when the fresh fruit isn't as good.

9. Peanut Butter - This never mixes in completely, and I love getting a little of it in my spoonful every few bites!

10. Cinnamon - A little sprinkle over the top of everything adds a nice spicy-sweet note to every bite.

What do you put in your yogurt?

Original article: "Crunchy, Tangy, Sweet: 10 Favorite Add-Ins to Yogurt" by Emma Christensen

Best Teen Diets recommends healthy well balanced eating that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and low-fat or fat-free dairy. We offer nutrition information for teens, parents and educators that emphasizes the importance of healthy eating for teens. For more information visit www.bestteendiets.org

Exercise

5 Reasons Why Dudes Should Practice Yoga

7:30 PM

--By Jason Wachob of MindBodyGreen

I'm not your typical yoga person. In fact, I don't even come close to fitting the profile of a yoga person. First of all, I'm a dude. I'm tall (6'7" to be exact). Yes, is the answer to your next question: I played basketball. I played for four years in college at Columbia, in New York City. I also was president of my fraternity.

After college, I worked on Wall Street as an equities trader for five years. Did I even mention the injuries I have? Dislocated shoulders, separated shoulders, stress fractures, bone spurs and disc problems. I'll stop there because I'm totally fine -- have absolutely no pain -- partly due to yoga. I practiced yoga weekly for two years, was just starting to get the hang of it, before work travel took over. The discs in my lower back derailed (literally) and I was off my yoga train. I'm only about three months back into my practice, but I'm back on board the yoga train, full-speed ahead.

So how does a tall-ex-wall-street-trading-fraternity-boy-jock end up practicing yoga? Well, it just sorta happened.

Competitive sports are rough on the body.
I'm 35 and playing pick-up basketball just really isn't an option, as I'm always just one rebound (or I'd still like to think one dunk) away from my shoulder popping out. Not fun.

The gym lacks camaraderie and community.
Since I turned 15, I've been hitting the gym an average of three to five times a week, lifting weights, doing the elliptical (or the 'perpetual motion' machine as my good friend, Michael Taylor likes to call it). Granted, lifting weights in the gym was a lot more fun in college when our whole team would lift together in the off-season or before practice. But since then, it just isn't the same.

I got married.
Yes, another benefit of marriage other than love and tax benefits, is finding an activity that's good for the body that you can do together. Since we both work a ton, finding 'date' time is sometimes difficult. So what better date than a fitness date? Lifting weights together isn't a viable option for us and neither is running (not so good on my knees).

I found a class that was a fit for me.
For a tall dude who is looking for a workout, finding the right class is key. Quick movements with my body curled up scare me, but long and gentle movements where I feel a stretch and my quads or triceps burning is something that my body can handle. God bless Tara Stiles and Michael Taylor.

So, for me it was a blend of finding a replacement for my ex-athletic, gym-going, yet-injured body, that my wife and I could enjoy together. But enough about me. Let's talk about all the other dudes out there who are sitting on the perpetual yoga-fence. Here are five reasons why other dudes should practice yoga.

1. Your upper body will get stronger. I feel stronger, I'm more defined, and I haven't lifted a weight in the past two months. This is all due to yoga. Just working plank pose in a basic yoga series will provide an upper body workout. I'm not even talking about handstands, crow pose and all those poses that require a lot of strength (and concentration), which strong yogis can make look easy. They are hard.

2. Your core will thank you. Sit-ups and crunches and all those other fun exercises only take you so far, as they become repetitive and your body becomes familiar with the movement. I'm not saying that you won't get some sort of results doing these exercises. But yoga will help you use and develop your core in relation to your other muscles and body parts. Hello six-pack abs and Speedo season. Well, maybe not Speedo season.

3. You'll alleviate stress. Unlike our female counterparts, who often deal with stress outwardly, most dudes (I'm guilty too) often hold stress in, and don't necessarily deal with it in a healthy way. The result is often sleep deprivation, lack of focus, unreflective eating or a little too much Happy Hour. Go to a yoga class that's challenging and you'll be 100 percent focused on your pose and breath. Your stress will most likely be left at the door. You'll be more mindful. You know that concept called "mindfulness" that seems to be all the rage these days? You know, being present? Paying attention to all the little things, concentrating on your breath and focusing on the moment. You'll do all that better, too.

4. It's a cheap date. Dinner and/or movie, or drinks can't compete with $10 yoga. You get a workout, don't have to talk (sometimes guys just don't have a lot to say), and your female companion will be happy. Priceless.

5. The women. Yes, the women -- probably the most important reason for dudes on why they should practice yoga. If you're single, there's no better place to meet a woman. First of all, the girl-to-guy ratio is heavily in your favor. Odds are that the women will be in-shape, smart and probably run deep as opposed to superficial. It beats the hell out of Happy Hour :)

Convinced? Sorta convinced? So what to do? As a fellow dude I'd hate to embarrass myself in class (wait, I've already done that), I'd suggest a few things:

First, take a look at some of the key beginner yoga poses so you know what's coming your way. Just getting familiar with how they look will prove to be tremendously helpful.

Second, ask around, poke around and find the right class for you. There's no one-size-fits all approach for yoga, and it might take a while to find your class or instructor. Just like love, you'll know when you "know." And when you "know," you'll be on your way.

