Author: Chelsea Marquez MS, RD, LD

It is a New Year, how are those health goals going so far? It is easy to get burnt out after working hard for a couple weeks. Those new health gadgets you bought to help you stay on track start becoming mere annoyances as old habits creep back into daily routines. So how do you make this year different and stay on track with your goals to make a long lasting difference for your health?

1. Create a SMART (Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Time-bound) BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal)

Your SMART BHAG is a long term health vision for yourself and should be something very meaningful to you. This gives all your hard work purpose. So as you’re crunching down on celery instead of pizza or walking the dog instead of watching prime time TV, you’ve got this to think about as your end goal.

An example of a SMART BHAG:

Specific, Big, Hairy, and Audacious: Skiing a black diamond slope on a snowy mountain

Measurable, Attainable: I am going to increase cardiovascular and strength training exercise to 5 times per week

Relevant, Time-Bound: As a result, I will improve blood pressure, blood lipids and cholesterol and achieve weight loss within a 5 year span

2. Create smaller goals to help achieve your SMART BHAG

Examples may be, increase vegetable intake to 1 serving per day for six weeks, achieve hydration goals daily for six weeks, or increase aerobic exercise to twice per week for three weeks. These small goals can be achieved faster and will not only help get you to the BHAG goal quicker, but make long lasting health habits that will reduce those old habits from creeping back into your routine.

3. Learn your obstacles and find accountability

Done this all before and still failed? What was that obstacle that kept you from achieving your BHAG? It is different for everyone, but identifying what exactly keeps you from achieving your goals and putting a plan in place to overcome it can make a difference in the long run. People make a huge difference in helping keep you accountable for your goals. So get friends and family involved. Not only can it be fun, but it can be another way to help you overcome some of the obstacles that have kept you from achieving your health goals in the past. You can do this! Don’t give up!

It has been over twenty years since the nutrition label has been updated, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now releasing a Nutrition Facts face lift! Nutrition facts are an important part of managing your health because they can tell you not only what type of food you are taking in but how much energy it provides.  Take a look at what to expect:

OLD:                                                                                    NEW:

Per the Food and Drug Administration, the biggest changes are the introduction to the “added sugars” and the increase in font size of the “serving size” and calories within that serving.

Continue reading “The Label Face Lift” →

As school is starting, I know many parents are looking to cut costs as school supply budgets start to increase. Here are 3 tips that can save you time and money at the grocery store:

• Make a list before you go!
  • It is important to know what you have on hand. There are free grocery list templates on MyPlate.gov  that can help you organize your food stock by its corresponding group. You can also utilize the two columns for things you “have” and things you “need”. These types of lists make grocery shopping efficient as you do not have to scan a long list to make sure you got everything you need in that aisle.
• Plan your meals based on store sales
  • Did you find chicken breasts for half off? Blueberries on sale for 2 bucks?  Does kale have a dollar off coupon on your saver’s card? Well, it looks like one of your dinners is going to include a beautiful grilled chicken breast with a blueberry kale salad. Even if you did not make the time to create a grocery list,  building your dinners based on sales can help you save in the store.
• Find your local Farmer’s Markets
  • No doubt buying in bulk can be cheaper. In most cases, farmers try to sell that way so they can get rid of their crop fast. You may find some of the best produce at the best price going to a Farmer’s Market because they are always selling in season and with many farmers trying to sell the same item, you will be getting a competitive price. Tried a local market and prices are still too high? Try going towards the end of the day. When food doesn’t sell, you might find one stand is slashing prices to get rid of their crop.
• Need more tips? Contact us.

One of my favorite things about the school-year starting is getting the opportunity to work with dietetic interns that can help find the latest trends in the nutrition and health industry. Check out this great info-graphic that one of my interns, Katie Collins created. Some of these look very cool!

Chelsea will be covering a webinar and face to face class on “Healthy Eating On a Budget”. Have you ever found yourself saying, “the healthy stuff costs too much”? This class is for you. You will learn the best way to shop for quality foods without draining your wallet. The webinar will be held on July 27th and the class will be held on the 30th. The price for the class is 10$. Please Contact Us for more information.

Every sixty seven seconds, someone in the United States is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the disease is a form of dementia that decreases overall cognition and intellectual abilities enough to handicap everyday life. With it being the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., it’s a no brainer that September is the month for global awareness of Alzheimer’s disease. Although there is no current cure for the disease, there are a few easy lifestyle changes that can be made to decrease the risk of cognitive decline.

Continue reading “Boosting Brain Health” →

As the heat rises, we are continually looking for ways to stay cool. Popsicles, slushes, and snow cones are considered staples during a Texas summer, but many are filled with added sugars that can hinder any nutrition goal. For example, two ounces of the snow cone syrup can have up to forty one grams of sugar! That is the equivalent of twelve ounces of soda! To beat the heat and keep your nutrition goals, we have some healthy chiller ideas (brain freeze sold separately) that will help cool you down, without the extra calories.

Continue reading “Healthy Summer Chillers” →

The best way to get to know me is by getting to know my love of food. I like to try new foods all the time and enjoy trying to recreate these. I like experimenting in the kitchen and have learned several tricks along the way. My passion for cooking has pushed me to blend my Mexican heritage and food with new and exciting cuisines.

This blog will be about me sharing these dishes with you and showing you what I did to make them healthy. From traditional Mexican food to classic European cuisine, you are going to want to try these at home! These recipes are tried and true and will include some of my own family’s dishes passed down through generations. What’s the catch?! They will be modified to make them a little bit healthier. I know what you’re thinking, but, if you know me, you know that I don’t sacrifice taste. Continue reading “Chubby Hubby’s Intro” →

Wouldn’t it be nice to take time every morning to stop, eat breakfast, and smell the flowers? Reality is most of the time we are scrambling to get something in quickly so we can make it to work on time. Many of my clients are on the run eaters. I am an on the run eater. I live 5 miles from work and you would think, “yeah, she has ample time to wake up, cook breakfast, clean, feed the animals, exercise and get ready.” Nope! My lazy inner chick comes out daily, usually in the morning, and I roll out of bed after 2-3 snoozes, get the bare minimum done, and eat breakfast in the car or at work. At work, I am efficient, but still find myself working into my lunch hour and dinner sometimes gets pushed because of activity, meetings, work, etc. Sound familiar? I sympathize and my inner lazy chick sympathizes too. If you eat on the run, here are some tips to help you eat healthy without sacrificing  nutrients or taste:

1.) Lazy Day to Prep Day

I know what you are thinking, what is a lazy day for if I have to do work?! But you and I both know you will be in the kitchen at least once during your lazy day. Why not just take some extra time and cut up and pre-portion your meats, veggies, and snacks? Prep days will save your hours worth of work during the week and you won’t have to think about portions when you sit down to have the meal. You don’t have to cook it and have reheated meals all week either, but if you pre-portion what you need and stick it in the cooler, it takes all the prep work out of your week.

2.) Quality and Quantity Matter

Quality is important and you may need more than just a piece of fruit for breakfast or an afternoon snack. Eating too little or too much can affect your energy levels and your health goals, so make sure you are getting the right types of food as well as the right quantity. Everyone has unique health goals and how your nourished is as unique as you. If you need help figuring out the best plan to meet your goals, contact us.

3.) Your Last Resort Foods

When your moving fast paced, sometimes bringing a cooler and thermos with all the right foods can help get you through the day. But what if you can’t keep it cold or hot? Shelf stable products work wonders and you don’t need to worry about the extra containers. Items such as nuts, dried fruit, jerky, dehydrated foods, or bars can reduce prep time, increase shelf life, and doesn’t require equipment.  Just make sure you are watching out for additives that you don’t need. Too much sugar, salt, or fat are common in shelf stable products. In excess, these can hinder health goals.

4.) In the Drive-Thru?

In the south, healthy fast food should be an oxymoron. I will say, they are getting better, but most on-the-go restaurants still have a long way to go. Here are some options I have found are little more nutritious:

• Grilled nuggets and chicken breast versus fried
• Multi-grain bagels, whole wheat bread, and whole grain english muffins
• Canadian bacon, turkey bacon, and lean cuts of ham
• Kale and spinach salads
• Low-sugar yogurt
• Fresh fruit
• Oatmeal