15 Healthy Eating Tips for Summer BBQs

By: Total Nutrition Technology

Summer is the perfect time for enjoying outdoor cookouts and social events. Don’t worry, eating healthy is not hard to do if you are prepared. Below are some Healthy Eating Tips for Summer BBQs to keep you on track.

1. Get Ready To Go: When you are eating away from home, it can sometimes be challenging but not impossible. All it takes is a little planning.

2. Pre-Eat:

Never go to any event hungry. Have something nutritious before you get there so you won’t be hungry and tempted to overeat on party foods.

3. Pre-Exercise:

Exercise increases the body’s metabolism, which increases the number of calories used. So if you are going to summer cookouts or parties, exercise the day before you head out.

4. Help your host:

Whenever you are going to a cookout, you never know what type of meat is being cooked with or what is in the foods that are offered. Offer to bring a dish to the party. This way you know there is something healthy that you can eat.

5. Sneak in a snack:

Sometimes you will get to the party and there is absolutely nothing there that is anywhere close to being healthy. Have an emergency snack stashed in your purse. It may be carrots and crackers or a meal-replacement bar. Remember you are there to socialize and be with friends.

6. Eat normally:

Don’t make the mistake of cutting out meals during the day to save your calories for the evening. When you do finally eat, you will most likely overeat because you are starving. Eat normally throughout the day. If you know that you will be having a carb loaded dinner, go lighter on carbs throughout the day. Once again, plan ahead and you will have no problems.

7. Get a helping hand:

Let your host know early on that you are trying to eat healthy and that having a few health conscious items would be greatly appreciated.

8. Bring fitness fun:

Offer to start some fun games! Try touch-football, volleyball, a three-legged race or even some dancing. Burning a few extra calories can be fun, especially when everyone is involved.

At the Party: Keep in mind that the event is not about the food, it’s about the company.

9. Socialize Instead:

Be positive! No one wants to hear what you they shouldn’t be eating. Try several of the dishes the host made. Skip the dishes that may look heavy in calories. For example, you may want to have a scoop of baked beans and leave then mayonnaise based potato salad. Always compliment the host on the delicious food or the enjoyable party!

10. Fib about food:

What happens if you are being coerced into trying the double chocolate fudge cheesecake? Respond by saying that you couldn’t possibly eat another bite after the delicious meal you just had (even if you could). Or, say you will have a piece later once your food has settled. After most people have had their dessert, they won’t ask you about it later.

11. Drink Water:

Sip on water. You’ll be less likely to graze on party food if you already have something in your hand. Plus, drinking water will help you feel full and satisfied.

12. Know your limits:

Know how much you’re willing to cheat. Plan ahead and set yourself some firm limits. If this is your cheat meal for the week, don’t go overboard. If you do plan on having some dessert, don’t stuff yourself at dinner. Leave some room and eat a small piece.

13. Limit Alcohol:

Alcohol is full of empty calories and inhibits your body’s ability to burn fat. It’s best to avoid alcohol, but if you choose to have some, be mindful of the food you are eating. Don’t continuously graze just because there if food on the table.

14. Out of sight:

Don’t stand near the snack table. It keeps you from sneaking in a few handfuls here and there that can add up at the end of the night.

15. Be in Charge: If eating out at other people’s social events is difficult, choose to have the party at your house. This enables you to fix healthy choices that you know are good for you! Always choose leaner cuts of beef and offer baked chips along with regular chips. Fruit salads are always a big hit and make at least one healthy dessert that you can indulge in.

Bonus Tip:

Hamburger or Hotdog?

Do you ever feel torn between what to eat: a Hamburger or a Hotdog. Granted they both can both be high in fat and calories, but which is the better choice? If you are the host/hostess you can buy lean ground beef or turkey or light hot dogs. However, if you have no idea what type of beef is being used, it can be confusing.

Typically a 4 oz regular (80/20) hamburger has about 18g of fat and 250 cals just for the patty. A hot dog averages about 18g of fat and 230 cals for one. Bubba Burgers can have up to 36g of fat for one hamburger patty. Way too much fat and most of it comes from saturated fat. Hotdogs are not the best source of good protein. There can be too many additives in them.

Your best bet would probably be the hamburger with some lettuce, tomato, ketchup and onions.

If you want to be really good, consider having the bun with a slice of cheese, lettuce, tomato and a little bit of ketchup. Or have just ½ the burger.

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Watermelon Salad with Halloumi Grilling Cheese

By: TNT Founder - Angela Wilkinson, RD

A refreshing mix of juicy watermelon with fresh basil and grilled halloumi cheese – the perfect way to cool down in the summer heat!

