Tag: registered dietitian entrepreneur

Instagram Accounts We 💗

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Brittany Jones Nutrition Group

Comparison is the killer of all joy.

Comparison is something that comes up in our client sessions often, and today we wanted to take a minute to talk about comparing ourselves to others in our community –  how it can negatively impact our goals.

Your community is not just about the people you physically choose to surround yourself with anymore – it’s also about the community that you create for yourself on social media. This includes brands/businesses, gyms, influencers/bloggers, friends, and family.

If a photo you saw social media is creating negative self talk – unfollow that account now. You don’t have time for that!

Practice avoiding the comparison of current self to your old-self, your friends, family, strangers, coworkers, neighbors and ESPECIALLY photoshopped media and social media images. Social media is a place to selectively connect with others and build your community – make sure yours is a positive one!

Here are some of our favorite Instagram accounts to follow:

  1. @victoriamyers_ : Victoria is a body positive Registered Dietitian in Florida. She is the owner of her own private practice, Nourishing Minds Nutrition and the host of the Nourishing Women Podcast. She is a new mom and in her practice, she places an emphasis on women’s nutrition and wellness without fad diets.
  2. @find.food.freedom: This is one of our favorite accounts to follow, because they are so REAL. Sammy, Mindy and Aimee take a no BS approach to nutrition and call out all things diet culture. Our favorite is their f*** diet Friday series. Check it out – you won’t be able to stop laughing!
  3. @stephaniechinart : Stephanie is an illustrator from Toronto, Ontario. She shares her body positive and women’s empowerment designs over on her Instagram account. Stephanie utilizes her talents to tell women that they are more valuable than how society defines women.
  4. @Kait.hurley : Kait is the founder of the KAIT app. In her app she creates mindful movement by implementing a meditation session in each workout. Her goal is to use exercise to help individuals get stronger both physically and mentally – something we can get behind.
  5. @thebodypositive : The Body Positive is a non-profit from California that helps people overcome conflicts with their bodies to lead happier, more productive lives. Over on their Instagram, they use real women’s quotes, experiences, and artwork to express real body positivity.
  6. @aerie is a female underwear and swimwear brand owned by American Eagle. Aerie was one of the first clothing lines to leave their photos untouched. They use the hashtag #aeriereal to give women the power to share images of their real untouched bodies.
  7. @thirdlove Third Love is a bra and underwear company for women that carries 78 different sizes. Their mission is to supply bra sizes to accommodate women of all sizes and shapes and they promote this on their social media. (Also now is the time to unfollow Victoria’s Secret and all of their models that make you feel inadequate.)
  8. @girlfriend Girlfriend Collective is an active wear line based in Seattle Washington. Their pieces are ethically manufactured, made of sustainable materials, and they carry sizes from XXS to 6XL.
  9. @bodyimagewithbri: Bri is a licensed professional counselor living in a larger body. She works as an individual counselor focusing on body image and also provides supervision for professionals that want to learn more in this area. She posts many helpful tips on reframing negative body image thoughts and dealing with body image grief.
  10. @et.the.rd: Esther Tambe is a Weight inclusive Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist. Esther strongly believes nutrition is an important topic for the African-American community but especially for young women, who may not connect with traditional weight-centric messages they see and hear about nutrition from society. She is committed to increasing awareness of eating disorders/disordered eating and weight inclusive nutrition counseling in Black communities.
  11. @chelseahester: Chelsea is a certified intuitive eating counselor and anti-diet coach living in NYC. She focuses on teaching people how to make peace with their bodies and food. She states her perfect future would be where all people can “embrace [their] curves, share meals filled with laughter, and wake up every morning proud and grateful to be exactly who [they] are.”
  12. @schultzzie: Sierra is a body positive youtuber, social media influencer, and new mom. She has been open about her own struggles with body image, PCOS, and bipolar disorder. Many of her videos focus on unrealistic beauty standards and fashion. She owns a clothing line called Confident and Kind that supports body positivity.
  13. @encouragingdietitian: Christyna is a weight inclusive dietitian that helps people find a peaceful and sustainable relationship with food and their body. Her mission is to create equitable access to evidence-based weight-inclusive space for individuals seeking nutrition education regarding intuitive eating and eating disorder recovery. She also has a blog and podcast you can find on her website.
  14. @dietitiananna: Anna is a Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian, Certified Intuitive Eating Specialist and owner of Whole Life Nutrition Counseling. She proudly identifies herself as a disabled woman and is passionate about bridging the gap between the able-bodied and disabled worlds. Anna’s goal is to help others heal their relationships with food and body, trust their own wisdom, appreciate self-care, and to enjoy every bite along the way.
  15. @thenutritiontea: Shana labels herself as an “eat anything” dietitian. She focuses on challenging diet rules and common nutrition misinformation. She practices using the Health at Every Size Approach. Fun fact – she also has a B.S. in Fashion Merchandising!
  16. @jennifer_rollin: Jennifer is therapist and founder of The Eating Disorder Center in Rockville, Maryland. She has a certificate in Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorder, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and is a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. Her pro-eating disorder recovery posts reach many, encouraging others to challenge negative thoughts and give themselves compassion.
  17. @alissarumseyrd: Alissa is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor,  Body Liberation Coach, and author of “Unapologetic Eating.” She strives to create a space that is inclusive and equitable for all body shapes and sizes, races and ethnicities, gender identities and expressions, sexual orientations, and abilities. Her Instagram posts keep it real – the perfect balance of humor and facts to help you ditch the diet mentality and challenge negative food and body image thoughts.

What are your favorite accounts to follow? Let us know in the comments below!

Spring Clean Your Diet with WSPA

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Spring is finally here and I recently shared my tips to spring clean your diet with WSPA Channel 7 News. Warmer weather means that there is lots of produce is in season – and fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, and water! Click here to get the Grape, Walnut, and Goat Cheese Chicken Salad recipe that I demonstrated on the segment.

Spring clean your diet by making at least one snack per day consist of produce + protein

Examples below:

  • 1 Cup cucumber slices + 2 Tablespoons hummus
  • 1 Small apple + 1 cheese stick
  • 1/2 Cup blueberries + 1/4 Cup walnuts
  • 17 Grapes + 25 almonds
  • 5 stalks celery + 2 Tablespoons natural nut or seed butter
  • 1 Peach (sliced) + 1 Cup cottage cheese
  • 1 Pear + 1/4 Cup pecans
  • 1/2 bell pepper (sliced) + 2 Tablespoons hummus
  • 1 Cutie + 1/2 Cup pistachios in shell
  • 1/2 Banana + 2 Tablespoons natural nut or seed butter
  • 1/2 Cup raspberries + 1/2 Cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 Orange + 1 hard boiled egg

Want to know more about meal planning and nutrition tips for spring? Contact me today to set up your FREE 15 minute discovery call.

Roasted Garlic and Chive Mashed Cauliflower & Potatoes

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potatoes

You asked for a healthy potato dish for the holdiays, and I delivered!

Recently on Instagram, I asked what was the dish that you looked forward to the most during the holidays, and mashed potatoes got one of the top votes. However, this dish that is traditionally made with lots of butter and heavy cream doesn’t have to be completly tasteless when you make it healthier. Here I came up with a time efficient to roast a whole clove of garlic to add in with all of the other ingredients which not only has a great flavor, it also makes your house smell incredible.

I also cut the carb count on this recipe by using half gold potatoes, and half caulfilower. The texture and falvor is amazing, and your guests/kids won’t be able to tell that they are also getting in some non-starchy vegetables! I left the skins on the potatoes for added fiber and texture, but if you want to peel them instead that definitely is an option too.

