Hydration is something we think about often during the hot summer months when we’re noticeably thirsty and sweaty, but as the temperature starts to drop from fall into winter, we’re less likely to hydrate as much as we should.  Dehydration, which can lead to constipation, kidney stones, and mood changes, is a concern all year long but may be less on our minds during the cooler months.

The Institute of Medicine recommendation for daily total water intake, which includes beverages and food, is 2.7 liters (91 ounces) for women and 3.7 liters (125 ounces) for men.¹ According to a 2013 study, U.S. adults drank an average of 39 ounces of water daily – 60 to 70 percent less than what is recommended.²

Clearly, we need to be doing a better job at hydrating ourselves, no matter what the season. Here are five ways to stay hydrated all year long.

Keep it front and center.

Whether you carry around a reusable water bottle or you keep your favorite cup on your desk, make sure it’s constantly filled and easy to drink from. Some people find they drink more from a straw than an open top or a sport cap bottle – find what works for you and stick with it.

All beverages count and so does food.

Many people think only plain water counts toward daily water intake, but that’s not the case. Juice, coffee or tea, beer or wine, or a diet soda all increase your water intake. Based on the current evidence, caffeinated and alcoholic beverage consumption contribute to fluid intake and do not increase appreciable fluid loss.

However, it’s important to consider the calories that beverages contribute to your dietary intake. Fluid intake can contribute a wide range of calories to your intake. For example, plain or carbonated water contribute zero calories while an 8 oz serving of a full calorie beverage can exceed 100 calories.

Food also adds to daily water intake, with water-rich fruits and vegetables contributing the most. Tomatoes, watermelon, cucumbers, strawberries, and broccoli are all at least 90 percent water by weight. Sounds like the makings of a hydrating salad! Soup is also a great way to boost your fluid intake and stay warm during colder months.

Make it taste good.

Plain water is the purest, most natural form of hydration, but it’s not so easy to drink nearly 100 ounces – about 12 cups – of water every single day. Luckily there are many delicious ways to boost the flavor of our drinks without adding calories and sugar. Try adding sliced cucumbers, limes, or the tops of strawberries to your glass of water. You can even get a water bottle with an infuser to take your “spa water” (as I like to call it) on the go. Or add a drop or two of a liquid water enhancer for a flavor boost. Look for ones made with low- and no-calorie sweeteners like stevia.

Keep it room temperature.

One of the reasons so many people reduce their water intake in the fall and winter is the cold temperatures. You’re not looking to quench your thirst as much when it’s snowing out and an ice cold drink is the last thing you want when you need to warm up. To help with this problem, keep your water bottle at room temperature and rely on warm beverages like coffee and tea to increase your fluid intake and stay warm. Just be mindful what you add to those hot beverages and stick with low-fat dairy and low- or no-calorie sweeteners to keep calories and added sugar in check.

Enjoy your favorite beverages.

No matter what season it is, there’s no reason not to drink what you love. Even higher calorie beverages can be part of a healthy, balanced, and well-hydrated diet, as long as you take some measures to make them healthier. For example, start your morning with a protein-rich drink like this Blueberry Pomegranate Smoothie and this winter warm up with a cup of Cinnamon Hot Chocolate made with low-fat milk, unsweetened cocoa, and a stevia sweetener.

 

Jessica Levinson, MS, RDN, CDN is a registered dietitian nutritionist and culinary nutrition expert. She has extensive experience as a recipe developer, writer, editor, and speaker. She is the co-author of We Can Cook: Introduce Your Child to the Joy of Cooking with 75 Simple Recipes and Activities (Barron’s, 2011), past columnist for the Culinary Corner column in Today’s Dietitian Magazine, and maintains a popular blog at JessicaLevinson.com. Jessica is an active member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) and various Dietetic Practice Groups of the AND, including Nutrition Entrepreneurs, Food and Culinary Professionals, and Dietitians in Business and Communications. Follow her out on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Are you thinking of making Meatless Monday, every day? If you’re considering trying a vegetarian diet you should know that going to a plant-based diet can potentially reduce the risk for heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

However, simply cutting meat from your diet does not always equate to a healthy diet. There are several variances to what is deemed a “vegetarian diet.” Here are some examples:

• Lacto-vegetarian: Includes dairy products.
• Ovo-vegetarian: Includes eggs.
• Lacto-ovo vegetarian: Includes eggs and dairy.
• Partial vegetarians: May include one meat source like fish or poultry.
• Vegan: Excludes all animal products including meat, dairy, and eggs.