I don’t know about you guys but I LOVE watermelon! I am always looking for new ways to serve up some watermelon for my family. We were having a family cookout the other weekend and I was struck by inspiration from my latest purchase at Trader Joe's -- Halloumi Grilling Cheese! Have you ever tried grilling cheese? Fabulous! And halloumi is by far my favorite. In my book, it's the king of grilling cheese.

Halloumi is a salty, semi-hard goat and sheep milk cheese from Cyprus. Halloumi has a high melting point making it PERFECT for grilling. I found mine at Trader Joe's but have seen it in the specialty cheese section in several area grocery stores.

Out of the package, halloumi is more hard and dense but once you put it on the grill or sliced it into a frying pan, the outside becomes golden-brown and crispy with a soft center. It's amazing how this cheese transforms into a mouthwatering chewy bite without actually melting.

The moment I bought it, I thought...watermelon salad! This is the perfect refreshing salad for any occasion. It will certainly be the hit with the whole crowd. It's an incredibility simple salad with only 3 ingredients making it the perfect and refreshing on a hot summer day!

WATERMELON SALAD WITH HALLOUMI GRILLING CHEESE

Serves: 4

Serving size: 1 cup

Exchanges: 1 fruit and 1 dairy

INGREDIENTS

4 cups watermelon - cut into bite-sized cubes

1 handful of fresh basil - julienned or torn into small pieces

4 oz of Halloumi grilling cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook cheese according to package instructions, remove from pan or grill and cut each slice into bite size pieces.

2. In a large bowl combine watermelon cubes, grillled cheese and fresh basil.

3. Toss lightly and serve!

Enjoy!

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TNT Success Story: Joe Lamanna

By: Total Nutrition Technology

When Joe moved to Charlotte after college he realized that his eating habits at school had caught up with him and he had put on a few pounds -- 15 to be exact. Joe turned to Total Nutrition Technology and TNT Health Educator, Sue Compitello to get things back on track with a healthier lifestyle. Joe shares a little bit about his journey...

"I moved down here after college and summer vacations weighing 15 lbs heavier after eating whatever I could get at school or on the run. I was always active and wasn't overweight by any means but was really getting a little thicker in the middle. TNT taught me that just working out did not matter if I was not eating enough. Sue taught me how to eat enough calories throughout the day so I was benefiting from my workouts. The overall change has been so great! I crave healthier foods now and am making better choices even when I have to eat out. I am ready for this summer, 20 lbs lighter and stronger than ever thanks to Sue and TNT."

Joe started his TNT Plan on September 1, 2014 weighing 195 lbs and a body fat percentage of 14.6%. After working with Sue and TNT for 6 months, Joe lost 20 pounds and is down to 175 lbs and he dropped to 8.9% body fat! Joe also lost 2 inches each in his back, waist and hips. In addition to losing weight and body fat, Joe gained the knowledge he needed to eat right and fuel his body for his workouts! Definitely a win-win!

About Sue

TNT Health Educator, Sue Compitello has been in the health and wellness field for over 17 years. She fell into fitness after achieving her own personal goals "after kids" and decided she wanted to help others to do the same. She started out as a certified personal trainer and nutritionalist technician and over the years through retention and referrals, moved up into corporate wellness, management and ownership. Sue loves being in a profession where you can teach others how to get better with age and how to maintain a healthier lifestyle! Sue chose TNT because of its individualized technology and customized plans for all ages and body types with measurable results without depriving yourself!

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!

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Part 2: How To Sleep Better - Stress Less - Improve Your Fitness

By: Total Nutrition Technology

Life gets hectic and it gets hard to fit everything into the day. It's in this type of environment where bad habits start to form... lack of sleep, poor eating, high levels of stress and not enough exercise. So we have some simple tricks to help you know How To Sleep Better, Stress Less and Improve Your Fitness. If you missed Part 1 in this 2 part series you can find it HERE where we talk about this sleep.

Lets move on to a big one for many of us...stress! Clearly, sleep is an extremely important component of muscle recovery. But there's more to the picture! The same effects experienced from a lack of sleep are also experienced from high levels of stress.

High levels of stress have been correlated with:

● Hormonal imbalances, causing greater concentrations of the catabolic hormone, cortisol, and decreased concentrations of the muscle building hormones.

● Persistent fatigue and exhaustion, allowing less energy to go into your workout

● Sleep disturbances, greatly prolonging the recovery process

● Loss of Motivation- causing your simple daily routines to feel more like a chore, rather than enjoyable

● Frequent changes in appetite

Believe it or not, stress is a part of life. It is a normal response and can be both positive and negative. Positive stress keeps us alert and motivated. However when this stress becomes chronic, it turns into negative stress. Negative stress increases the risk of several diseases including: depression and heart disease.

But with all of the obligations in our lives, how do we prevent too much stress from affecting our day-to-day activities?

