For the final installment of the Smart Supplementation Series, I am going to share with you the bulletproof vest of nutritional supplements: a multivitamin.

A multivitamin can prove to be extremely beneficial by filling the holes in your dietary nutrition. Check out the 4 reasons why YOU could benefit from a multivitamin:

1. If your intake is below maintenance needs. For those of us who have a fat loss goal in mind, it is often necessary to consume less than what your body was previously used to in food volume. This can lead to lost vitamins or minerals with simply not enough food to fulfill the Recommended Dietary Allowance of certain nutrients.
2. If you are suffering from allergies or intolerances. Inability to eat certain foods due to allergies and/or intolerances is the unfortunate reality of many individuals. In order to make up for lost nutrients, a multivitamin can provide what you may be missing.
3. If you limit food choices. I 100% respect vegetarians and vegans. Research supports plant-based diets to promote long term health, free of chronic disease. However, when entire food groups are cut out, a multitude of required nutrients go along with them.
4. If you are a picky eater. While I promote choosing nutritious foods a majority of the time, food is meant to be enjoyed, not despised. For individuals who have tried to incorporate fruits and vegetables with limited success, a multivitamin is your safety net to fill in the holes.
   

As a dietitian, I will ALWAYS promote a food first approach. An eating plan consisting of balance and a variety of fruits, vegetables, lean protein sources, and healthy fats will provide the most important nutrients you need. However, there are certain instances where food alone is simply not enough.

A fantastic way to determine if you are deficient in certain nutrients is to track your intake for a couple of days. Using a calorie counter (like MyFitnessPal) that breaks down each day into macro and micronutrients can show what nutrients you are getting enough of and where you could use extra support. Think of tracking your intake as a short experiment. You won’t need to track calories forever. But tracking can be an extremely useful tool in this case.

Make an appointment with your physician to have blood work done and see if deficiencies are present. From there you can determine the multivitamin most appropriate for you. An example of a good whole vitamin we typically recommend at Get Fit NH is Beverly International’s Fit Tabs. For now, keep eating a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, and healthy fats to secure your bulletproof vest!

Eating for Health Every Day,
Coach Kristen

Guilty? You’re not alone. This is probably one of the most common issues I hear when chatting with people. How can you stop the madness? You know it is contributing to the way you feel, you don’t actually enjoy it, because when you are done you are left feeling guilty and kicking yourself for giving in again. That darn voice in your head is powerful, huh? It’s time to show that voice in your head who is boss. Until you do, you are going to be stuck.

Here are 3 ways to help yourself meet the goal of kicking this habit!

1. Don’t buy it. This is hard, right? There are other people in the house who eat this way, right? Okay, let me squash that mindset real quick (I live in a household of a junk food junkie and I will share my tricks in a second) but first, PARENTS…if you shouldn’t be eating it, your kids shouldn’t be either. Deprive your kids? No. But your kids need to build good habits and happy taste buds. Our kids are as overweight as ever. Set them up to have a good relationship with food. There are plenty of quick and easy whole foods that they can and should be eating. That was my long winded way of saying don’t say "it is in the house because the kids eat it". Here is my trick for the adult kids who are not willing to comply with this mentality. Many of you know my husband is complete opposite of me. If you saw what he put in his mouth, you’d wonder how the heck I am a coach. Some of it doesn’t phase me (like his endless supply of Ramen Noodles and Celeste Personal Pizza- yuck!). But other things to tempt me. Like chocolate granola bars and Cape Cod chips…so guess what? My husband is a big boy and we have been together 8 years- he doesn’t want to change, but I do. So I ask him to keep it hidden from me. In his car, in a drawer…ask them to lock it if you still don’t trust yourself! If you see it and you want it, you are going to eat it in a weak moment…so do something about it!
2. Find a buddy. Believe me when I say, you are NOT alone. I guarantee there are a bunch of people you are surrounded by at training or work and so on who want to change this habit, but don’t know where to start. Encourage someone else to join you. Hold each other accountable. Send text messages when you are feeling vulnerable or give a call if you need to be talked down. Send food pictures. Share strategies. It’s hard to kick this alone- so don’t do it alone!
3. Drink water. You don’t like this answer? Then you will be up all night hitting the bathroom, right? Water will keep you full, satisfied and hydrated!