Be Mindful of These Nutrients

Unfortunately, the more restrictive the vegetarian diet, the more potential for nutritional deficiencies. A common mistake is relying too heavily on starches and processed foods in trying to replace meat in the diet. However, with knowledge and planning you can create a healthful vegetarian diet that meets all your nutritional needs.  If you are considering going veggie, here are some nutrients you need to be mindful of as you shift your diet:

• Protein: Protein is an important part of a balanced and healthy diet. There are plenty of plant-based proteins that can help you to meet your daily requirements such as soy products, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds. Additionally, some grain products like quinoa and fortified cereals also qualify as a source of protein. If you are a lacto-ovo vegetarian, eggs and dairy products are also an excellent source of protein.
• Vitamin B-12: Vitamin B-12 is important in the creation of red blood cells and prevention of anemia that is only available through animal sources. If you do not include eggs and dairy in your diet you will want to take measures to supplement B-12 in your diet through supplements, fortified cereals, or fortified soy products.
• Calcium and Vitamin D: Calcium is readily available in dairy products. However, if you are avoiding or limiting dairy you can also get your calcium through plant foods such as dark leafy greens (kale, turnip greens, collards, and broccoli) or foods that have been fortified with calcium like orange juice, almond milk, cereals, and soy products. Vitamin D is also a nutrient that you may be at risk for deficiency on a vegetarian diet dependent on your food choices. Be sure to eat an adequate amount of fortified foods or add a supplement to get your daily Vitamin D.
• Iron and zinc: Iron and zinc are two nutrients that while available from plant foods, plant sources are not easily absorbed. You can find iron dried beans, lentils, dried fruit, dark leafy greens, and fortified cereals. Eating iron-rich foods with sources of vitamin C, like strawberries, citrus, tomatoes, etc. can help aid absorption.

Balance Your Plate

As mentioned, to have a healthy vegetarian diet you have to take steps beyond just avoiding meat. To create a healthy plate eat a diet rich in fruits and veggies; at least half your plate should be fruit and veggies at meals and snacks. Choose whole grain starches like whole grain pastas, rice, quinoa, couscous, breads and cereals. Include a serving of healthy vegetarian protein with each of your meals to round out your plate. To get started on your vegetarian adventure experiment with this tasty Southwestern Gazpacho Soup.

 

Carolyn Reynaud, MS, RD, LD is a licensed registered dietitian. She received her BS in nutrition from Michigan State University and her Masters and Certificate in Public Health from Georgia State University. She has experience working in several avenues of health care including corporate wellness, clinical disease management, research, and health promotion. She has been working as a health coach specialist for close to 6 years, where she counsels patients on preventative healthcare and helps them meet their health goals. Follow her on Twitter @ReynaudCari.

Heading back to school can be an exciting but stressful time. Good bye to the slow pace of summer and hello to early mornings, rushing out the door. It can be easy to get overwhelmed by a hectic schedule and start ditching healthy behaviors. Planning ahead and creating a healthy back-to-school routine can make for a smooth transition for you and your kiddos.

Here are some tips for a seamless (and healthy) back to school transition:

Start Early

Get ahead of the game by starting your bedtime routine a week BEFORE going back to school.  This way, those first mornings will run like clockwork. Make sure your kids are getting adequate sleep for their age. Kids that do not get enough sleep may be cranky, have trouble getting along with others, and have trouble paying attention.

Healthy Breakfast

Set your alarm to make time for a healthy breakfast before school. Starting the day with a healthy breakfast is linked to better concentration, lower cholesterol, and a decrease risk of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity in kids. Short on time in the morning? You can make and freeze these easy Healthy Breakfast Burritos for a grab-and-go breakfast, or whip up this delicious Blueberry Mango Smoothie

Balanced Lunch

A well-balanced lunch can help keep your kid’s energy levels up for the rest of the day. A balanced lunch contains whole grains, fruit, vegetables, dairy and a protein. For example, try a whole wheat pita stuffed with hummus, cucumber and tomatoes with a side of strawberries and a Greek yogurt. Use insulated lunch boxes and thermos to help keep cold food cold and warm food warm. For more lunch ideas check out the Back to School board on Pinterest.

Fit in Exercise

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends that kids get in at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day.   After a long day of learning have your kids blow off steam by riding bikes, running, swimming, skating, or playing outside. Exercise can be a family affair, as well. Take a walk, play a sport or a bike ride as a family. This is a great way to spend time together and promote physical fitness for everyone.

Eat Together as a Family

Family dinner is a nice way to catch up on everyone’s day and teach your kids about healthy eating. Research indicates that when families eat together, kids are more likely to eat healthfully, do better in school and have higher self-esteem.  To get more buy-in from your kids, let them participate in preparing dinner. This helps them feel more invested in your meals, teaches them important cooking skills, and can eventually be a time saver for you.

