Healthy RD Challenge: Day 8

How are you doing with the #HealthyRD Challenge? I hope you are doing well! 

What is the Healthy RD Challenge?

This is my challenge for each of us to take one step a day on the road to being healthier . . . the healthy road or #HealthyRD if you will. If you participate in the #HealthyRD challenge, make sure you use the hashtag #HealthyRD and tag or tweet me, @RDtipoftheday, for a chance to be featured! I am sharing the five healthy choices I'm making each day this week.  Here's a reminder of what I did for the Healthy RD Challenge last week: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, and Day 7. Check out the links to get ideas on living a healthier lifestyle.

Healthy RD Challenge: Day 8

Today, I drank 8 glasses of water, which is my #HealthyRD Day 8 healthy choice. Most people can meet their water requirement with 8 cups of water per day. Each cup is 8 ounces. So, you can drink 8 cups of water per day or 64 ounces. A large percent of our bodies are water. We lose water every day, so it is important to replace that water.

Water has many functions. It helps you regulate your body temperature, cushions your joints, and is a vehicle to help you eliminate waste.

How can I drink more water?

• Carry a bottle with water with you
• Keep a bottle of water near you at home, work, school, or when running errands.
• Order water at restaurants instead of a soda.
• You will decrease your intake of sugar and calories. And, water is free at most restaurants!
• Flavor your water.
• If you do not prefer the taste of water, try flavoring it with fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

How will you choose to be healthy today?

Check with your personal RD or MD before starting a new diet or exercise program to make sure it is healthy, safe, and the right choice for you.

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter . You can subscribe to this blog, RDtipoftheday.blogspot.com, through BlogLovin.

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Healthy RD Challenge: Day 7

How are you doing with the #HealthyRD Challenge? I hope you are doing well! 

What is the Healthy RD Challenge?
This is my challenge for each of us to take one step a day on the road to being healthier . . . the healthy road or #HealthyRD if you will. If you participate in the #HealthyRD challenge, make sure you use the hashtag #HealthyRD and tag or tweet me, @RDtipoftheday, for a chance to be featured! I am sharing the five healthy choices I'm making each day this week.  Here's a reminder of what I did for the Healthy RD Challenge last week: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, and Day 6. Check out the links to get ideas on living a healthier lifestyle.

Healthy RD Challenge: Day 7

Yesterday, I cooked dinner at home, which is my #HealthyRD Day 7 healthy choice. I

enjoy cooking at home. When you cook at home, you have a lot more control in what you eat. You choose the ingredients. You choose the portion size. And, this can be extremely helpful for weight management. You know what ingredients you selected to cook. And, you know how much you want to eat and can choose appropriate portions for yourself.

Don't get me wrong. You can make healthy choices when you eat out. But, you definitely have more control of your food when you cook them yourself. Also, you can save a ton of money when you cook at home. Restaurants charge you for the food, service, and many other things that add up to an increased cost to you.

I find that cooking is one of my creative outlets, which is an added benefit of cooking at home. I think it amazing how you can combine flavors to complement one another, make things taste better, and eat things you normally wouldn't otherwise. For example, I don't know anyone who would sit down to eat 2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil, 2 tablespoons of raw flour, and 1/2 cup chicken stock. But if you cook those ingredients together, you get a beautiful roux. A roux is a the base for a sauce, soup, or etoufee.

So, you can make healthy choices when you cook for yourself or when you choose to eat away from the home. How will you choose to be healthy today?

Check with your personal RD or MD before starting a new diet or exercise program to make sure it is healthy, safe, and the right choice for you.

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter . You can subscribe to this blog, RDtipoftheday.blogspot.com, through BlogLovin.

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Healthy RD Challenge: Day 6

How are you doing with the #HealthyRD Challenge? I hope you are doing well! 

What is the Healthy RD Challenge?
This is my challenge for each of us to take one step a day on the road to being healthier . . . the healthy road or #HealthyRD if you will. If you participate in the #HealthyRD challenge, make sure you use the hashtag #HealthyRD and tag or tweet me, @RDtipoftheday, for a chance to be featured! I am sharing the five healthy choices I'm making each day this week.  Here's a reminder of what I did for the Healthy RD Challenge last week: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, and Day 5. Check out the links to get ideas on living a healthier lifestyle.