"Bugs in my belly!?" Yikes. You may think I am losing my mind. But rest assured, these tiny little creatures I am referring to are known as probiotics, the bacteria and yeasts that live in your gut. While it might not be appealing to think about, these “good guys” are supposed to be there. They naturally populate our intestine and protect us from harmful bacteria and substances that lead to inflammation and infection. Not so bad after all. But what else do probiotics do?

• Boost Immune Health: Approximately 70% of our immune system exists within our digestive tract. As we are in the midst of flu season, keep your immune system strong through a healthy gut.
• Manage Intestinal Distress: Used in treating irritable bowel syndrome symptoms, such as constipation, diarrhea, cramping, bloating, and gas.
• Potential Influencers of Chronic Disease: Innovative research studies are being completed on how our gut microbiome affects the development of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and mood disorders. So far, results have been promising in the potential role probiotics can play. Stay tuned as evidence-based recommendations develop.
• Using Probiotics while taking an antibiotic treatment will help maintain the beneficial bacteria
  

So how do I increase the probiotics in my digestive system?

Eat:

• Probiotic-rich food sources: Foods that contain the active live cultures (i.e. lactobacillus) such as yogurt and kefir are an excellent source.
• For the dairy intolerant, look for fermented foods and beverages such as kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, tempeh, and kombucha.
• Prebiotics: Prebiotics are non-digestible food components (hello fiber!) that promote the growth of probiotics (prebiotics are food for probiotics). Top sources include garlic, artichokes, bananas, onions, and asparagus.
  

Supplement:

If you are dairy intolerant or if the vinegary taste of fermented vegetables doesn’t satisfy your palate, probiotic supplementation will ensure your gut is primed with these good guys. Look for a probiotic supplement with at least 1 billion colony forming units per capsule. Top supplements require refrigeration to maintain effectiveness.

• Check out the Clinical Guide to Probiotic Supplements for evidence-based recommendations based on specific symptoms.

Aim for 1-2 servings of probiotic rich foods and 2-3 servings of prebiotic rich foods each day. If supplementation is the best option for you to fulfill your probiotic needs, make sure to check in with your healthcare professional to find what is best for you. Here’s to a healthy, happy gut!

Eating for Health Every Day,
Coach Kristen

Vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin, has been a hot topic in the nutrition world. Notorious for its role in bone health, recent research has and is continuing to explore countless additional roles vitamin D plays in health. As winter rapidly approaches and daylight hours decrease, our need for vitamin D is increasing. Nonetheless, today I am sharing why vitamin D is so important to include in our nutritional defense.

What exactly is Vitamin D and why is it important?

• One of the four fat-soluble vitamins, along with A, E, and K
• Needed for absorption of calcium and phosphorus - hello strong bones!
• Plays an important role in muscle and cardiac function - increased training performance
• Associated with mental functioning and mood disorders through hormone regulation
• Linked to decreased inflammation and increased immunity
• Potentially reduces risk of cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid & osteoarthritis, diabetes, and some cancers

I eat a balanced diet, so why am I deficient?

Vitamin D comes from 3 different sources:

1. Food - salmon, sardines, mackerel, tuna, shiitake mushrooms, egg yolk
2. Sunshine
3. Supplements (including multivitamins)
   

It has been found that vitamin D has a high prevalence of deficiency worldwide. Specifically, vitamin D was identified as an “under consumed nutrient” in the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This means it is often difficult for us to rely on vitamin D from food sources alone. Another option for vitamin D is through synthesis of UV rays from the sun, especially UVB rays. However, those of us living above a latitude of 35 degrees (yay New Hampshire!) are unable to make vitamin D in the winter months.

Now this is where supplementation can fill some holes.

Defining deficiency and optimal intake has been proven to be difficult over the years. Vitamin D status is determined using a blood test measuring for 25-hydroxy vitamin D. According to the Vitamin D Council, deficiency is defined at <30 ng/ml, sufficiency at 40-80 ng/ml, and recommends 5000 IU per day of vitamin D3. However, the Institute of Medicine has some different defining markers: <20 ng/ml for deficiency, 20-50 ng/ml for sufficiency, and 600 IU per day of supplementation.

