Click HERE: CeCe's Kitchen
We talked about protein, meal planning, belly fat, nutrition for women, sports nutrition, organic foods and more!
Busy Life? Fuel Properly!
I'm a dietitian, I'm hungry and I'm looking for a good meal in Chicago that won't derail my healthy diet.
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Click HERE: CeCe's Kitchen
We talked about protein, meal planning, belly fat, nutrition for women, sports nutrition, organic foods and more!
The Real Benefits of Exercise
I'm a dietitian, I'm hungry and I'm looking for a good meal in Chicago that won't derail my healthy diet.
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Yesterday I was thinking about my blog, and all of you, while lathering a menthol muscle rub - wistfully missing my frequent dining out, tired of referring to food as "fuel". I'm 7 weeks from Ironman Wisconsin and training has hijacked my life. I could nap at the drop of a swim cap, eat my body weight in carbs and I feel like a crackhead getting a fix when the physical therapist pokes around my muscles. I think my hair has gotten a few inches longer, but it's hard to tell since it's always wet and tied back. Despite the clear zinc I bathe in, I have a freckle line across my jaw, permanent tan lines at the point of my bike/run shorts, a raspberry where my wetsuit zips up and the tips of my piggies are mad at me for letting my sneaks get wet during last week's Half Ironman.
Despite these inconveniences, I know that my training has benefits. For one, I go to the physical therapist because I have epicondylitis (tennis elbow) from typing on my computer and it seems that it only feels good when I'm exercising. And, there's all that research. Long term and clinical studies confirm that chronic exercise improves our blood pressure, reduces the risk for diabetes, heart disease and cancer, promotes weight loss, increases strength and endurance, improves mood, blah, blah, I could go on and on. Yet, our country is in crisis - obesity rates are through the roof and heart disease is squelching lives - and physical fitness remains desperately low. Everyone is talking about the health benefits of exercise, but it doesn't seem to move the needle. So, I'd like to take a crack at it. From an exerciser's perspective, here is a smattering of what I see as the real benefits of exercise. Maybe one will speak to you and help you find your inner athlete!
Here are the real benefits of exercise:
Despite these inconveniences, I know that my training has benefits. For one, I go to the physical therapist because I have epicondylitis (tennis elbow) from typing on my computer and it seems that it only feels good when I'm exercising. And, there's all that research. Long term and clinical studies confirm that chronic exercise improves our blood pressure, reduces the risk for diabetes, heart disease and cancer, promotes weight loss, increases strength and endurance, improves mood, blah, blah, I could go on and on. Yet, our country is in crisis - obesity rates are through the roof and heart disease is squelching lives - and physical fitness remains desperately low. Everyone is talking about the health benefits of exercise, but it doesn't seem to move the needle. So, I'd like to take a crack at it. From an exerciser's perspective, here is a smattering of what I see as the real benefits of exercise. Maybe one will speak to you and help you find your inner athlete!
Here are the real benefits of exercise:
11 Healthy Cooking Mistakes by Healthy Eats
I'm a dietitian, I'm hungry and I'm looking for a good meal in Chicago that won't derail my healthy diet.
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My colleague, Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, blogger for Healthy Eats on the Food Network website, recently asked a bunch of us dietitians for our insights on healthy cooking mistakes. She came up with list of mistakes and fixes from nutrition professionals - some a bit unexpected. Dietitians are lovin' some perfectly portioned full-fat options, farm-fresh foods, believe in spicing things up and recognize the importance of taste and flavor. Check out the nutritious insights on Healthy Eats Ask the Expert: 11 Healthy Cooking Mistakes.
Dana's blog has the full list, which you must read because they include the sensible and simple solutions from the experts. Here are a few of the mistakes to spark your interest...
Dana's blog has the full list, which you must read because they include the sensible and simple solutions from the experts. Here are a few of the mistakes to spark your interest...
Vegan Lunch with Vital Juice
I'm a dietitian, I'm hungry and I'm looking for a good meal in Chicago that won't derail my healthy diet.
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Yes, that's right, I had a vegan lunch with Vital Juice. You know that I love veggies, but I think you may have picked up on my fondness of all things dairy and noticed that I include meats and seafood in my weekly fare (not daily, but weekly for sure). Just to make sure we are on the same page, vegan means sans animal for wining, dining and living. For those that proclaim vegetarianism as you enjoy a piece of salmon, this is not the case for vegans - vegans opt out of wearing or eating anything that contains any trace of animal. It is also the premise and practice of successful Chicago restaurateur, Karyn Calabrese of Karyn's Raw, Karyn's Cooked and the location of my vegan lunch - the most recent addition and style-y - Karyn's on Green.
I left the confines of my home office and put on a dress for this lovely lunch outing because I was invited, along with other Chicago bloggers, writers, dietitians and fitness folks and ChicagoNow's Mark Beier from Chicago Fit Club, to the Chicago launch of Vital Juice. You don't drink this juice, you read it. It's a website and daily email that gives you the lowdown on new and healthy eateries, workout hot-spots, spas and wellness events in Chicago. Partnered with Karyn's creative cuisine, it was a healthy and tasty mid-day break. Check it out...