Healthy RD Challenge: Day 6
Today, I am eating whole grains, which is my #HealthyRD Day 6 healthy choice. I love the taste of whole grains. I loved white bread and white rice growing up. Louisiana cuisine is full of white rice in jambalaya, gumbo, and etoufee. I acquired the taste for whole grains as I got older. There are whole grain versions of all your favorite grains: whole grain rice, bread, oatmeal, tortillas, flour, popcorn, and pasta. To double-check that your grain choice is a whole grain, look for at least 2-3 grams of fiber per serving. Whole grains provide more fiber than refined grains.



Fiber is very beneficial to your health. Fiber helps make you feel full (satiety), can help with weight management, and can lower cholesterol levels. So, aim to eat at least 50% of your grain choices as whole grains. Get more fiber, and be healthy! 

How will you choose to be healthy today?

Check with your personal RD or MD before starting a new diet or exercise program to make sure it is healthy, safe, and the right choice for you.

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter . You can subscribe to this blog, RDtipoftheday.blogspot.com, through BlogLovin.

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Healthy RD Challenge: Day 5

How are you doing with the #HealthyRD Challenge? I hope you are doing well. Don't be discourage if you've hit some roadblocks on your journey to becoming healthier. Obstacles are a normal part of change. Here's a reminder of what I've done for the Healthy RD Challenge: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4.

What is the Healthy RD Challenge?
This is my challenge for each of us to take one step a day on the road to being healthier . . . the healthy road or #HealthyRD if you will. If you participate in the #HealthyRD challenge, make sure you use the hashtag #HealthyRD and tag or tweet me, @RDtipoftheday, for a chance to be featured! I am sharing the five healthy choices I'm making each day this week. 

Healthy RD Challenge: Day 5
Today, I got 8 hours of sleep, which is my #HealthyRD Day 5 healthy choice. Sleep is vital. Sleep gives our bodies time to heal and repair itself. We have better mental capabilities when we are well rested. And, I find that I have more patience when I am not tired.

Thanks to the National Institutes of Healthy (NIH) we know that sleep is important to maintain the health of our bodies. When we exercise, we tear and rebuild stronger muscles. When we sleep, our body repairs itself. Sleep deficiency has been linked to "increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke" according to the NIH. 

Getting adequate sleep is also important for maintaining a healthy weight. Sleep helps regulate hormones. When you are not getting enough sleep, it throws the hormone balance off. Your levels of ghrelin and leptin, two hormones that help regulate hunger and satiety (fullness), are disturbed. Ghrelin is one of the hormones that stimulates hunger. Ghrelin levels are higher when you are not well rested, and leptin levels are lower. When you are sleep deprived, you actually become more hungry! So, make sure you are getting enough rest as part of your healthy lifestyle.

So, try to get some good rest this weekend. Then, wake up refreshed and smell the roses . . . or the pansies. Have a great weekend!

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter . You can subscribe to this blog, RDtipoftheday.blogspot.com, through BlogLovin.

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Healthy RD Challenge Day 4

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Healthy RD Challenge: Day 4

How are you doing with the #HealthyRD Challenge? I hope you are doing well! Here's a reminder of what I've done for the Healthy RD Challenge: Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3.

What is the Healthy RD Challenge?

This is my challenge for each of us to take one step a day on the road to being healthier . . . the healthy road or #HealthyRD if you will. If you participate in the #HealthyRD challenge, make sure you use the hashtag #HealthyRD and tag or tweet me, @RDtipoftheday, for a chance to be featured! I am sharing the five healthy choices I'm making each day this week. And, I would love to hear about your healthy choices! 

Healthy RD Challenge: Day 4
Today, I ate breakfast, which is my #HealthyRD Day 3 healthy choice. I love eating breakfast. I usually plan my breakfast options when I make my weekly grocery list. And one of my first thoughts in the morning is 'what am I going to eat for breakfast?".

I know this is not the case for everyone. I have the privilege of teaching children of all ages and teaching college students about nutrition. The number one obstacle they face is not having enough time for breakfast. Most children state they would eat breakfast if they had time. So, let's overcome this obstacle together. 

First, make sure you buy breakfast items that you like to eat. Second, make sure they are quick to prepare in the morning. Or, you can make your breakfast ahead of time to save you time in the morning. Third, make time to eat breakfast. This could mean setting your alarm 15-20 minutes earlier or not pressing the snooze button. So, make a plan to eat breakfast.

