The YMCA of Western North Carolina – We’re for youth development, healthy living and social responsibility

Follow the below link for tips on fueling for physical activity; running, biking, swimming or other endurance exercise. Our own local Asheville Registered Dietitian, Carol Shimberg, was interviewed for this article in the Asheville Citizen Times on January 19, 2012!
Happy trails! Carol Shimberg, RD and Denise Barratt, RD
http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20120119/OUTDOORS/301190007/Asheville-coaches-recommend-fuel-runners

Halloween is upon us! Here are a few Healthy Halloween Food Tips from LeAnne Heckenlaible, Save Mart. Fruits And Veggies More Matters.org Healthy Halloween-Themed Dinner No need for ordering pizza with added calorie guilt! This year try creating a healthy Halloween Pizza Face served with Harvest Apple Salad!

Five Tips for Staying Energized We all have days when we feel drained and drowsy. Those days where all we can think about is getting home from work and just relaxing. Days where we say dinner has to be easy - fast food or maybe those frozen chicken nuggets shaped like dinosaurs. Often we suffer from low energy because we make poor decisions about our health. These include eating low nutrient convenience foods and not being physically active. Following a few simple steps can help you stay alert through-out the toughest days!

Choose my plate is designed to be a easier way to help consumers navigate the confusing world of choosing the right foods for themselves and their families. “This is a quick, simple reminder for all of us to be more mindful of the foods that we’re eating and as a mom, I can already tell how much this is going to help parents across the country,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. But we do have time to take a look at our kids’ plates. As long as they’re half full of fruits and vegetables, and paired with lean proteins, whole grains and low-fat dairy, we’re golden.

Breakfast literally means “break the fast.” First thing in the morning most of us have gone 8-12 hours without eating. Compare 8-12 hours to the rest of the day when we eat every 3-5 hours. Breakfast plays an important contribution to both our mind and body, but sadly it is the most frequently skipped meal of the day. Some of the reasons people give for not eating breakfast include: not having enough time, not being hungry in the morning and trying to save calories for the rest of the day. Here are some of the ways that breakfast benefits our mind and body:

Helping the mind

First of all, we want to let you know how excited we are to share our food and nutrition expertise as registered dietitians to help you make healthier choices for you and your family! We want to start off our blog with celebrating with February as Heart Month because it is a great reminder for all of us to focus on a some ideas to make our hearts become stronger and healthier. Did you realize that according to the American Heart Association, heart disease leads to at least 1 out of 2.9 deaths in the United States each year?

March means spring is almost here and summer is just around the corner! Many of us have set health goals in January but by March, we may have lost our momentum and need a little support or we may have received conflicting messages which foods are the healthiest for us. Working with a registered dietitian can help you manage all of these things and many more.

What is a Registered Dietitian?

We have noticed coconut oil, coconut water, and coconut products appearing on store shelves everywhere. The internet is flooded with health claims about coconut. Time for us to take a look at the science behind this new “rage” and discover if the health claims are true about the coconut!
So what about coconut, cholesterol and heart disease; the number one killer of men and women in the United States? Studies repeatedly have shown that hydrogenated oils increase cholesterol levels. This holds true for hydrogenated coconut oil, as well.

Lighten up 4 Life-a community wide weight loss challenge that's free to join! Program includes healthy recipes, support, weekly weigh-ins to help you reach your weight loss goals! Community health discounts with your Lighten up 4 Life Perks Card! Feel better, look better, eat better for 2011. Next 16 week session begins Janunary 4-April 22.
Happy New Year!
Carol and Denise
http://lightenup4life.com/mission/

One of the best ways to work in Thanksgiving dinner is to decrease your calories by 100-200 calories each day. Salads and a healthy soup to fill in addition to snacking on veggies which contain 25 calories each will help satisfy without adding a lot of extra calories. Drinking lots of hot tea and water can also be filling.

Plan ahead and make your Thanksgiving the healthiest ever. Did you know that it can easily add up to 2000 calories or more and that is without second helpings?

Here are helpful hints to stay healthy this Thanksgiving: