Back from the Beach

I just returned from a wonderful family vacation in Duck, NC. This year, my goal was to not overeat and stay active while I was at the beach.  We all talk a good game, but actually following through with a healthier vacation is easier said than done.

Despite the heat, I can say that I kept my pledge to stay active this year on vacation.  My secret was to try new things.  It is always easy to forget about your old routine.  But, trying new things on vacation keeps you feeling like you are on vacation.  We arrived on Sunday and by Monday night I was trying something new.  We kayaked through the maritime forests of the Outerbanks and learned a little something new.As the week went on, I went from kayaking in smooth waters off of the Currituck Sound to kayaking on the ocean.  I was lucky enough to see a Dolphin up close as it swam right underneath our kayak.  For me the kayaking was a huge triump. It was something new but I also something I never thought I would be able to do (I had shoulder surgery that I thought would limit my activities forever).

But that wasn't quite enough activity for a week.  I did the usual walk on the beach and we were in a great location where we could bike anywhere we needed to go.  We also jumped waves on Jet Skis and while I didn't think that would really be exercise, I was quite surprised.

I met my goals for the week. I did not gain a pound.  The lesson I learned -that most of you can use as well- is to make activity on your vacation fun.  If I would have stopped to go to the gym, I would have felt like I was missing something. I would not have enjoyed it-- but, I made that physical activity part of my vacation not something that took away from my vacation.

If you haven't taken your vacation yet this summer, try to plan at least one activity that will keep you moving. You may find that next time you will want to plan more!

Get Fit on Vacation? Or Stay Home?

Every year people look for a perfect vacation spot. I have a long list of the places I want to visit. I usually think about relaxation and laying on the beach.  This year, my goal isn't to put on anyway and to try something new as far as physical activity is concerned. I decided on a Kayak tour. I had been wanting to try it for quite a while and I figure this year is the perfect opportunity.

So as I make plans to travel to the beaches the Outer Banks in North Carolina and kayak the sound, I am reminded that it doesn't really take a vacation for me to try something new and get fit.  Philadelphia Magazine's Be Well Philly blog highlighted five great fitness based vacations.  One of them is right in my back yard.   Their recommendation: Learn to Kayak the Youghiogheny at Ohiopyle State Park with Wilderness Voyageurs.

Vacations are a great time to try something new. But don't make the mistake that I did.  Don't forget about the great resources that are in your community. Take advantage of new ways to get fit that will keep you interested and motivated.

Pick Your Poison at the Street Fair

Last night, I had the pleasure of providing information on Diabetes to people at the St. Rita's Street Fair in Connellsville, PA.  I  sat at a table that was next to the ice cream, 15 feet from the fried dough, and directly around the corner from the funnel cakes and cheese fries.  I was working so  my brain was tuned into food and what the people around me were eating.

I arrived at 5:00 and my eyes zeroed in on a woman that was probably in her 30's.  I overheard her talking about her latest diet.  I noticed that she was eating cheese fries. I really didn't think twice, you are going to eat something that is less than perfect at a street fair.  A few minutes later, I noticed she was eating pierogies. After talking to a few people, she stood across from me eating manicotti. By 6:00 she had another bowl of pasta with a meatball. At 6:30 the same woman was eating fried dough. By 7:00 a slice of pizza and when I left at 8:00 she was standing in line for a hot sausage sandwhich.

I just cringed the entire night. Not because she made those choices but because of her tale about her latest diet.  It is easy to make choices that are less than nutritionally superior in settings like a street fair. We all make choices that might not be the healthiest.  I myself made a choice to eat 3 of the homemade pierogies. They were awesome!  It is ok to choose a "treat" food when you attend events like these but I would like to make a few suggestions.

1) While everything looks wonderful, first make a loop and see what all of your options are.  It may even take a few loops (plus the walking is an added benefit). 

2) Pick your poison.  While everything looks great, everyone has their one weakness. The one food that they really want to try. The food that if you don't get, you will be craving for weeks. Make that choice instead of trying to eat everything.

3) If you can't choose just one item, try to share with two or three people so that you can have a taste but are not overindulging.

4) If you do choose too many, don't let that sabotage you for the rest of your week.  The next morning go straight back to your routine of eating healthfully.

5) If you make an effort to narrow your choices and eat responsibly, you can eliminate the guilt that a lot of people, especially dieters, feel the next day.

I hope you enjoy you next trip to a street fair.  I also hope you enjoy whichever treat you choose. But most of all I hope you  pick your poison and enjoy just one!

Cool as a Cucumber

Last night, I got the first of many fresh garden cucumbers and I am so excited. I love cucumbers fresh from the garden. Nutritionally speaking, they only have about 13 calories for a cup so even if I overindulge, it doesn't really matter.

On hot days like yesterday, those cucumbers will also help me to get enough water! Otherwise they have a decent amount of vitamin C. They will help me to get enough fiber to help my cholesterol and maintain healthy blood sugar levels too. That aside. I really just eat the summer cucumbers because I love them.


My favorite way to eat them is cut up with a fresh garden tomato, red onion, balsamic vinegar and a little olive oil. I also like to cut them up and add them to a pitcher of water with either lemons or limes. Its a refreshing drink on a hot summer day. If you are looking for some recipes to make with cucumbers visit eatingwell.com for recipes that don't add too much fat & calories. If there is one that you really like, please be sure to share!