Check it out below:

Roasted Garlic and Chive Mashed Cauliflower & Potatoes

Serves: 10

Ingredients:

  • 1 head garlic, cloves separated, left in skin
  • 1/3 Cup + 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 2 pounds golden potatoes, skins on, cut into 1″ chunks
  • 2 pounds cauliflower florets (about 2 heads)
  • 2/3 Cup 1% milk
  • 3 Tablespoons organic unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Cup chives, sliced

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Place the separated garlic cloves in the middle of a sheet of foil. Drizzle with 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil.
  3. Wrap the foil around the cloves creating a little pouch.
  4. Place the pouch in the oven until cloves soften and you smell the aroma of garlic, about 30-40 minutes. Remove and let cool.
  5. While garlic roasts, in 7- to 8-quart saucepot, place the potatoes with enough water to cover it by 2 inches. Partially cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and for simmer 10 minutes.
  6. Add the cauliflower florets, and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the cauliflower is very tender and can be cut with a wooden spoon.
  7. Drain the potatoes and cauliflower and return to the pot.
  8. Meanwhile, in small microwave-safe bowl, microwave the 1% milk and butter on medium high for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes or until the butter has melted. Add the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil.
  9. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves from skins into the potatoes and cauliflower mixture. Add the butter mixture to the potatoes and cauliflower along with 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons black pepper.
  10. Mash the potatoes and cauliflower with a potato masher or hand mixer until very smooth. Mix in chives with a wooden spoon.
  11. Serve immediately, or hold until service at 135 degrees.

Nutrition Facts (1 serving): 232 Calories, 15.9g Total Fat, 5.8g Saturated Fat, 0g Trans Fat, 19mg Cholesterol, 268mg Sodium, 21.7g Total Carbohyrate, 5g Fiber, 4.4g Sugar, 4g Protein

Want to know more about a having a healthy holiday season? Contact me to set up your FREE 15 minute phone appointment today!

 

Easy Honey Roasted Rainbow Carrots

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Want to know my #1 tip for your upcoming Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or office Holiday potluck?

BYOV: Bring your own veggies!

Making 50% of your plate non-starchy vegetables helps keep the nutrition and fullness up, while controlling the portion size of the fun foods that we only see during this time of year.

If you are still looking for an easy and healthy dish, check out my Honey Roasted Rainbow Carrot recipe. With only 5 ingredients, you can easily throw it together to get some color on the table!
I used the pre-peeled Les Petites Carrots of Many Colors from Trader Joe’s for this recipe, but any rainbow carrots will do. This recipe is written for 4 servings, but can easily be doubled to serve 8 for a larger party.

carrots

Honey Roasted Rainbow Carrots

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound of fresh rainbow carrots, washed and peeled
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/2 Tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
  • Black pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat the bottom of a rectangular or oval baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.
  2. Place the carrots in the baking dish, followed by the olive oil and honey. Toss the carrots to coat with the honey mixture, and spread in a single layer. Sprinkle with thyme and black pepper to taste.
  3. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the carrots are cooked and browned around the edges.
  4. Serve the carrots whole, and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts (1 serving): 74 Calories, 2.4g Total Fat, 0.3g Saturated Fat, 0g Trans Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 88mg Sodium, 12.5g Total Carb, 2.8g Fiber, 8.2g Sugar, 1.4g Protein

Want to know more about a having a healthy holiday season? Contact me to set up your FREE 15 minute phone appointment today!

Sage Brown Butter Cauliflower Gnocci with Mushrooms, Spinach, and Chicken Apple Sausage

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Trader Joe’s new Cauliflower Gnocci is ALL the rage this year! So many of my clients have tried it and logged their meal in their Healthie food logs, that I just had to give it a try.