Just like proper nutrition and a well-constructed training plan, managing stress is another important component for success. It is important to remember that more is NOT always better. It is important to sort out your priorities and be sure to refrain from overloading yourself with too many responsibilities. This will help to keep unnecessary stress out of your life.

A few helpful tactics:

● Prioritize! Our busy and hectic lifestyles have potential to bring upon stress from work, school, relationships, etc. Deal with one things at a time and don't over-analyze situations.

● Don't let stressful aspects of your life bother you during your other daily activities. Instead, focus on them when it's time and move forward.

● Calm down & don't get angry.

● Shift your stresses! Realize what tends to stress you out, and deal with those issues first. Capture as much energy early on in the day to complete these activities to get them off of your mind.

● Exercise, but don't overdo it.

● Practice relaxation techniques: Mediate, try yoga, take small walks for fresh air. Start small by trying a two minute meditation or a five minute walk.

Listen to how your body truly feels and try to relax!

● Practice time management and plan ahead. Make a list of the tasks you plan to accomplish each day and check them off as you go.

● Live in the present- Don't worry about the past or the future.

● Keep a positive attitude! Not only is this beneficial to you, but it's quite contagious to those around you as well.

So the next time you stop and wonder why you're not gaining muscle or improving your fitness, but your training plan and diet seem to be right on key, try monitoring your SLEEP and STRESS LEVELS. Chances are that with a little bit of effort and a positive mindset you will drastically improve your fitness, ultimately leading to a happier and healthier lifestyle!

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Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/tips-to-control-stress
http://www.medicinenet.com/stress/page3.htm
http://www.umm.edu/patiented/articles/what_health_consequences_of_stress_000031_3.htm

Part 1: How To Sleep Better - Stress Less - Improve Your Fitness

By: Total Nutrition Technology

Ever feel like you're spending hours upon hours at the gym only to find yourself not making any progress? How about feeling like you're putting in the effort for a quality workout, but still only find yourself maintaining your current fitness? Often times we tend to forget that factors other than the workout itself come into play when working to improve strength and overall fitness. Two very important factors that are far too often overlooked include: SLEEP & STRESS.

We're all well aware that a good night of sleep leads to higher energy levels, improved mood, and greater motivation for our daily activities. But the effect of a good night of sleep on muscle gain has far greater benefits than one might believe.

So the question is, “What can we do following a workout to reap the most benefits?” Following a strength-training workout it often appears as though muscle mass increases. However, this increase is size is simply due to an increase in blood flow and an increase in the stretch of the muscle fibers. In reality, your muscles increase in strength and size following the workout, during the recovery phase. The recovery phase is the most important part of keeping fit and feeling your best, ultimately enabling yourself to come back even stronger for the next workout. Depending on the intensity of the exercise, full recovery can take up to 48 hours after an exercise session. The most important period of this recovery phase is sleep, which is when your body works to repair the microscopic muscle damage caused by the exercise. Recovery also eliminates the byproducts produced during exercise, and transports them back into the bloodstream. From the bloodstream the byproducts are transported to the kidneys, liver or lungs to be processed and/or excreted.

Believe it or not, sleep is just as important as the workout itself! Muscle growth is directly related to sleep, as it plays a major role in protein synthesis and the release of many essential hormones, giving you the energy needed for another day at the gym!

So how much sleep is necessary? Sleep deprivation, which varies from person to person, usually results from less than 6 hours of sleep per night. Less than six hours causes the majority of the body systems to struggle, ultimately leading to decreased muscle growth and a lack of proper muscle recovery. The goal is to aim for 8 HOURS OF SLEEP/NIGHT. The affected systems include: the endocrine system, immune system, and metabolism.

● The endocrine system is responsible for releasing muscle building hormones which significantly decrease from low levels of sleep. One important hormone in particular, growth hormone, is released at this time. This hormone positively impacts muscle growth, ultimately leading to a speedier recovery. However, the endocrine system is also responsible for releasing catabolic hormones, or the fat-storing hormones. Due to reduced levels of sleep, these hormones can significantly increase, resulting in the break down of muscle mass.

● A properly functioning immune system is vital in order to fight off infection and ensure good-quality workouts. It also plays a major role in the process of muscle recovery.

● Due to a lack of sleep, metabolism is greatly reduced. This ultimately leads to an increased level of fat storage and a decreased rate of muscle growth.

As most of our lives are quite hectic, it's often quite difficult to unwind in the evening and prepare ourselves for a good night's sleep. For many, eight hours of sleep might be quite unrealistic. However, by improving your quality of your sleep you can still gain the majority of the muscle-building benefits!

Some helpful tactics to try include:

● Avoid working out 3-4 hours from the time you'd like to fall asleep.

