My Fitness Pal

By Megan Risinger

I've always been the type of person who doesn't truly and/or accurately keep track of what they are eating or how many calories per day I'm consuming. I usually would just use the technique, "Ok, I've had ice cream yesterday, so I probably shouldn't eat it for awhile," or "I feel like I haven't eaten 'healthy' in awhile, so I'll pass on going to McDonald's today." I never really knew how much I was taking in on a daily basis or how much exercising helped in that area. Recently I was introduced to a website called My Fitness Pal (www.myfitnesspal.com). On there you can track what you are eating for every meal, including snacks! Most of time, I'll eat something and will not remember to look at the amount of calories or I go out to eat and don't know how many are included. With this website, I can simply type in a restaurant, brand, or food item and then I can look through the list to find what I ate, plus the amount! I love not having to mentally add up all calories I've eaten in a day - I let the website do it for me. Once you start adding in your foods, the tracker will tell you how many calories you have left remaining for the day (your daily calorie intake is based on a desired goal YOU set for yourself - if you want to lose 3 pounds in X amount of weeks, it calculates the amount of daily calorie intake you need to reach your goal). It's kind of like a budget for you calories. If I know I went all out for a big lunch, I know my dinner will probably be a smaller portion and/or healthier option. Sometimes I use to splurge on both lunch and dinner, so now I'm on track to watch out for that. Also on this site you can log your exercise for each day (cardiovascular and strength training). If you do cardiovascular exercises in a given day, it will let you know that you were given an extra X calories because of your cardiovascular exercise (that definitely motivates me to get that in as much as I can - you can eat more :) It's interesting how my choices will vary, knowing that I can see what I'm eating and what my "budget" is for calories. I find myself not buying that coke, because I know that will take up my calorie space. It's free to do and really puts it all into perspective! Try it out and see how it works for you!

Update on the Conner Lifestyle Program

By Megan Risinger

So the Lifestyle program is taking off...especially in one of our local client sites! A client I am currently working with has taken the Lifestyle ball and is running with it. I have met with them on several different occasions to help with the process. We set up a bulletin board in their cafeteria area that incorporates health and wellness tips/topics. When I was putting it together, I had several different employees come over to me and inquire about the information - love to see that! We created a timeline, got the executive staff on board, sent out the Lifestyle Program launch letter, customized an online survey for employees to take, and just last week had the Employee Kickoff Meeting! At this meeting, we try to show the employees that they should/want to get on board about being healthier and changing up their unhealthy lifestyle. We showed a power point and incorporated some of "The Office" clips (this season they had a wellness episode, which was just hilarious!). I think the mixture of comedy plus real-life "scary" health issues kept everyone's interest. Now that we have charged through the beginning steps, we are now moving towards creating a Lifestyle Committee, gathering the results of the surveys and health risk assessments and moving towards implementing the programs into the workplace! It's amazing to work with a group that is set to change their bad habits and who wants to see results. This group doesn't hesitate to get on board when it comes to wellness. We try to make it a fun process for the employer and for their employees. We want people to participate, have fun, and see results! If you are interested in hearing more about our program or if you'd like a reference about our program, don't hesitate to ask...Becoming healthier starts today and EVERY STEP COUNTS!

Fabulous Farmer’s Markets

By Angie Scheetz, RD
Wellness Coordinator at National Institute for Fitness and Sport

One of my favorite things to do once it is spring in Indiana is to visit the various farmers’ markets around town. As a dietitian I am a sucker for the fresh fruits and veggies but I also love the homemade desserts, candles, pasta, kettle corn, fresh flowers, and other wonderful items you can find. Here are my top five reasons why visiting your local farmer’s market is a must.

1. Support for the local community – Since the produce is grown and purchased locally, the money remains in the community and stimulates the local economy. Also, when you shop at the farmers’ market you are cutting out the middle man and the product is generally less expensive than if you purchased it in the grocery store.
2. Eating foods that are in season – Farmers’ market produce is picked ripe and sold soon after picking. Supermarket produce, on the other hand, can take up to two weeks to travel from the farm to the store, even when it is in season. The produce tastes richer and more flavorful and the nutrients are better retained. Check out the downtown City Market website for what products are available during the months the market is open: www.indycm.com/index.php?page=content_Whats_In_Season
3. It is good for you – The average American eats 4.4 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. The current recommendations are 9 servings per day. Picking up multiple servings of fruits and veggies and incorporating them into recipes, meals, and snacks is a great way to get closer to the 9 serving per day goal. This will guarantee you are meeting your recommended vitamin and mineral requirements, increasing your daily fiber intake, and acquiring cancer fighting antioxidants too. Locally grown produce is lower in pesticides and chemicals also.
4. You can talk to the farmers who grew the food you are about to eat - You can meet the farmers who grew your food, ask when it was picked, how it was grown, and ways to prepare it. When else do you get the opportunity to learn so much about what you are putting in your mouth?
5. There is certain to be one that fits your location and schedule – I love being able to go to the City Market farmers’ market on my lunch break downtown and sampling the hot, fresh kettle corn, picking up sweet corn, and getting homemade cookies on Wednesday afternoons. Saturday mornings it is off to the Carmel farmers’ market to purchase bon bons from Holy Cow Cupcakes, homemade pasta, and a whole assortment of fruits and veggies for the week. To find out where the location of a farmers’ market is close to you check out this website: http://apps.ams.usda.gov/FarmersMarkets/ .
Whether you are picking up items for dinner or for the whole week, the local farmers’ market is an inexpensive, healthy alternative to the grocery store. Try to get there early to get the best variety and options. Not all vendors accept credit cards so be sure to have cash on hand. Finally, bring along your own reusable grocery bag to put all of your goodies in so it is easier to carry home your fresh, delicious finds.