No Food Left Behind

This past week a new report about the nation's obesity epidemic was released. The report F as in Fat, ranks the states by their obesity. My home state of Pennsylvania didn't fair very well coming in as the 19th heaviest state. My neighboring state of West Virginia (only a few miles from my home) came in as number 4.

Every news channel featured a news story about what is not working and why we as a nation are so fat. I even did a segment on a local dentist's radio show last week talking about some of those strategies. The fact is that despite the billion dollar weight loss industry, things continue to get worse. My favorite was the story that blamed the food label. I'm not sure that we actually use the food label to make food decisions as a nation. What I am sure of is that over time we are eating more. We eat on average 570 more calories per day today than Americans did in the 1970s and we are also less active. Regardless of which school of thought you buy into (low carb vs low fat, etc), we need to EAT LESS! Especially less processed foods and added sugars.

We leave NO FOOD LEFT BEHIND!! If it is put on our plates, we eat more. Research at my favorite University--Penn State!!!--showed that once you hit the age of 5, the more food that is on your plate the more you eat, regardless of how hungry you actually are. So here are a few tips to help cut down on what you are eating and drinking.

1) Cut your portions by 1/3-1/4. If you are really hungry you can go back for seconds but by leaving the food off of your plate in the first place you are less likely to eat it if you are full.

2) Practice leaving at least 2 bites of food on your plate. Your grandma won't yell. If you learn to eat less over time, there will be much more that can be shared with those who are hungry throughout the world.

3) Fill at least 1/2 of your plate with non-starchy veggies.

4) Eat before you are "starving". If you wait too long before you eat, you are much more likely to eat larger portions.

5) Use smaller plates. You have probably read that in 100 magazine articles but it does work. I have my grandmother's china and the difference in size between my plates and hers in amazing.

6) Learn to recognize the difference between hunger and thirst. This one is tough. One strategy is to try drinking a glass of water or two before you eat, especially a snack. You will be surprised how many times that you really just needed a drink.


I will continue to share more tips. But, I also want you to remember that eating less and eating healthy should be fun! I promised a few pictures of my creations that kept the healthy foods a little more fun from the Fourth of July! Here they are:

First I made a Patriotic Salad! I thought it turned out great!

I also made a watermelon fish, next time, I think I may try a Moose but it will be a challenge!

My Favorite New Recipe

Yesterday I spent the evening at a fabulous Margarita Spa party at my neighbor and good friend MP's house. With the Margarita theme, of course, I had to make something yummy and nutritious with a southwest theme. My choice was southwest chicken spring rolls (baked of course). They were such a hit, I thought I would share the recipe.

2 Chicken Breasts Cooked and Shredded

1 Can of Black Beans (Drained & Rinsed)

1/2 cup frozen corn

1 red onion, diced (use half if its a really big onion)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

A handful of chopped fresh parsley

1 cup of 2% milk mexican blend cheeses

1 tsp of chili powder

1 Tbsp cumin

Cayenne pepper to taste (use more if you like them spicy)

1 package of egg roll wrappers

Cooking Spray

Preheat the oven to 400. These are pretty easy to assemble. Mix everything together except for the egg roll wrappers. Position your egg roll wrapper like a diamond instead of a square with one corner towards you. Put the filling on the corner of the egg roll wrapper closest to you, wrap about half way. Tuck the corners in and roll the rest of the way. Use water to seal the other end of egg roll wrapper and lay seam side down on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. If you like them extra crispy, you can lightly spray the tops when you are done. Then bake them for 15 minutes turning them over after about 8 minutes.

If you have leftover filling, they made great Quesadillas in whole wheat tortillas for lunch!

I like to serve them with homemade salsa and homemade guacamole. They went perfect with the Margaritas too!

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July! This weekend, most likely you will celebrate our Independence Day with Friends, Family, Fireworks and of course Food! While I could share the nutritional evils of saturated fats, trans fats, and high fructose corn syrup that you might be eating, I won’t because most likely I will eat a hot dog, potato salad, and drink a coke this weekend.

Despite my indulgence in “junk food” I will however, be sure to add some foods with nutritional value to the menu at the picnics I attend. My favorite summer foods to take are salads with lots of fresh veggies or fruit. It is perfect for a hot summer day. My obsession right now is watermelon. The great thing about watermelon is that it can be really fun. Everyone has seen the baskets cut from the watermelon filled with fruit salad but you can be even more creative.

I wish I had the talent to make some of the creations that I found on watermelon.org. They all look great and like fun. Not to mention the creativity lures people straight to something that has nutritional value. My kids can not resist a watermelon that is carved to look like a shark! Most likely fruit will be one of the only healthy things I can convince them to eat this weekend so making it fun can only be an added bonus. The nutritional benefits are great too. Watermelon is high in vitamin A, vitamin C and lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that helps to prevent some cancers. It is also low in calories so it won’t add too much to the already high calorie meals we will be eating.


I’m not sure what I will make out of a watermelon, but I have to try to make something. I’ll post a picture next week. I’ve made a choice to find something healthy to add to the menu for our cookouts this weekend, think about what you might be able to bring that is a little healthier to all of the cookouts you are attending this weekend. It might be veggies, or fruit, it might just be making sure you have unsweetened iced tea and water available. Be creative! Have a Happy, Safe & Healthy Fourth of July!