My recommendations would be to first evaluate your risk: How many vitamin D rich food sources are you currently eating? Are you taking any supplements that include vitamin D? How is your sun exposure (except it's winter so I can answer that for all of you!)?

Next, set up an appointment with your physician to get some blood work done to see if you're deficient. Truly knowing your current vitamin D status is much better than guessing or assuming. Dependent on what your status is, it can be determined with the help of your healthcare professional what level of supplementation is best for YOU.

Remember, vitamin D goes beyond just bone health. Based on your vitamin D status, interventions such as dietary, supplementation, and lifestyle can be made!

BONUS: remember the SFH Omega-3 Natural Fish Oil I mentioned last week that we carry in our Get Fit NH coolers? Along with the omega-3 fatty acids, this fish oil includes 1000 IUs of vitamin D3!

Eating for Health Every Day,
Coach Kristen

Hey Get Fit Family!

Today I am back to share another supplemental secret weapon to add to the nutritional battle gear we all need to keep us healthy!

Omega-3 fatty acids, commonly known as fish oil, supplements have been boasted for their benefits in many aspects of heath for some time now. Multiple researchers have tested the powerful polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA, one of the beneficial types of fats) and there are countless research articles to back up the popular claims.

Here are the top 5 benefits of omega-3 fatty acids:

1. Anti-inflammatory properties
2. Increase in brain health
3. Decreased risk of cardiovascular disease
4. Increase in mood
5. Enhanced immune system

A quick educational moment on omega-3 fatty acids! These types of fats are one of the essential fats, meaning that our body doesn’t produce them and we must get them from an outside source (i.e. foods/supplements). There are three types of omega-3 fatty acids.

• DHA: Fluid and flexible, these PUFAs are part of the brain cell’s membrane and are found in cold-water fish, like salmon, mackerel, sardines, and tuna.
• EPA: Also found in fatty fish, EPA has been determined to play a role in reducing inflammatory processes in the brain.
• ALA: Plant source of omega-3 fatty acids, like flaxseed and walnuts, which is converted to EPA and DHA in the body. This conversion is not as efficient as directly taking in EPA or DHA, therefore additional consumption of these ALA-rich foods are needed.

While fatty fish and some plant sources provide lots of omega-3 fatty acids, it is often difficult to consume enough of these foods to achieve a benefit. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend we eat fish at least twice each week. This can be difficult for some people to do, especially those who do not enjoy the taste of seafood.

While I still challenge you to aim for weekly fish consumption and enjoy your omega-3’s through whole food sources, supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids guarantees you are getting the beneficial EPA and DHA each day to optimize your health. At Get Fit NH, Dean and Nancy have already searched out the best fish oil supplement they could find: SHF Omega-3 Natural Fish Oil. Find it in our coolers during your next training time and be sure to check their website for more information.

Remember to check in with your healthcare professional before starting any new supplement! Of special importance, if you are currently on a blood thinner (i.e. Coumadin or Warfarin), please contact your physician before starting a fish oil supplement. Omega-3 fatty acids can also act like a blood thinner, potentially leading to increased bruising and/or bleeding times.

Eating for Health Every Day,
Coach Kristen

Once you are eating three nutritionally balanced meals each day focused on whole food sources of protein, vegetables, and healthy fats, choosing to add supplements to your diet can help bring your nutrition to the next level!

There is a time and a place when a protein supplement is super handy. Here are 5 reasons why having a protein supplement in your nutrition arsenal can be a plus!

1. Enhanced muscle building and recovery

After training, your muscles have just been worked extremely hard and are in need of fuel to aide in muscle growth and repair. Training is actually the time you are breaking down your muscles- AFTER training is the time to rebuild! Having a quick source of protein ready after training helps that recovery and growth process right away. Don’t forget the carb source, like a starchy vegetable, to replenish your energy stores so the protein is going directly to your muscle.

2. Convenience

When you’re on the go and don’t have a lot of time to make a meal, having protein powder or a protein bar is an excellent way to ensure you are still hitting your protein needs. Protein powders and bars often don’t require refrigeration and can be easily packed in your gym bag for a quick protein source.