I love the flavors of fall, and also healthy one pot meals dish that takes less than 20 minutes to make. With only 6 ingredients, you can’t go wrong. Check out the full recipe below!

cauliflower gnocci

Sage Brown Butter Cauliflower Gnocci with Mushrooms, Spinach and Chicken Sausage

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons organic unsalted butter
  • 10 Chopped sage leaves, washed and patted dry
  • 2 Packages Frozen Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocci
  • 8oz Sliced baby bella mushrooms
  • 4 Pre-cooked chicken apple sauasges, cut into half moons
  • 2 Cups Baby spinach (1/2 5oz bag)
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • Garlic powder, to taste

Directions:

  1. Heat a large cast iron skillet to medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt, about 1 minute. Add the sage leaves and fry the sage in the butter for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
  2. Add the bags of the frozen caulfilower gnocci and the sliced mushrooms to the skillet. Toss to coat in the sage butter. Cover and cook 5-7 minutes.
  3. Add the spinach, chicken apple sausage, black pepper, and garlic. Cover and cook another 5 minutes until the spinach is wilted and the gnocci is fully cooked through.
  4. Place in 4 bowls and serve!

Nutrition Facts (1 serving): 392 Calories, 15g Total Fat, 5g Saturated Fat, 915mg Sodium, 38.2g Total Carb, 10g Fiber, 1g Sugar, 20.4g Protein

Have you tried the caulfilower gnocci yet? Let me know your thoughts in the comment below!

#PortionPlateSeries

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Did you follow along on Instagram last week for the #PortionPlateSeries? I spent the week sharing how to use this awesome tool that allows you to ditch counting calories/macros/points forever!

Keep reading for a recap of each scenario!

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If you have been to any of my nutrition seminars or have read any of my blog posts, you know I am BIG on using the portion plate 🍽 I avoid having my clients count ANYTHING – not calories, macros, or points. We use this tool in everything we do together 👍
. . .
The concept is to fill 50% of your plate with non-starchy vegetables, 25% with lean meats, and 25% with complex carbohydrates at each meal. It’s that simple!
. . .
Keep reading for examples of HOW to use the portion plate in different .different scenarios 🍕 🍣 🍝🥗 🥪. While sometimes it might be easy to add a 3oz piece of grilled chicken, 1/2 cup of quinoa, and 2 cups of 🥦 to the plate like this photo shows – the reality is that our plates and recipes don’t always look this way.

sushi

Let’s talk SUSHI 🍣 is it a healthy option? The answer is YES! Keep reading as I’m breaking it down today for the #PortionPlateSeries
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Sushi is a great healthy option packed with omega 3s (healthy fats), veggies, sometimes more healthy fats 🥑, and carbohydrates 🍚. When it comes to balancing out your plate, a sushi roll counts on the protein/carb half of your plate. This leaves the other half for VEGGIES! I always recommend opting for a the salad or seaweed salad (pictured here at @murasakidowntown) on the side with your sushi roll.
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Healthy Sushi Ordering Tips:
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🐟 Go for the raw/steamed/grilled salmon or tuna roll for the most amount of healthy omega3 fats
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🍘Ask for brown rice for extra fiber and fullness. Each roll has about 1 Cup of rice, so be sure to count this in the carb portion of your plate
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🥟Watch out for tempura and deep fried rolls – this is just a fancy word for breaded in panko and deep fried! This option would be considered one of your fun foods for the week
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🌸Eat the ginger on your plate! It can help boost your immune system and also has anti-inflammatory properties
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🍜Opt for the reduced sodium soy sauce (or Tamari) to decrease bloat
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🥢Use chopsticks! Even if you’re not skilled in using them, they will help you slow your pace of eating – but also sushi with a fork just seems wrong 🤔anyone else agree? 🙋🏻‍♀️
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🍣 Still hungry after a roll and salad? Try sashimi to fill you up with more protein and good fat rather than another sushi roll with an additional cup of rice

