Dawn Beats Dusk: Trade your late night snack for a hearty breakfast

dawnbeatsdusk Hey guys!  I hope you are enjoying your weekend and looking forward to a wonderful week ahead.  As you plan for your weekly grind, I just wanted to share a little nutritional nugget of wisdom.  Now, you guys know that I firmly believe getting an early start to the day.  That’s right, 5:30 am wake up call!  There are numerous wellness benefits of being an “early bird” – get up and get that worm!  Not only does waking up early help your productivity, but doing so also entices you to eat breakfast which gets your metabolism going.

When it comes to weight-management, studies show, it’s not just HOW MUCH you eat but WHEN you eat that affects your weight.  Long story short, here’s why you should eat your BIG meals EARLY in the day and skip late night snacking…

  • People who eat after 8pm have higher Body Mass Indexes (BMI) than those who don’t
  • Calories consumed at night are not processed as efficiently as those during the day
  • Sleep disruption is likely if your stomach is working hard to process food
  • You are likely to eat larger portions later in the day than earlier (Weil Cornell Medical Research)
  • At night, you are most likely eating out of boredom, NOT because you are genuinely hungry

That said, you’re probably now asking, “How can I consume calories earlier in the day instead of later?”  Well, search no further.  I put together this list of 5 Tips to Eat Breakfast Like a King and Dinner Like a Beggar.  Check it out 🙂

  1. Consume at least 400 calories for breakfast

  2. Eat protein at breakfast and lunch

  3. Have a hi-fiber snack before and after lunch

  4. Don’t eat after 8:00 pm

  5. Go to bed early!

Show me your GRIT! xoxo, Brit

show me your GRIT

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Embracing the Healthy Side of Thanksgiving

Happy Healthy Thanksgiving Tips

Guest post by FalafeLover in Brooklyn

Happy (almost) Thanksgiving, Grit by Brit readers!

The other night, I hosted my first family-style “dinner party” of sorts: a pre-Thanksgiving potluck/apartment-warming, Brooklyn-style. The combination of the good energy from my pals, and the scrumptious Thanksgiving-esque fare they all contributed made for one of the most fun Big Apple nights I’ve ever had! While admittedly, I ate more in quantity, and more “indulgently” than I would have on a typical night, I walked away from that meal with an incredible sense of well-being, contentment and nourishment.

Reflecting on the evening inspired me to post on this topic – The Healthy Side of Thanksgiving – because so often, this holiday gets a bad rap in the nutrition world. I mean, let’s face it, “nutritious” isn’t exactly the first adjective that comes to mind when we think of Thanksgiving… “diet buster” or “gluttony” is more like it. Furthermore, during this time of year, the media is relentlessly flooded with stories featuring tips on “how to avoid holiday season weight gain” or “how to re-work traditional holiday dishes into healthier versions.” While I certainly recognize the value that this type of information offers for health-conscious individuals looking to sustain their healthy habits throughout the holiday season, I also feel strongly that there is not nearly enough attention paid to the (perhaps less obvious) healthful aspects of Thanksgiving that we may forget to embrace and appreciate.

Thus, I’d like to draw your attention to my personal top 4 underrated (yet wonderfully nourishing, and yes, even nutritious) parts of Turkey Day!

