TNT Success Story: Jamie Rule
Many times, when people think of Total Nutrition Technology, they think weight loss. And yes, TNT has an amazing team of Health Educators and Registered Dietitians that can help you reach your weight loss goals. BUT Total Nutrition Technology is also very experienced in help you reach your total health and nutrition goals as was the case with Jamie Rule. After trying for some time to become pregnant, Jamie looked to TNT to help her look into her nutrition and how that might be impacting her ability to become pregnant. Jamie shares her journey to motherhood with us...
"My husband, Ron and I decided to start “trying” to get pregnant in August of 2013. I had thought I had prepared myself for this time in our lives and that it would take no time at all.
I had gotten off birth control 2 years in advance to give my body time to adjust and my cycle to regulate. Needless to say, it took a bit longer than we expected to get pregnant. We tried ovulation tracking via calendar and actual ovulation tests and just as we were about to consult with my OBGYN about alternative methods, I had discussed our issues with my good friend, Stacey Gretka who also happened to be a Nutrition Specialist with TNT.She had brought to my attention that my pregnancy issues could be related to my nutrition. I had never thought about that but once she explained that nutrition had a lot to do with the preparation for carrying a baby, it made complete sense. From that point on, I had started a TNT nutritional meal plan recommended by Stacey for pregnant women. I did this for a couple of months and just as my husband and I were considering (again) discussing with my OBGYN, we found out we were pregnant in February 2014!!!I truly believe that the TNT plan that Stacey had set me up on played a HUGE factor in me getting pregnant and WE cannot thank her enough! Little Corbin Knight Rule is expected to arrive around November 11, 2014 and we couldn’t be happier!" ~Jamie Rule
Congratulations Rule family...We can't wait to meet your sweet baby girl!
TNT Health Educator, Stacey Gretka has worked in the health and fitness industry for over 12 years, beginning at her local YMCA. She graduated from Winthrop University with a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition: Dietetics, with a strong interest in endocrine and metabolic disorders. She has helped to develop nutrition programs in several fitness facilities, as well as an online support group for those with Diabetes, Neurofibromatosis, Multiple Sclerosis, and other endocrine-related disorders and diseases. Stacey is also a member of the American Association of Diabetes Educators, driven by the Diabetes and PCOS in her family history.
Though Stacey is well-versed with metabolism, she has counseled those with a wide variety of goals and can help clients achieve their personal goals within their own lifestyle. She believes strongly in the TNT program because it is not a diet, it is a way of life. As a new mom, Stacey used her own TNT-developed meal plan to return to her pre-pregnancy health status in no time!
The team at Total Nutrition Technology believes that results-focused outcomes are the key to YOUR success. To learn more about how you can benefit from a nutrition program that is custom designed to your unique physiology, lifestyle and dietary behavior, contact Total Nutrition Technology today at 704-549-9550!
You succeed with TNT because your results are our commitment to you!
Be sure to follow TNT on social media
Sign up for Total Nutrition Technology's Monthly Newsletter
Bounce Bootcamp Takes Fitness Fun To The Next Level
Bounce Boot Camp is the FIRST company in the world to combine a fitness program for kids with the invigorating fun of inflatable obstacle courses, castles, and slides.
It is a sad fact but unfortunately kids today just aren't getting as much exercise as they should. With the days of video games and iPads in full force, time is often spent inside sitting instead of outside running around. Former NFL player, Thomas Hill recognized this shift and decided to create an invigorating environment that motivates kids to start moving. Enter...Bounce Bootcamp!
Bounce Boot Camp is a set of classes geared towards kids that combines team-building activities, relay races, obstacle exercises (castles & slides), battle ropes challenges and class packages -- making for fun, but structured activity that provides kids with a safe, and healthy outlet for their energy.
Through the packages offered, certified trainers help kids reach a certain level and earn a dog tag based on their rank (private, sergeant, captain, etc). Not every child is interested in, or capable of, getting into sports. This is just another great way for kids to enjoy structured exercise, while mom and dad enjoy their own workout, a quiet trip to the store, or even a stroll in the park.