salad

🚨 Attention: This is not a boring salad 🚨
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Salads have gotten reputation for being boring, tasteless, and unsatisfying – but I am here to bust up those myths for today’s #PortionPlateSeries post 🥗
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A meal salad is an easy way to make 50% of your plate veggies (the darker the greens the better – start with 2 Cups), but what about the other parts to your plate? 🍽 Here are some easy ways to add lean proteins, and healthy carbs to your salad. 📷 is of @traderjoes tabouli over hearty romaine, fat free feta, and grilled chicken – it’s one of my go-to lunches!
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Ways to add lean protein to your salad (3oz-6oz depending on the person):
🍗 Grilled Chicken
🐟 Roasted Salmon
Tofu
🥩 Grilled sirloin
Roasted turkey
🧀 Cheese
🌰Nuts/Seeds
. . .
Ways to add complex carbohydrates to your salad (1/2 – 1 Cup total depending on the person):
Fruit 🍎🍉🍎🍐🍊🍓🍇🍑🍍
Dried fruit (unsweetened cranberries or raisins)
Whole grains like quinoa or wild rice🍚
Whole wheat pita chip crumbles
Organic low sodium canned beans (black, pinto, soy beans, chickpeas)
Starchy vegetables (roasted 🍠 🌽 or butternut squash)
. . .
Of course healthy fats from 🥑 and oil based dressings are great additions as well!

sandwich

Is there a more satisfying lunch than a 🥪? There is something so comforting about the combination of bread/protein/veggies/condiments that I just love! So how does the sandwich fit on the portion plate? 🍽 For today’s #portionplateseries post we are breaking it down.
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First let’s start with the 🍞I always recommend a bread where the first ingredient says “WHOLE.” This means that it has the entire grain, and has all of the nutrients and antioxidants from the bran, germ, and endosperm – basically you’re getting more bang for your buck 👍 Examples include whole wheat bread, Ezekiel bread, sprouted wheat bread, and #glutenfree options. The bread counts as the 25% carb on your plate.
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Then we move onto the protein 🍗I recommend keeping lean deli meats (turkey, chicken, ham) to a couple of times per week mainly because they are processed and many contain nitrates. You could also opt for a grilled chicken breast as well (pictured here), or a #vegetarian protein source like cheese, hummus, or natural 🥜 butter. This counts as the 25% protein on your plate.
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Your 🥪 counts as your meat/protein, so what’s missing? 50% 🥒🥕🍅🌶 I always recommend serving raw or roasted non-starchy veggies, or a salad on the side with a sandwich. Many sub shops offer chips, an apple, or more bread with a sandwich – however this would create a possible carb overload with 75% of your plate now being carbs. I absolutely love raw red bell pepper strips, but some of my other favorites are baby carrots, celery, cucumbers, and snap peas.

pizza

🍕+🥗=😋
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It’s the weekend and time for P-I-Z-Z-A in the #PortionPlateSeries. YES pizza can fit into a healthy diet 🎉 Here’s how:
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Pizza is made up of primarily protein (cheese/meat) and carbs (crust) so this would count on 50% of your plate. Making your own pizza is a really easy way to keep it healthy, and I love using @traderjoeswhole wheat crust to make my 🍕, along with part skim mozzarella cheese. Of course a cauliflower pizza crust is another option as well! If you’re dining out, restaurants like @brixxpizza has a whole wheat option and locally both @sidewallpizza and @swamprabbitcafe have #glutenfree crust options as well. Go for the 🥦🍅🥕🌶 toppings as much as possible!
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🥗 pairs perfectly with pizza, and many restaurants have salad options to have on the side. This also fills the remaining 50% of your plate with veggies! You can opt for traditional lettuce based salad, or I love adding a fun salad like @eatsmartveggies 7 #Superfood Salad on the side to my clients meal plan pizza meals (yes I put pizza on meal plans).

