Once in a Blue Moon

We have all heard the saying, it "happens once in a blue moon."  Well tonight is your chance to experience a Blue Moon and just maybe, do something special.  Believe it or not, the term Blue Moon has nothing to do with the moon's color.  A Blue Moon is the second full moon of the month.  The next one will not happen until 2015!

Make tonight memorable and do something special (and healthy).   

-  Take a moonlight stroll with your family or friend to bask in the moonlight and enjoy the time you spend together

-  Add a little blue to your dinner:  blue cheese, blueberries, eggplant (blue-ish), blueberry smoothie, blueberry Greek or regular yogurt

-  Ride your bike by moonlight tonight

-  Have Dessert!  Get fresh or frozen blueberries, 1 tbs sugar, sugar free blue Jell-O, non-fat cool whip.  Add a few teaspoons of the dry Jell-O powder to the cool whip.  Heat the berries and sugar.  Serve with blue topping!

-  Walk a nature trail or around a pond at dusk to see the moon rise

-  Have blueberry chicken salad (scroll down for recipe)

-  Dance the night away at a Blues Club

- See if you can still snag some tickets to Blue Man Group tonight

-  Throw a coin in a wishing well and make a wish/promise for your future

-  Pack up your bike and take it downtown to bike the lake shore. It is quite beautiful at night.  Walking the lake shore is also worth the trip down there. 

Fun Facts

This week, Sandy Dempsy a Dietetic Intern put together a list of fun facts about food, health and exercise.  I hope this will help maintain your motivation and drive to reach your goals and maintain good health.  Enjoy!


-  Did you know that you get a new stomach lining every three to four days? If you didn't, the strong acids your stomach uses to digest food would also digest your stomach.

-  The small intestine is about four times as long as the average adult is tall. If it weren't looped back and forth upon itself, its length of 18 to 23 feet wouldn't fit into the abdominal cavity, making things rather messy.  It is your job to care for our gut by choosing fruits, vegetables, water and consuming at least 25 grams of fiber each day.

-  Studies have shown that adults who exercise regularly have better memory, are better at going from one mental task to another, and can focus and concentrate better than those who are sedentary.  In other words, exercise makes people smarter.

-  Kids who exercise have fewer problems with attention deficit disorder and learn faster. Studies have shown that physical education in schools improves academic performance as well as physical fitness.

-  When you take a step, you are using up to 200 muscles. Walking uses a great deal of muscle power-especially if you take your 10,000 steps, about 5 miles, each day.

-  Overeating, poor memory, learning disorders, depression all have been linked to the over-consumption of sugar.  According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the average American consumes 156 pounds of added sugar per year; only 36 percent of it is taken directly. The rest is "hidden" in commercially sweetened and prepared foods like ketchup, baby food, canned fruits, and cereals. Children, it is estimated, consume 3 to 4 pounds of refined Sugar a week.

-  On average, every minute you walk extends your life by one and a half to two minutes.

-  If you are 25 pounds overweight, you have nearly 5,000 extra miles of blood vessels through which your heart must pump blood.

-  Every day an adult body produces 300 billion new cells. Your body not only needs energy and nutrition to keep your organs up and running, but also to constantly repair and build.  Over time insufficient nutrition intake can contribute to a decline in health and wellbeing.

-  Fast food restaurants use yellow, red, and orange because those are the colors that stimulate hunger.

-  If you are not a regular exerciser, by the time you are 65 yo umay experience as much as an 80% decrease in your muscle strenght

Join the Omega 3's - 5k walk

To join our team or to donate to our cause, please visit our team page. Please forward and share with family and friends and help us make an impact.

Dear Prospective Team Members,

The Omega 3’s from Franciscan St. James Health Outpatient Nutrition and Center for Bariatric Surgery are participating in the American Heart Association's Heart Walk on Saturday September 22, 2012 to promote physical activity to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Imagine the impact if we reduce death and disability from cardiovascular diseases and stroke by 20% by 2020!

Please Join Our Team! Help us reach this lifesaving goal!