There are Bounce Bootcamps located throughout the US including right here in Charlotte NC. In addition to kids bootcamp classes, you can also contact Bounce Bootcamp for your next birthday party or Corporate Team Building Event. The Huntersville Bounce Boot Camp is even in the process of planning an adult class as well!
You first class your Bounce Bootcamp is FREE! This is a great way to see just how much fun exercising can be. The next session of group classes begin soon. Contact Charlotte Bounce Bootcamp by January 24, 2015 -- mention 'TNT' -- and receive 10% off your next class session!
For more information about the Charlotte Bounce Boot Camp contact Paul and Elaine Baker at 980-307-8751.
Be sure to follow TNT on social media
Sign up for Total Nutrition Technology's Monthly Newsletter
How 8 Glasses of Water a Day Keeps Fat Away
Incredible as it may seem, water is quite possibly the single most important catalyst in losing weight and keeping it off. Although most of us take it for granted, water may be the only true "magic potion" for permanent weight loss! Why is it so important?
The body will not function properly without enough water and can't metabolize stored fat efficiently.
Retained water shows up as excess weight.
To get rid of excess water you must drink more water.
Drinking water is essential to weight loss. How much water is enough??
On the average, a person should drink eight 8-ounce glasses every day. That's about 2 quarts. However, the overweight person needs one additional glass for every 25 pounds of excess weight. The amount you drink also should be increased if you exercise briskly or if the weather is hot and dry. Water should preferably be cold - it's absorbed into the system more quickly than warm water. When the body gets the water it needs to function optimally, its fluids are perfectly balanced. Once this happens you have reached the "breakthrough point". What does this mean?
Endocrine-gland function improves.
Fluid retention is alleviated as stored water is lost.
More fat is used as fuel because the liver is free to metabolize stored fat.
Natural thirst returns.
There is loss of hunger almost overnight.
If you stop drinking enough water, your body fluids will be thrown out of balance again, and you may experience fluid retention, unexplained weight gain and loss of thirst. To remedy the situation you'll have to go back and force another "breakthrough". By Donald S. Robertson, M.D., M. Sc
Tips For Getting Your 8 Glasses of Water Daily
Sometimes drinking our eight glasses of water a day can be a real challenge. Here are some tips to help you accomplish that feat! It is said by many beauty experts that drinking your water is the cheapest, quickest way to look better! That should motivate us!
1. Make a bet with a co-worker to see who can drink more water in the course of a day.
2. Have a big glass of water at every transitional point of the day: when you first get up, just before leaving the house, when you sit down to work, etc.
3. Make it convenient - keep a big, plastic, insulated water bottle full on your desk and reach for it all day.
4. When you have a junk-food craving, down a glass of water immediately. You feel full quickly and avoid the calories, and it lets time pass till the craving fades.
5. Have one glass every hour on the hour while at work. When the work day is done your water quota is met.
6. While at work, get a 20 ounce cup of ice and keep filling it up from the office water cooler. The key is drinking with a straw - you take bigger gulps and drink much more.
7. Use an infuser water bottle. They contain a cylinder to hold your favorite fruit, vegetable or herb and naturally flavor your water. This is an excellent way to turn boring water into an explosion of flavor! Check out TNT's Infuser Waterbottle here.
8. After each trip to the restroom, guzzle an eight-ounce glass to replenish your system.
9. Don't allow yourself a diet soda until you've had two to four glasses of water. You will find that you won't want the soda anymore or that just half a can is enough.
10. Drink two full glasses at each meal, one before and one after. Also, drink one glass before each snack so you don't eat as much.
11. Carry a small refillable water bottle at all times and drink during downtime; while waiting in a bank line, sitting on the train, etc.
12. Drink two glasses of water immediately after waking up.
13. Bring a two-liter bottle of water to work and try to drink it all before you leave work. If you don't finish, drink it in traffic on the way home - it's like a race.