● Refrain from drinking caffeine late in the day. This is different for everyone, but try not to drink it after 5pm.

● -Try drinking chamomile tea 1-2 hours before bed- it may help you relax and prepare yourself for a restful sleep.

● Maintain a comfortable and hygienic sleep atmosphere.

Remember... AIM FOR 8 HOURS OF SLEEP/NIGHT!

Stay tuned for Part 2 of 'Simple Tricks To Help You: Sleep Better - Stress Less - Improve Your Fitness', which will come tomorrow. We'll talk about STRESS and how this common state for many people today is affecting you more than you think.

photo credit: IMG_4232.JPG via photopin (license)

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is a common sweeter found in soda and other fruit flavored drinks. The use of this type of sweetener has certainly been on the rise leading many to wonder if it is contributing to the increase of obesity and other related health problems in our country.

The main component of HFCS is the fructose. Fructose makes up 55% of HFCS, where glucose makes up the other 45%. HFCS is not the only culprit of bad health among all the sugars out there. It is fructose that is the main culprit of bad health. See more at mayoclinic.com.

12 Facts About High Fructose Corn Syrup

1. Adds to the visceral fat in the body

2. Decreases insulin sensitivity

3. Raises triglyceride levels, leading to metabolic syndrome

4. Almost all calories from fructose get absorbed by the liver. Those calories then get turned into fat whether you need those calories or not. That fat is released into the blood stream, which leads to an increase in triglyceride levels (Leading to metabolic syndrome)

5. For glucose, the liver with only absorb the glucose calories if its needed and most will go to the blood stream as sugar instead of fat, but it will cause an increase in your blood sugar levels.

6. Consuming to much HFCS, will raise triglyceride levels after a meal, which can cause a heart attack, especially if the triglyceride levels are 150 mg/dl or higher

7. Fructose contributes to the increase in Uric Acid in the blood stream. If there is too much Uric Acid in the blood stream, the excess gets sent to the joints causing Gout.

8. High-fructose diets block the leptin signals, which tell your brain that you are full, this can then lead to over-eating and weight gain.

9. After a meal, triglyceride levels in the blood are increased more with fructose as opposed to glucose

10. Along with other sugars, fructose can effect how your body breaks down healthy foods which can ultimately cause you to gain weight if you eat them in addition to all your healthy foods

11. Soft Drinks and sugary drinks add 21% of added sugar to your daily diet and do not curb the appetite so the added calories can lead to weight gain

12. Sugar contributes to an increase in blood pressure because

What comes to mind when you think of High Fructose Corn Syrup?

Call 704-549-9550 or visit www.tntgetfit.com for more information

A little sugar never hurts anyone. The problem is the body only needs about two tablespoons a day. Still many people are consuming up to fifty times the recommended amount of sugar. Ever since the focus of weight management has shifted towards fat-free foods, sugar consumption has sky-rocketed. This has not only contributed toward extra weight gain, it has led to an increase in health problems as well.

Most people are familiar with the term “table sugar,” but not everyone understands that there are many different kinds of sugar. Below is a list of the different kinds of sugars and where they are found. Becoming familiar with these terms will be helpful when determining how much sugar is in a product. All sugars provide four calories per gram.

1. Barley malt - The same effect as brown rice syrup and has no nutritional value.

2. Brown rice syrup - Derived from grains and maintains a percentage of complex carbohydrates. Brown rice is absorbed more slowly than table sugar and therefore helps minimize the roller coaster effect of high and then low energy levels. Brown rice syrup has no nutritional value.

3. Brown sugar - Crystallized sugar with molasses added for color and flavor; no nutritional value.

4. Concentrated fruit juice - Often used as a sweetener in sweetened food products and provides no nutritional value.

5. Fructose - A natural sugar found in fruits, fructose is 15 to 80 percent sweeter than sucrose. Fructose provides no nutritional value, but other contents in the fruits provide essential nutrients.

6. Lactose - A natural sugar found in dairy products. Lactose does not provide any nutritional value, however lactose should not be confused with other contents in dairy products which do provide nutrient value.

7. Molasses - Absorbed more slowly than table sugar (sucrose) and is full of nutrients.

8. Sucrose - Also known as table sugar or refined sugar. Sucrose is found mostly in candies, desserts and fat-free desserts and provides no nutritional value.

9. Turbinado sugar - A highly refined sugar with no nutritional value.

10. Unsulfured molasses - Supplies some B vitamins and minerals to give minimal nutrient value.

A key to monitoring your sugar is determining just how much each serving contains. So check the nutrition label for total grams of sugar, and divide that by four (each teaspoon of sugar is equal to 4 grams.) That’s how many teaspoons of sugar are really in your cookie, salad dressing, and your no-sugar-added fruit juice.

photo credit: Sugar via photopin (license)

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