Last, yoga is a marathon, not a sprint. I'm not doing handstands or anything fancy yet, and I don't know when I'll be ready for that challenge. What I do know is what's right for my body and I try to take my practice one class at a time. (Kathryn Budig and Elena Brower, I'll be bringing my extra-long mat to your classes soon.)

Happy yoga.

(That's me pictured in a Tree Pose. And that's Michael Taylor sitting).

Original article: "5 Reasons Why Dudes Should Practice Yoga" by Jason Wachob

Best Teen Diets recommends healthy well balanced eating that includes fruits, vegetables,
whole grains, protein and low-fat or fat-free dairy. We offer nutrition information for teens,
parents and educators that emphasizes the importance of healthy eating for teens.
For more information visit www.bestteendiets.org

Fruits Veggies

YouTube talks fruits and veggies

3:00 PM

Nutrition

ch-ch-ch-CHIA!

9:00 PM

Ch-ch-ch-chia..

http://bit.ly/Gb3M

Do you remember those commercials? A few decades ago, chia pets were sprouting up all over the place as a nifty-looking house plant. You could – and still can – buy these pottery-growing shrubs resembling rams, dinosaurs, Shrek, Hello Kitty, and even presidential candidates. At the moment, chia continues to receive press, but for a different reason. Now, it is being heavily marketed as a nutritional must-have. Here’s the full scoop.

What is chia? When you hear the word “chia” today, chances are that people are referring to tiny, brown seeds that aren’t much more than a millimeter wide. Though it may seem like a new food, chia is actually an ancient seed that was consumed by the Aztecs for thousands of years. Coming from the Salvia hispanica plant, chia belongs to the mint family and likely originated in Central America.

http://lat.ms/K8qVAy

How do I use it? Provided you like the mildly nutty taste, chia is sold both milled and whole and can be incorporated into a wide assortment of recipes. Using anywhere from 1 to 3 tablespoons, I’ve heard of them being blended into smoothies and juices, added to omelets, cereals, and yogurt, and sprinkled on soups and salads. They can also be mixed into sauces, stews, and stir-fry or blended into breads and muffins.

What are the benefits? Tiny but mighty, chia seeds are an excellent source of fiber and omega-3 ALA, an essential fatty acid. They also provide protein, calcium, folate, iron, manganese, and phosphorus, so you could say they have some bragging rights. You’re better off getting the milled kind if you want access to the omega-3 ALA, though. A study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine in July of 2012 suggested that individuals can benefit from fiber and vitamins in the whole seeds, but found the omega-3 ALA was better absorbed with the ground variety.

How do I store it? There is no need to refrigerate chia, but it isn’t a bad idea to check the expiration date listed on the package. The average shelf-life ranges between 1 and 2 years.

Read the full article: "Owatonna dietician gives you the scoop on Chia" by Jennifer Lintz, RD, LD

Best Teen Diets recommends healthy well balanced eating that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and low-fat or fat-free dairy. We offer nutrition information for teens, parents and educators that emphasizes the importance of healthy eating for teens. For more information visit www.bestteendiets.org

Healthy Snacking

Eating tips for skiers and snowboarders

9:00 PM

Nutrition

You could be Washington's Fuel Up To Play 60 rep!

10:00 AM

Maybe you've heard of Fuel Up To Play 60. It is a program abundant in resources, ideas, challenges, and successes for schools and students on their way to making healthier choices... Here's their story in their words:

Fuel Up to Play 60 is a program founded by the National Dairy Council and NFL, in collaboration with USDA, that empowers students to take charge in making small, everyday changes at school. Students can win cool prizes, like an NFL player visit or Super Bowl tickets, for choosing good-for-you foods and getting active for at least 60 minutes every day. We want kids to make a difference not only in their lives, but also their community.

It is that time of year again where Fuel Up to Play 60 is "drafting" student ambassadors. It may sound like quite the formal event, but in fact, it isn't that formal at all. We took a look to see what exactly being an "ambassador" means and here is what we found...

LOCAL: to be involved as a "local" student ambassador, all you have to do is be motivated to involve yourself as an individual in eating well and getting active! Anyone can do it!

STATE: ditto to caring about eating healthy and getting active, but you should also be a good communicator and leader who has a plan for your school to encourage healthy behaviors. One of these reps per state.

NATIONAL: basically, you EXCEED expectations in the above two levels and have awesome communication and leadership skills.

Any of these for you? You can apply on the student webpage here.

We took a look at our state representative to see what is going on, but guess what... Washington State DOES NOT have one yet!!! Problem? We think so since there are over 100 schools participating in the Seattle area and surely more than one of you out there is the perfect candidate. As an ambassador, you can do things like THIS - who doesn't want to cook with the Chicago Bears or get the chance to go to the Superbowl with a friend???

This program that has really taken off around the country and is making a difference in many lives everyday. In our opinion, all of you should check it out.

Click here to find out more and find them on Facebook to see what other students are doing.

A Dip for Super Bowl Sunday!

10 Favorite Add-Ins to Yogurt

5 Reasons Why Dudes Should Practice Yoga

YouTube talks fruits and veggies

ch-ch-ch-CHIA!

Eating tips for skiers and snowboarders

You could be Washington's Fuel Up To Play 60 rep!

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