14. Always keep a 24-ounce bottle of water handy while watching TV, doing laundry, making dinner, etc.
15. Add drinking two glasses of water to your daily skincare regimen. Drink, cleanse, moisturize, etc., then drink again.
Do you have a trick that helps you get in your 8 glasses of water a day? Please share!
9 Secrets To Surviving Your Next Holiday Party
By: Susanne Ware - TNT Health Educator
We've all been there during the holiday season. You've committed to a healthier way of eating and have stayed the course on the way to your goal. And then....BAM! The holiday party invitations start rolling in. But don't worry! We have 9 secrets we are going to share to help you survive those parties and stay on track. And the best part...you won't even feel like you are missing out on all the holiday cheer!
Bring Your Own Food
1. Contribute a healthy dish to a gathering to ensure there’s something you can indulge in.
2. Eat the best-for-you offerings first. For example, hot soup as a first course―especially when it's broth-based, not cream-based―can help you avoid eating too much during the main course.
3. Stand more than an arm's length away from munchies, like a bowl of nuts or chips, while you chat so you're not tempted to raise your hand to your mouth every few seconds.
4. Concentrate on your meal while you're eating it. Focus on chewing your food well and enjoying the smell, taste, and texture of each item. Research shows that mealtime multitasking (whether at home or at a party) can make you pop mindless calories into your mouth. Of course, dinner-party conversation is only natural, but try to set your food down until you're finished chatting so you are more aware of what you're taking in.
Snack Before a Party
5. Before going out, have a healthy snack to curb your appetite.
6. Eat breakfast. This has been shown to prevent overeating later in the day.
7. Limit the number of high-calorie foods on your party plate. Research has shown that when faced with a variety of foods with different tastes, textures, smells, shapes, and colors, people eat more―regardless of their true hunger level. Cutting down on your personal smorgasbord can decrease what you end up eating by 20 to 40 percent.
8. Choose foods wisely, filling your plate with low-calorie items, such as leafy green salads, vegetable dishes, and lean proteins, and taking smaller portions of the richer ones. That way, you can eat a larger amount of food for fewer calories and not feel deprived.
9. Pop a sugar-free mint in your mouth.When you’ve had enough (and don’t want to eat more), the feeling of a fresh palate can curb additional noshing.
Tag :
Food Tips,
Susanne Ware,
Slow Cooker Boneless Turkey Breast
INGREDIENTS:
1 (10 pound) boneless turkey breast
2 (1 ounce) packages dry onion soup mix
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon seasoned salt (such as
Season-All®)
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a small bowl, whisk onion soup mix and water. Place boneless turkey breast in slow cooker. Pour the onion/water mixture over the turkey breast, covering the meat evenly.
1. In a small bowl, whisk onion soup mix and water. Place boneless turkey breast in slow cooker. Pour the onion/water mixture over the turkey breast, covering the meat evenly.
2. Mix remaining 6 seasoning ingredient in a small bowl and then sprinkle over the turkey breast.
3. Cook on low 8-9 hours. If using an instant read meat thermometer, insert into thickest part of breast and cook until thermometer reads at least 165 degrees F.
Mastering Your Metabolism
We all know them. Those enviably thin people who can eat anything they want all day long and never gain weight. Then there are those of us who even briefly entertain thoughts of a doughnut, and the next thing you know, we can’t zip up those jeans we just bought. What makes us so different when it comes to weight loss and weight gain? Some of the answers lie in the mysteries of our metabolism. It may seem logical to think that significant weight gain or being overweight is related to a low metabolism or possibly to a condition such as an under-active thyroid gland. In reality, it is very uncommon for excess weight to be related to a low metabolism. Weight gain is more likely due to an energy imbalance – consuming more calories than your body burns. To lose weight then, you need to create an energy deficit by eating fewer calories, increasing the calories you burn through physical activity, or preferably both.