pasta

“You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients.” – Julia Child 🙌
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This is one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite people, and this concept is at the root of my business! My husband and I took a trip to 🇮🇹 this past spring where I really saw this come to life everywhere we went. There were of course some masterpieces, but one of our favorite dinners was at 6:30PM (a totally inappropriate dinner time in Italy) after hiking in #CinqueTerra and they were incredibly simple 🍝 dishes with lots of fresh local ingredients! For my last #PortionPlateSeries post I wanted to share how #pasta can fit into a healthy balanced diet 🍽
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To state the obvious, a pasta dish will count as your carb portion of your plate, but the keys are #1 portion size (keep it to 25%) #2adding lean protein #3 adding 🍅🥦. One really easy way to do that is by creating a pasta primavera dish filled with lots of different veggies! This dish is one from my custom #mealplan recipes that I give to my clients, and it’s a Roasted Vegetable Pasta Primavera with Spicy Chicken Sausage featuring @traderjoes brown rice #glutenfree penne pasta (or you can use whole wheat). This dish only has 4.5oz of raw pasta for four servings, but with all of these veggies and four chicken sausages it is incredibly filling! Check out my IG story to see how I made the pasta sauce as well.
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Well there you have it y’all: the #PortionPlateSeries is complete with ways to fit 🍣 🥗 🥪🍕 and🍝 into your healthy lifestyle. I hope you have found these to be helpful, and if there are any other cuisines/dishes that you have questions about be sure to leave them in the comments below.

Establishing Healthy Habits for Life

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Have you ever found yourself saying “I know what to do, it’s just making myself do it”?

Here are 5 easy tips to establish healthy meal planning and a consistent exercise habits now, to give you the results you have always been looking for. After reading this blog post, write down one thing that you would like to implement right away!

1 – Lifeong Habits Take More Work Than a Fad Diet

Congratulations on saying “no” to the yo-yo dietiting and “yes” to developing healthy habits that will last a lifetime! The secret to wellness is not only making changes you know you can hold on to, it’s starting slow, and building up. It’s going to be harder than following someone else’s rules for 21 days or 30 days – but the results will last longer too.

2 – Make Time for Wellness

It’s true – there are just not enough hours in the day and wellness doesn’t often just “happen.” There is no perfect time for weight loss, so make a commitment NOW to invest in yourself – whether it is through meal planning, exercising, or just taking time to do something for you. Establishing new habits, and avoiding going back to what’s easy takes time and dedication. Schedule an appointment with yourself in your phone, in your planner or on your family calendar to carve out this time and start to create a new healthy habit.

3 – Meal Plan the Easy Way

Meal planning does NOT mean that you have to plan for 21 meals including 7 dinners. Dinner is typically where we tend to end up in the drive thru line, or on the phone with the pizza place. Try planning for just 3-4 dinners and include leftovers into the plan. Many of my clients love meal delivery services, and this utilizes that same concept, but you will save even more money, and cook healthier! Start by putting your “events” in your calendar, and then build healthy meals and snacks around them!

4 – Schedule Your Workouts On Sunday

Take a look at your week ahead and schedule your workouts in your planner ahead of
time. Write it down in your planner and reschedule if you have to – just like you would a
doctor’s appointment.

5 – Be Realistic

It’s about progress – not perfection. This is a time to accept a broader form of excellence
rather than a narrowly defined one. We are not aiming for A+ on a test here, in all reality we are aiming for a really solid B. Did you set a goal to workout 5 times per week but have only gotten in 3? Congratulations you got in 3! Celebrate that win, and consider re-adjusting your goal to build up to 5 times per week – you might need to change up your schedule or ask for some help with your to-do list. Think about what needs to be done to get there, start slow, and build. Remember – you have the rest of your life to build these healthy habits and nothing ends in 21 or 30 days – it’s forever. Focus what works for YOU!

Want to know more? Your first 15 minute phone appointment is FREE! Contact
me here.

Nominated for 2018 Best of the Upstate “Best Weight Loss Services”

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best of the upstate

Blush Nutrition has been nominated for “Best Weight Loss Services”!

Brittany L. Jones, MS, RD, LD is the ONLY Registered Dietitian on the ballot, and casting your vote for Blush Nutrition will send the message that Greenville is looking for a sustainable weight loss service, and not a quick fix. At Blush Nutrition, my focus in on healthy small lifestyle changes, customized to each client, and everything I do is backed by research.

What’s the difference between a Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist?