3. Easily digestible

After an intense training session, eating a meal of chicken and sweet potatoes may be the last thing you want. You are not hungry in the slightest, but you know you need to refuel your muscles. Having a quick shake with a banana can be a much easier way to get in your post-training protein and carbohydrates.

4. Promotes increased nutrient intake

Often times when I make a protein smoothie, I am adding in other ingredients to enhance the protein powder. A common smoothie in my house-hold is a couple handfuls of spinach, frozen strawberries and banana coins, a scoop of protein, ground flaxseed, ice, and water! BAM… protein, vegetable, fruit, and fat all in a yummy quick smoothie!

5. Easy "add-in" to foods lacking protein

Adding a scoop of protein powder to your morning breakfast of oatmeal or granola guarantees you are getting in protein to increase the satiety of your meal and prevent any quick spikes in blood sugar with a solely carb-rich meal.

One of my favorite post-training shakes when I’m short on time is to throw a scoop of vanilla protein powder, a container of sweet potato baby food, and a dash of cinnamon into a shaker cup! (A similar concoction is this Pumpkin Pie Shake)

Over the next couple of weeks I am going to be sharing with you some of the supplements I, as a Registered Dietitian, personally believe have value and AREN’T a waste of your money.

Before I leave you for today, there are a few things I want to mention about supplements. Remember what the word “supplement” truly means. A supplement should never replace a diet rich in whole foods like lean meats, eggs, fish, vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats (i.e. avocado, olive oil, nuts). Without a solid base, a supplement is simply ineffective and cannot make up for what you are lacking from food.

Remember, when selecting a supplement make sure it has been third party tested. This means that the supplement has been tested by an unbiased party to make sure the ingredients promised are truly there at the correct portions and that nothing suspicious has been added. Two seals I typically look for on supplement labels are USP or NSF. Also, before starting any supplement it is important to check in with your doctor to make sure this is right for YOU and your health.

With eating protein and produce at every meal, you should be getting all the protein you need. A supplement is by no means a MUST, but it is a great addition to add an extra protein punch.

Be on the lookout for the next Smart Supplementation highlight – Fish Oil.

Eating with Health in Mind,
Coach Kristen

If you are here, you probably have a pretty solid reason to walk through the door every day. Here are some common reasons:

• Lose fat
• Gain muscle
• Feel better
• Look better
• Maintain
• Mindset

Could be one, could be all, could be a combination of some of those things. We all have our own reasons to walk through the door each day. I want to remind you of something...

Results don’t happen just by training. Training is what keeps your independence. Training is what keeps you on your own two feet. Training keeps you getting up off the floor without assistance. Training is what keeps the walker out of your future.

If you are breathing the same air as me and you are driven by any of those reasons stated above, then it’s this magical word that will ensure fat loss, muscle gain, feeling better, looking better, maintenance and mindset (and more!).

NUTRITION.

Yeah, I said it. We don’t want to believe this is true, but I’m sorry, it just is! Just because someone you know can eat 3 cheeseburgers, a large order of fries and a giant soda and not gain a pound DOES NOT make them healthy or fit…keep that in mind. We can’t change the cards we’ve been dealt, but we can change how we look and feel.

Take control. Don’t make excuses. If you want to change something about yourself, then let’s focus on one thing you’re going to change today to make it happen.

-Coach Meagan

Nutrition and physical exercise go hand in hand in regards to health. We all know if we sit on the couch, after a few short weeks, we’ve gained weight, we move slower and maybe even ache a bit more.

The same is true with nutrition. A couple of weeks of ignoring any semblance of healthy eating and you’ve gained weight, you move slower, and maybe even ache a bit more.

The Grateful Plate Jumpstart will get you started in the right direction. At this seminar you will be given a Jumpstart manual full of information on what to eat, how much to eat, meal planning, grocery shopping, measuring yourself and your food, and much much more.

The Grateful Plate website already contains great recipes and a blog to get your journey started.

​

October Jumpstart Nutrition Workshop w/ Coach Nancy
Date: Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Time: 6:00pm to 7:00pm
Location: Get Fit NH Epsom