Warm weather is here and that means ICE CREAM! I love ice cream just as much as everyone else so I wanted to give a few tips to watch calories if you want to indulge:
Tip 1:
Pick frozen yogurt instead of ice cream! You still get the ice cream taste but with less calories.
Tip 2:
Avoid additional toppings. These add calories to your ice treat. If you have to have a topping, pick sprinkles instead of peanut butter cups, cookies, brownies.
Tip 3:
Order fruit options like sorbet or sherbert. These still have a high calorie content but lower fat.
Tip 4:
Order a cup of ice cream over a cone. The cone is added calories and every calorie counts!
Wondering how to keep active while lowering your calorie intake? Here are some healthy tips!
Balance is key! If on a minimum of 1,200 calories per day, 50-55% should be coming from carbohydrates, 15-20% from protein, and 25-30% fat.
Ensure that you eat a high fiber, low refined carbohydrate diet: For example, if you’re going to eat bread, select 100% whole wheat. Stay away from “white” and “enriched” bread and foods
Eat smaller, frequent meals rather than a few, large meals: It is recommended to eat 3 meals and 2-3 healthy snacks per day. We are not talking snicker bars here! Try an apple or a half a cup of blueberries. This will help maintain blood sugar levels while increasing your satiety.
Stay hydrated: Hydration is vitally important. Drink water prior, during and after exercise. Men on average should consume about 13 8-oz servings of water per day. Women should consume about 9 8-oz servings.
Decrease your caffeine intake: Consume less than 400mg of caffeine per day. If you need caffeine, consume 2 oz every 2 hrs is the best dose of caffeine for energy. Opt for smaller cups of coffee instead of one large one: your body can only process a limited amount of caffeine at a time.
Increase your physical activity: increase your maximum aerobic capacity through your exercise. Exercise improves your mood immediately and it is great for your heart!
Hypertension is defined as having blood pressure greater or equal to 140/90 on 3 or more visits to the doctor.
To combat this problem it is very important to exercise while keeping track of your heart rate as well as eating what is called the DASH diet. This includes a diet high in fruits and vegetables with decreased dairy products and saturated fats. If you follow this plan, you will see not only great results in our cholesterol level and blood pressure, but will probably lose some inches too!
Here is a list of what is recommended by DASHdiet.org:
| Type of food |
Number of servings for 1600 – 3100 Calorie diets |
Servings on a 2000 Calorie diet |
Grains and grain products
(include at least 3 whole grain foods each day) |
6 – 12 |
7 – 8 |
| Fruits |
4 – 6 |
4 – 5 |
| Vegetables |
4 – 6 |
4 – 5 |
| Low fat or non fat dairy foods |
2 – 4 |
2 – 3 |
| Lean meats, fish, poultry |
1.5 – 2.5 |
2 or less |
| Nuts, seeds, and legumes |
3 – 6 per week |
4 – 5 per week |
| Fats and sweets |
2 – 4 |
limited |