Healthy Regards,

Kelly Devine Rickert RD, PT

For more information contact Kelly at the Franciscan St. James Outpatient Nutrition and Center for Bariatric Surgery at 708-679-2717 or via e-mail Kelly.Devine@FranciscanAlliance.org 

You don’t have to fundraise alone. If you decide to join The Omega 3’s, we will be in contact to help you with fundraising ideas and training tips!

Food Journaling for Effective Weight Loss

Effective Weight Loss – Keep A Food Journal, Don’t Skip Meals, Don’t Eat Out

An article from Medical News Today highlights a study conducted by researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center focused on the impact of self-monitoring, diet-related behaviors, and eating patterns and their effects on body weight in obese and overweight postmenopausal females.

Some of the findings from the study include:

-          Importance of keeping a food journal

o   The study found that those who kept a food journal lost approximately 6 pounds more than women who did not.

o   Research team leader Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D. said:   “It is difficult to make changes to your diet when you are not paying close attention to what you are eating.”

-          Eating at regular intervals and not skipping meals

o   Females who “skipped meals” lost much less weight than those who never missed meals (about 8 pounds less).

o   McTiernan explained:  “The mechanism is not completely clear, but we think that skipping meals or fasting might cause you to respond more favorably to high-calorie foods and therefore take in more calories overall.”

-          Eating out can be a barrier for making healthy food choices

o   Women who went out for lunch at least once a week lost about 5 fewer pounds compared to those who lunched out less often.

o   When we are at a restaurant we have less control in what ingredients are used in preparing our meals, and which cooking methods are used.  Even portion sizes are no longer under control.

To read more about the study, check out the article from Medical News Today at the link below:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/247839.php

Dining out

Trying to eat healthy while eating out? It can be a challenge especially when you are trying to lose weight.
Check out the following link. Here are 13 rules to guide you to eating lighter and healthier if you are dining out.
13 Rules for Dining Out on a Diet

Kelly Devine Rickert MS RD CSSD LDN

A New Spin on Healthy School Lunches

You may soon be preparing your child for school with new clothes and schools supplies, but let’s not forget to shop for healthy foods to feed your young ones. Whether they are headed to preschool this year or their senior year of high school, it is key to get your children the right nutrients so they can stay focused and energized throughout the school year.

With childhood obesity on the rise, it is time for parents to take control of their children’s food choices. Packing a lunch each day for your children is a great start. Packing a healthy lunch filled with lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low fat dairy will ensure your child is getting the nutrition he or she needs without all the extra calories, sodium and fat.

Here are some ways you can spice up your child’s lunch (and even your own!) while also packing in the nutrients.

Ø  Think outside the box when it comes to preparing sandwiches. Switch up your bread products (and aim for at least 3 grams of fiber per serving!). Try whole grain pitas, bagels, Sandwich Thins, or whole grain tortillas instead of plain white bread. (Many products have whole grain white products for children who don’t like the grainer products).

Ø  Add vegetables by adding some to the “sandwich” On the side, pack some sliced tomato, cucumbers, spinach or lettuce or even some avocado.

Ø  Aim for a fruit and/or vegetables in every lunch. Cut up fruit or vegetables and add a fun dip such as yogurt for fruit or light ranch for vegetables.

Ø  Don’t forget to add in some calcium! Calcium is a much needed nutrient for growing children. Toss in a yogurt, string cheese stick, slice of cheese on a sandwich or better yet, a carton of low fat milk.

Ø  For a side item if needed, watch the extra calories in chips and junk food. Instead opt for pretzels, goldfish, baked chips or Sun chips.

Ø  Add in a sweet note by adding a low fat pudding, Jell-O, Fig Newton’s, graham crackers, or pretzels dipped in dark chocolate

And let’s not forget, sometimes it’s all in the packaging! Try this new spin on lunch boxes called, Laptop Lunches (www.laptoplunches.com). Each lunchbox comes with dishwasher safe, BPA free plastic containers to package your child’s lunch and side items. No plastic baggies needed!

Packing lunches can take some time but once you get in a routine, lunches should take no more than 10-15 of prep time the night before school. By packing your child a healthy lunch (and sometimes afterschool snack as well) you are ensuring your child is getting the right nutrients for his or her growth

Kelly Devine, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN, CPT