What is metabolism? Simply put, metabolism is the sum of all our physiological functions that convert food into energy. During these complex biochemical processes, calories from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, are combined with oxygen to release the energy needed to function. The number of calories your body burns each day is called your Total Energy Expenditure. Total energy expenditure is comprised of the following 3 components;
1. Basic Needs – the energy needed for all basic functions such as breathing, circulation, hormone adjustment, immune response, cell growth and repair. This includes time spent awake and at rest and is known as Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Typically, the BMR is the largest portion of energy expenditure – approximately 75-80% of the total calories burned. Find out your exact metabolic rate with a simple 10-minute MET test.
2. Food Processing – the energy needed for digestion, absorption, transportation, and storage of the nutrients we take in. Typically about 10% of our total caloric expenditure.
3. Physical Activity – The energy required for all movement and all types of movement; playing tennis or golf, running a 5k race, doing dishes, or sitting at the computer, all burn calories. These calories make up the remainder of our total energy expenditure and vary from individual.
There are many influences on our metabolic rate. Some of which are contingent on our genetics, and some that we can control or adjust.
1. Body size – The larger the surface area, the greater the energy expenditure.
2. Body composition – The higher the degree of muscularity, the higher the energy requirements.
3. Age – Metabolism decreases with age.
4. Gender – Men have a higher metabolic rate than women.
Your ability to change your metabolic rate is limited. However, you can increase daily activity to build muscle mass and increase calories burned. Even though consistent aerobic exercise and strength building exercise is best for increasing metabolism, any extra movement will help burn calories. I’ll bet that same thin person, who can eat and eat, is also the type of person who never sits still. If you can envision your metabolism as a fire that you want to keep burning, the best way to do that is to eat smaller more frequent meals throughout the day. Be sure to get that fire started first thing in the morning, and be careful not to put a wet log on that fire at the end of the day. Try to balance out the amount of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, as opposed to eating all carbohydrates at one sitting.
Based on the factors that determine our metabolic rate, we all need a different amount of calories from food.When trying to determine the proper amount of calories from food to take in, there is a simple 10 minute metabolic test you can have done to determine your exact BMR. This test is available at Total Nutrition Technology offices throughout the Charlotte area. Call or email us today for an appointment at: 704 549-9550 or www.tntgetfit.com, and take advantage of this month's savings - Buy One MET Test and get one 50% Off!!!
Though your metabolism influences your energy needs, it is ultimately your food intake, and your physical activity that determines your weight.
Be sure to follow TNT on social media
Sign up for Total Nutrition Technology's Monthly Newsletter
10 New Ways to Use Oats for Breakfast
Oats are a wholesome way to start your day -- they can help reduce bad cholesterol, give a boost to your energy, and aid digestion. But let's break past just basic oatmeal! Here are 10 new ways to use oats for breakfast -- these recipes will add spice to your daily breakfast!
photo source:ifoodreal
photo source: mountainmommacooks
photo source: noshon.it
photo source: sugarplumskitchen
photo source: sian-robinson
photo source: trueaimeducation
photo source: sugarfreemom
photo source: sallysbakingaddiction
photo source: gimmesomeoven
photo source: skinnytaste
What's your FAVORITE way to eat oats in the morning?
Be sure to follow TNT on social media
Sign up for Total Nutrition Technology's Monthly Newsletter
Turkey & Squash Soup
This Southwestern-inspired turkey and squash soup is the perfect recipe to help you use up some of that left over turkey from Thanksgiving.
Makes: 6 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each
INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 leeks, trimmed, chopped and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, (1 small to medium), peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme, or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 pound turkey cutlets, cut into 1/2-by-2-inch strips
2 cups frozen corn kernels
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
PREPARATION
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add leeks and bell pepper; cook, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Stir in broth, squash, thyme and cumin; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
Add turkey and corn; return to a simmer and cook until the turkey is just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Add lime juice and crushed red pepper. Season with salt and pepper.
NUTRITION
Per serving: 231 calories; 3 g fat (0 g sat, 1 g mono); 30 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 24 g protein; 6 g fiber; 550 mg sodium; 692 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (260% daily value), Vitamin C (120% dv), Folate (21% dv), Iron (20% dv).
Carbohydrate Servings: 1 1/2
Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 very lean meat
Source: Eating Well