Simply said, all dietitians are nutritionists, but not all nutritions are dietitians. A Registered Dietitian has additional qualifications that must be met, which include:

  • Minimum of a bachelor’s degree with course work including food and nutrition sciences, food service systems management, business, economics, sociology, biochemistry, physiology, microbiology and chemistry
  • Completed an accredited dietetic internship
  • Passed the national Registered Dietitian examination
  • Completes continuing professional educational requirements to maintain registration (75 every 5 years)

Click here to cast your vote for Blush Nutrition – click on the “Health & Beauty” page and scroll down for Best Weight Loss Services.

Thank you Greenville for this nomination, I am honored!

Nutrition Tips for Your Healthiest Summer Yet

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jez-timms-634288-unsplash

Summer is almost here! That means lots of BBQs, weddings, vacations and more. Wondering how your healthy lifestyle fits into your busy and very fun summer schedule? Check out my top nutrition tips for summer – including healthy grilling, managing parties, staying on track on vacation, and more.

1. Use the Portion Plate at BBQs & Buffets

Make half your plate non-starchy vegetable at lunch and dinner – it’s easier than counting calories! This will keep the carbs and lean meat to the other side of your plate, keeping calories low and nutrients high. Keep in mind if you don’t use your carbohydrates for energy, they will get stored as fat.

2. Meal Plan for Success

Summer schedules are BUSY! With vacations, work events, and kids being out of school it seems like the summer just flies by. Choose a day on the weekend to take 10 minutes to look at your week ahead. See what days you have an event going on and work backwards to see which days you will want to plan healthy meals for.

3. Use the 80/20 Rule

Focus on functional foods 80% of the time, and give yourself 20% of the time to enjoy the fun foods of summer! The most important part is that after the party/BBQ is over, that you just jump right back in where you left off. There is no falling off the wagon when you are focusing on building healthy lifestyle habits.

4. Fire Up the Grill

Focus on lean meats (chicken, fish, bison burgers) to focus on getting as much protein as possible, and also prevent grill flare ups. Grill vegetables whole or use a grilling basket for a healthy side!

5. Maintain Don’t Gain on Vacation

Let’s be honest – no one expects to lose weight on vacation (what fun is that?). Enjoy yourself while keeping your healthy habits in mind by utilizing the portion plate when dining out and finding a way to incrorporate movement into your day (walk, local gym, swimming, and more).

6. Alternate Alcoholic Drinks with Water

Keep hydrated and keep the calories low with this trick. Even better, choose a low calorie drink like a spiked seltzer over a beer.

7. Cut Out Sugary Drinks

This includes sodas, sweet teas and juice. Cutting out two sugary drinks per day could result in losing over half a pound per week. Remember, these count in the carb portion of your plate. Try regular, or infused or sparkling water for best results!

8. Schedule your workouts on Sunday

Take a look at your week ahead and schedule your workouts ahead of time. Write it down in your planner and reschedule if you have to – just like you would a doctor’s appointment.

9. Let your hunger and fullness drive your choices

Recognizing your hunger and fullness cues is the key to dining out on vacation and eating at BBQs/weddings. On a scale of 1-10 try to eat when you are at a 3-4 and eat until you are a 6-7. Avoid being ravenous going into a meal, this will put you at risk for overeating.
Want to know more? Your first 15 minute phone appointment is FREE! Set up your appointment here.

Calling All Teachers!

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School is out and Blush Nutrition is offering a new package designed specifically for teachers looking to focus on their health and wellness during the summer months!

This package is perfect for developing healthy habits and continuing them throughout school year. The Healthy Lifestyle Package is a 3 month plan, which includes nutrition coaching and meal planning. I am currently offering 10% off for teachers (new clients only) until June 30th!

The Healthy Lifestyle Package is designed to take you from June through September to kickstart healthy habits now establish a plan for a healthy school year!

Blush Nutrition loves teachers, and we can’t wait to help you make this summer the best yet! Click here to set up your first 15 minute appointment for free.