For more breakfast ideas, visit this post with 7 quick breakfast ideas.

Why is breakfast important?
We know that kids that eat breakfast do better on standardized tests. Can we extrapolate that to mean that we think better when we eat breakfast? I know your brain prefers to run on glucose as its primary energy source. So, feed your brain and fuel your body by 'breaking the fast' and eating breakfast!

How will you choose to be healthy today?

Check with your personal RD or MD before starting a new diet or exercise program to make sure it is healthy, safe, and the right choice for you.

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter . You can subscribe to this blog, RDtipoftheday.blogspot.com, through BlogLovin.

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Healthy RD Challenge Day 3

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Healthy RD Challenge: Day 3

How are you doing with the #HealthyRD Challenge? I hope you are doing well! Here's a reminder of what I've done for the Healthy RD Challenge: Day 1 and Day 2.

What is the Healthy RD Challenge?
This is my challenge for each of us to take one step a day on the road to being healthier . . . the healthy road or #HealthyRD if you will. If you participate in the #HealthyRD challenge, make sure you use the hashtag #HealthyRD and tag or tweet me, @RDtipoftheday, for a chance to be featured! I am sharing the five healthy choices I'm making each day this week. 

Healthy RD Challenge: Day 3
Today, I am going to meet the #5aDayChallenge, which is my #HealthyRD Day 3 healthy choice. I issued a #5aDayChallenge last summer as a way to encourage myself and others to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

I have the privilege of counseling children of all ages. The number one healthy dietary obstacle they face is eating enough fruits and veggies. Most children state that the taste of fruits and vegetables is the number 1 obstacle to meeting the #5aDayChallenge.

I also have the privilege of teaching several collegiate nutrition courses. My college students also have challenges to eating five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. My college students say lack of time (aka busyness) or lack of availability of fruits and vegetables are the two common obstacles to meeting the #5aDayChallenge.

I am a Registered Dietitian (RD). I encourage people to meet the #5aDayChallenge. I am a recovering picky eater. I, like everyone else, am busy. We all have budgets, time constraints, and obstacles that make it challenging to live a healthy lifestyle. However, we also know the importance of eating healthfully. So, I am taking the #5aDayChallenge to become a #HealthyRD (healthier registered dietitian). Who's with me?

How will you choose to be healthy today?

Check with your personal RD or MD before starting a new diet or exercise program to make sure it is healthy, safe, and the right choice for you.

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter . You can subscribe to this blog, RDtipoftheday.blogspot.com, through BlogLovin.

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Healthy RD Challenge: Day 2

How are you doing with the #HealthyRD Challenge? I hope you are doing well. Don't be discourage if you've hit some roadblocks on your journey to becoming healthier. Obstacles are a normal part of change. Here's a reminder of what I've done for the Healthy RD Challenge: Day 1.

What is the Healthy RD Challenge?
This is my challenge for each of us to take one step a day on the road to being healthier . . . the healthy road or #HealthyRD if you will. If you participate in the #HealthyRD challenge, make sure you use the hashtag #HealthyRD and tag or tweet me, @RDtipoftheday, for a chance to be featured! I am sharing the five healthy choices I'm making each day this week. 

Healthy RD Challenge: Day 2
Today, I worked on my garden, which is my #HealthyRD Day 2 healthy choice. My grandfather has a large garden . . . or a small farm depending on your viewpoint. I love the idea of growing things, but do not love the idea of meeting snakes in the garden. I do live in the South you know. I thought I would follow in my grandfather's footsteps with very small baby steps.

I love cooking with herbs and spices. Adding herbs to your recipes is a great way to add flavor without adding fat or sodium. If you are watching your dietary sodium or fat intake, try adding herbs to add flavor without adding fat or salt.

I started growing some herbs around Valentine's Day and Easter. I keep them indoors in a sunny spot because it still cold outside. I currently have basil, rosemary, sage, and mint. Since I recently started growing herbs, I would greatly appreciate any tips you have to keep herbs alive. Please comment on the blog, tag me on Instagram, or tweet me, @RDtipoftheday, with tips to keep my herb garden alive and healthy.

How will you choose to be healthy today?

Check with your personal RD or MD before starting a new diet or exercise program to make sure it is healthy, safe, and the right choice for you.

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter . You can subscribe to this blog, RDtipoftheday.blogspot.com, through BlogLovin.

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