  1. Expanded food repertoires. We are creatures of habit, and so often, we get stuck in foods ruts, eating the same things for breakfast, lunch and dinner without even realizing how routinized we’ve become. But food variety is an important part of good nutrition, too. With an extensive “food-scape” to choose from on Thanksgiving, we can use this meal to expose our palates to less familiar flavors and textures, learn about new cooking techniques, and even garner inspiration for some new meals ideas outside of holiday time.
  1. Kitchen collaboration. There is a TON of research touting the benefits of family meals. For example, children of families that cook and dine together regularly tend to have more nutritious diets and a decreased risk for developing disordered eating habits. And while meals together may not always be a realistic gig for families on a regular basis, what better holiday than Thanksgiving to make it a family affair! Cooking as a group also provides a natural foundation for bonding, which occurs through the collaboration and communication necessary for preparing and enjoying a home-cooked meal. Speaking of which…
  1. Emotional nourishment and group entertainment value.  We receive nourishment not only in the form of the physical nutrients that enter into our body through food, but also through the emotional satisfaction that comes from experiencing fulfilling connections with others. The convening of family (or friends) in a group setting such as Thanksgiving provides us a unique opportunity to bond with loved ones, many of whom we may not see on a regular basis. There is also a special dynamic that comes along with a group meal. Groups have a way of forming a life of their own, and if you take a step back and actually listen to the group’s conversation, it can be quite humorous and highly entertaining. Or, maybe this is just my family… 🙂
  1. A perfect opportunity to practice self-compassion. Remember my post on “Finding Balance?” The definition of healthy eating is: consistently blending basic nutrition principles (cerebral knowledge) with your body’s intuitive hunger-fullness cues and taste preferences (internal knowledge). Key word: “consistently.” Overindulging is TOTALLY normal and natural at a meal like Thanksgiving, when we’re presented with an overwhelming amount of food (and perhaps overwhelming people, too). If nothing else, we can use Thanksgiving to practice being compassionate with ourselves, especially after we realize we were waaaay off the mark when we reached for that 3rd helping of sweet potatoes…. (yum).

Wishing you a Thanksgiving feast that is truly nourishing!

For more nutrition tips or to get in contact with Lindsay Krasna, Registered Dietitian, visit: http://www.lknutrition.com/

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Get to STEPPIN’ – Life with my pedometer

SO… along with cutting back on the booze, for my 28th b-day I also committed to wearing a pedometer everyday.  In case you don’t know, a pedometer is a little device you can attach to your body and it counts the number of steps you take.  I got the idea from my friend Megan who consistently wore her pedometer every single day of our vacation in Italy.

Basically I’m on one of these 10,000 step plans.  Recent studies show that it takes 10,000 steps (equal to 5 miles) per day to manage your current weight.  As many of you know, I’ve lost over 20 pounds in the last 2 years and I REFUSE to gain it back.  So the 10,000 step plan is my new method of ensuring I don’t slowly pack back on the pounds.

First off, using the pedometer is cheap and simple.  I bought mine at Academy Sports & Outdoors for about $20 and I simply clip it to my belt or bra strap every day.  Altogether, I didn’t realize how sedentary I am every day.  It’s cray cray!  My daily step count was all over the place – literally.  On an average day when I do not workout, I only walk about 3,000-4,00 steps.  YIKES!

Getting my 10,000 steps in each day is still work in progress, but I’m constantly improving.  Overall, I think this is legit so def try it for yourself!  Here’s a little photo diary of my pedometer experience:

1st day with the pedometer, sitting at my desk all day and only at 4,693 steps at 8pm – not a good look 🙁

Feeling very eager and determined on day 2 – walked/jogged on the treadmill for 30 min and walked around my office multiple times for over 12,000 steps!

Lazy day working from home.  Had to head to the gym to make up for a LOT of steps!

After teaching 1-hour Turbo Kick class +6,000 steps putting me well above 10,000 by 6:15pm – a good look 🙂

Morning run and Psycho Gym workout got me over 8,000 steps by lunch time.  YAY!

Sunday church + brunch left me with a major step gap 🙁

Went for a Sunday afternoon stroll around my neighborhood to get my extra steps in.  Mission accomplished!

Here are a few ways that I incorporated more steps into my day to make may daily 10,000 step quota:

  • Park in the parking spot furthest away form the door to my work building
  • Get up and walk around my office every couple of hours
  • Walk on the treadmill or around my neighborhood to make up for missed steps
  • Stand at my desk, and sway side to side instead of sitting (awkward I know, but it works)

How do you get your steps in? Please do share!

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