Don’t Overschedule

You may want to introduce your kids to as many hobbies, sports, skills as possible, but kids can get overworked and stressed too.  Not only do kids experience stress, but they are effected by your stress level, as well. Be realistic about what fits into your family’s schedule. Make sure there is still room for play, relaxation, and family time.

 

Carolyn Reynaud, MS, RD, LD is a licensed registered dietitian. She received her BS in nutrition from Michigan State University and her Masters and Certificate in Public Health from Georgia State University. She has experience working in several avenues of health care including corporate wellness, clinical disease management, research, and health promotion. She has been working as a health coach specialist for close to 6 years, where she counsels patients on preventative healthcare and helps them meet their health goals. Follow her on Twitter @ReynaudCari.

January 2016 was an exciting month in the world of nutrition, as it brought the highly-anticipated release of the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). The DGA is a resource that supports policy makers and health professionals in helping Americans make healthy choices. The DGA is released every five years to reflect changes based on the latest scientific evidence regarding nutrition.

New Guidelines Recommend Limiting Added Sugars

One of the most talked about changes in the updated DGA is the recommendation to limit added sugars to no more than ten percent of daily calories. While previous editions of the DGA recommend limiting added sugar – this is the first time an actual “upper” limit has been advised.

Note: This recommendation refers only to sugars added to food products; not naturally occurring sugars that you find in fruit and dairy.

How Do You Know if a Food Has Added Sugars? 

The best way to assess if sugar has been added to a food is to read the ingredient list. There are many different types and names for sugar. To help you in identifying sugars, here is a list from the USDA.

Quick tip:  The ingredient list is organized in order of weight, so therefore the higher sugar is on the list you can assume the higher the sugar content per serving.

What Does Ten Percent Look Like?

What does a ten percent of caloric intake look like in the real world? In an average 2000 calorie diet this would equate to about 200 calories per day. This means there’s not a lot of wiggle room for added sugar in your diet. So, what steps can you take to reduce the amount of added sugar in your diet to a more reasonable and moderate amount?

1. Become Nutrition Label Literate. Read labels to be able to compare and choose products that have less, or no added sugar. The FDA has a handy guide on how to read nutrition labels.
2. Beverage Choices. When you hydrate, choose water, unsweetened tea or coffee, low-fat milk, 100 percent juice, or other calorie-free drinks.
3. Breakfast or PBJ? Whether you’re having waffles or making a PBJ, use low or no-added sugar jellies, jams and syrups.
4. Sugar Alternative. Replace sugar with low-calorie or zero-calorie sweeteners such as stevia.

Looking For Ways to Reduce Added Sugar? Choose Stevia.

Let’s face facts, while many people desire to be healthier the taste of plain yogurt or unsweetened tea may not appeal to everyone. If you are looking to adapt your sugar intake to the DGA’s recommendations – stevia is a natural, zero-calorie sweetener that can help you enjoy the foods you love while decreasing your sugar intake. Not only is stevia zero calories, but it also does not impact blood sugar making it safe for  people with diabetes. It comes in both powder and liquid forms so that it can be used in a variety of foods, and it can even be used in baking.

Suggestions for Stevia

Stevia can really be used in any food or beverage as an alternative to sugar.  It makes it easy combine your personal food preferences with a diet that meets the new DGA guidelines. Here are some easy (and tasty) suggestions to begin using stevia in your diet.

• Try a few drops of vanilla stevia in your afternoon chai tea for a virtually calorie-free pick me up.
• Mix a ½ cup of low-fat cottage cheese with one packet stevia and a dash of cinnamon for a calcium rich, protein packed, low-cal snack.
• Replace the sugar in a brownie recipe with stevia for a rich dessert lower in calories and sugar.

Check out the recipe section on Stevia Benefits to get more ideas on different ways you can use stevia.

Finally, the DGA made another big change in its latest edition – urging Americans to focus on making small changes to help transitioning to a healthier diet feel manageable and sustainable. A small change like switching from sugar to stevia is a perfect complement to this recommendation and reducing added sugar.

 

Carolyn Reynaud, MS, RD, LD is a licensed registered dietitian and a paid contributor to SteviaBenefits.org. She received her BS in nutrition from Michigan State University and her Masters and Certificate in Public Health from Georgia State University. She has experience working in several avenues of health care including corporate wellness, clinical disease management, research, and health promotion. She has been working as a health coach specialist for close to 6 years, where she counsels patients on preventative healthcare and helps them meet their health goals. Follow her on Twitter @ReynaudCari.