I left the confines of my home office and put on a dress for this lovely lunch outing because I was invited, along with other Chicago bloggers, writers, dietitians and fitness folks and ChicagoNow's Mark Beier from Chicago Fit Club, to the Chicago launch of Vital Juice. You don't drink this juice, you read it. It's a website and daily email that gives you the lowdown on new and healthy eateries, workout hot-spots, spas and wellness events in Chicago. Partnered with Karyn's creative cuisine, it was a healthy and tasty mid-day break. Check it out...
14 Easy Ways to Get Out There and Enjoy Summer!
I'm a dietitian, I'm hungry and I'm looking for a good meal in Chicago that won't derail my healthy diet.
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Summer is great. I have been riding my bike like it's my part-time job, running along the lakefront and swimming in the glorious waters of Lake Michigan. Even if you're not training for an Ironman, summer offers an array of activities that are easy, enjoyable and sometimes cheap or healthy. Here are 14 simple summer activities:
Get a Clue About Calories
I'm a dietitian, I'm hungry and I'm looking for a good meal in Chicago that won't derail my healthy diet.
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USA Today reported that Americans do not know how many calories they need per day in an article titled, Many Americans Clueless of How Many Calories They Do or Should Eat. While I find the findings of the study interesting, I thought that if I didn't know how many calories I needed, I'd want to know now! And not just the average range based on my age and gender. So, yay! I have a blog and I can answer this question for you and provide you some options.
Note: I'm not saying that you should count calories, but when faced with a food label, it is nice to have a point of reference.
Note: I'm not saying that you should count calories, but when faced with a food label, it is nice to have a point of reference.
Dinner in Naples...Chicago, That Is
I'm a dietitian, I'm hungry and I'm looking for a good meal in Chicago that won't derail my healthy diet.
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I dream of sitting in a piazza, sipping Prosecco, eating a fresh Neapolitan-style pizza with a fork and knife (yes, my dream includes an uncut pizza that I eat from the center out with a fork and knife). I'm remarkably comfortable in the heat of the late day sun and I don't have a care in the world. The summer breeze makes me feel fine. If I'm dining like this, in a piazza, then I must be on holiday (sounds more luxurious than vacation). A girl can dream and a Chicagoan can easily find a bit of this Italian bliss in their backyard. One of my many favorite Chicago locales for a summer's afternoon pizza and Prosecco is Spacca Napoli Pizzeria on Sunnyside and Ravenswood. Chicago Magazine agrees as Spacca Napoli is 15 on the July 2010 Best 25 Top Pies in Town. Following an 11 mile run on Saturday, we took our weary wings to this authentic, friendly Ravenswood neighborhood gem. We capped the day with my favorite gelato from Paciugo Gelato in Lakeview. Benissimo!
Dietitian Brain Dump: This Week's Nutrition Notes
I'm a dietitian, I'm hungry and I'm looking for a good meal in Chicago that won't derail my healthy diet.
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With all this work and training, I'm feeling a bit flustered, disorganized, sall we shay - random - in my nutrition thoughts. Rather than trying to force one specific topic, I think it's better that I just provide you with a brain dump - a dietitian brain dump - to end the week. Like throwing spaghetti at the wall, maybe something will stick.
The Diet Dichotomy
I'm a dietitian, I'm hungry and I'm looking for a good meal in Chicago that won't derail my healthy diet.
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While studying breakfast sandwich choices at Starbucks this past weekend, I figured out our nation's diet dilemma. Yes, that's right, at Starbucks, I figured it out. I know why we are having so much trouble maintaining healthy body weights and choosing a nutritious diet. I knew it wasn't a knowledge issue - goodness gracious - there is nutrition information everywhere! And it can't be that we are too busy or just gluttonous. Nope, it's much simpler. Staring at my options for a savory, not sweet, breakfast to-go after my biking weekend in Madison, it hit me! We have created a diet dichotomy!
Farm-Fresh by the Sea
I'm a dietitian, I'm hungry and I'm looking for a good meal in Chicago that won't derail my healthy diet.
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It may be my New England roots, but whatever the case, I believe that lobster is an integral part of summer. Throw in an ocean view and I can almost tolerate sun and heat (almost). Because I live in the lovely lakeside city, Chicago, each year, I head home to the east coast for my seaside fix. This year, my summer lovin' had me a blast at a new place: The Market Restaurant on Lobster Cove in Gloucester, MA (and check out this link to their blog for gorgeous pics and detailed bios). Recently opened by Nico Monday and Amelia O'Reilly from the brilliant and organic-acclaimed, Alice Waters', Chez Panisse in Berkeley, CA, this adorable duo brought their friends and family (and my sister) to the east coast to create amazing meals with local produce and sensational seafood. Oh my, lobster and farm-fresh by the sea - can you stand it?!?!