 

That time of night is finally here, when you can sit and just relax after a hectic day. Then it hits you, that craving for a snack. You have done fantastic eating healthfully all day, and then it feels as if it just falls apart at night.  You are not alone. Late night snacking is one of the most common challenges when trying to lose weight. These simple tips can help you take control of your night snacking habit.

 

Carolyn Reynaud, MS, RD, LD is a licensed registered dietitian and a paid contributor to SteviaBenefits.org. She received her BS in nutrition from Michigan State University and her Masters and Certificate in Public Health from Georgia State University. She has experience working in several avenues of health care including corporate wellness, clinical disease management, research, and health promotion. She has been working as a health coach specialist for close to 6 years, where she counsels patients on preventative healthcare and helps them meet their health goals. Follow her on Twitter @ReynaudCari.

The scariest part of Halloween can be dodging all those sweet treats and candies if you are trying to watch your diet. Halloween festivities do no need to haunt your waistline.  Here are some Halloween season survival tips for a tricky situation.

 

Don’t go hungry. Have healthy and balanced meals throughout the day can help you control your sweet tooth while still enjoying the festivities.

Set limits. Only allow yourself one piece of candy of that left over candy per day to keep the calories down.

Avoid post-holiday sales. It can be tough to pass up that 50% off price tag, but your waistline will thank you.

Stay active. Stick to your workouts, get active with your kiddos, and take all opportunities to move to help burn off excess calories.

Track your calories. Being surrounded by temptations can make it easy to go overboard. Tracking your calories can help you stay aware of your limits and help stop holiday weight gain.

Ditch the left overs. Try to limit the amount of candy that lingering after the holidays to reduce temptations.

And if you are hosting the holiday festivities this year? Throw a party stocked with these spookily healthy treats that adults and kids alike will love.

Jackson Pollock Candied Apples – Apples do not have to be doused in caramel to be delicious. These apples are drizzled with chocolate for a light and tasty treat.

Healthy Candy Corn Snacks – These quick and easy fruit cups are a snap to make and will be the hit of the party.

Skeleton Dip – A DIY veggie tray is a fun way to include nutrient-rich veggies into the festivities.

Deviled Spider Eggs – Devilish delicious eggs are fun source of protein to help you feel full

Sugar-free red velvet cupcakes – You don’t need to skip sweet treats on Halloween when you can use stevia to help cut the sugar. Let your creativity run wild decorating your cupcakes.

 

Carolyn Reynaud, MS, RD, LD is a licensed registered dietitian. She received her BS in nutrition from Michigan State University and her Masters and Certificate in Public Health from Georgia State University. She has experience working in several avenues of health care including corporate wellness, clinical disease management, research, and health promotion. She has been working as a health coach specialist for close to 6 years, where she counsels patients on preventative healthcare and helps them meet their health goals. Follow her on Twitter @ReynaudCari.

Nutrient dense. Before I became a dietitian I always found this to be a confusing term. What are nutrient dense foods? Why are these important in a healthy diet?

Simply put, what determines the nutrient density of food is the amount of nutrients you get for the amount of calories. A nutrient dense food has lots of nutrients for the little calories. You want to look for foods that are rich in vitamins, mineral, complex carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy fats. Choosing nutrient dense foods can help you pack in the most nutrition while staying with your calorie limits.

Let’s get a bit more specific on what constitutes a nutrient dense food.

Vegetables & Fruits

These the power houses of nutrient dense foods. Vegetables and fruits are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytochemicals, and antioxidants and tend to be very low in calories.

Proteins

Lean meat cuts, seafood and poultry are excellent sources of protein, B vitamins, iron, and zinc. Protein is an important nutrient for muscles and skin and also can help you feel satisfied and full. Keeping your meats lean helps to keep the calories low.

Whole Grains

Whole grains like fruits and vegetables provide a variety vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and are an excellent source of fiber. Choose products in which “whole” is one of the first words in ingredient list to get the most nutrition from your grains.

Nuts & Beans

These are great protein alternatives that are brimming with nutrition. Nuts are a great source for healthy fats and beans are a wealth of fiber.

Dairy

Low-fat dairy products provide calcium and Vitamin D for strong and healthy bones. They also a great source of potassium and protein as well.

 

Get started today and try this delicious fresh fruit oatmeal recipe that uses stevia to keep calories low in this nutrient dense breakfast.

 

Carolyn Reynaud, MS, RD, LD is a licensed registered dietitian. She received her BS in nutrition from Michigan State University and her Masters and Certificate in Public Health from Georgia State University. She has experience working in several avenues of health care including corporate wellness, clinical disease management, research, and health promotion. She has been working as a health coach specialist for close to 6 years, where she counsels patients on preventative healthcare and helps them meet their health goals. Follow her on Twitter @ReynaudCari.