National Nutrition Month

Welcome, March! January and February 2013 are now behind us and we are creeping closer to spring and summer and warmer weather. Swimsuit season will be here before we know it, so now is a great time to assess your health and fitness goals. Did you make a health related New Year's Resolution this year? Whether you believe in New Year's Resolutions or not, I think it's natural for many of us to focus on eating better and exercising more after the holiday season is over. We've been surrounded by food, drinks, and social events, and by the time January 1st rolls around, I certainly feel the need to detox! Resolutions aside, I believe it is important to regularly set goals and try to improve yourself. Today I learned March is National Nutrition Month, and since good nutrition plays a key role in good health, it's a great time to assess where you are at in terms of health and fitness habits and set some new goals.

National Nutrition Month is an annual campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. This year's theme is, "Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day." I really feel that theme is a great one to think about. There are so many diets out there and so much advice when it comes to eating healthy. If you are looking to lose weight, it is easy to fall into fad diets and look for something that is going to be a "quick fix". It is important to recognize that eating right and being healthy is a journey and one that requires dedication and most of all, patience. You have to do things that are actually going to work for you as an individual. I started that journey in 2001 when I was a sophomore in high school. It was baby steps back then - eliminating soda was the first step, then starting to exercise was another. Over the years, I've continued to make changes and set new goals. I believe you can still enjoy the good food and drinks that life has to offer if you do it in moderation and strive to eat well and exercise the majority of the time.

This year, I made it a goal to cook meals at home more often to help out both my budget and my health and fitness goals. I've done a good job of only dining out a few times a month (a huge improvement from last year, which was a few times per week!) and am actually starting to enjoy cooking. The recipe I've fallen in love with most is, hands down, homemade black bean burgers. 

I talk about these burgers quite a bit and have sent the recipe to many. One of my coworkers is hooked on them, as am I! As a huge cheeseburger lover, I'm really happy I have found a healthier alternative. I had a regular meat burger last night, and I honestly did not enjoy it as much as I used to because I am so hooked on these burgers. They're great on a whole wheat bun with all the regular burger fixin's, and they're also fantastic crumbled over brown rice with guacamole, salsa and some shredded cheese. I am also obsessed with Wholly Guacamole 100 calorie packs - they are the perfect amount of guac!

I've also developed a love for sweet potatoes. I love making baked sweet potatoes fries in the oven, and some days I've even had a sweet potato for lunch - I'll bake one while I get ready for work in the morning, and then at lunch time warm it up with black beans, cheese, and salsa on top. It's a very filling and satisfying meal! Nutritionally, sweet potatoes are an excellent pick - just one cup of sweet potatoes has 65% of your daily requirement of Vitamin C. They are also high in fiber and beta carotene and, among root vegetables, sweet potatoes offer the lowest glycemic index rating. That's because the sweet potato digests slowly, causing a gradual rise in blood sugar so that you feel satisfied longer. These meals have been much more satisfying than the boring Lean Cuisines I often took with me to work - and, they're cheap!

On the exercise front, I've been training for the American Lung Association's Fight for Air Climb at the Presidential Towers in Chicago. The event is about a week away, it's on Sunday, March 10th. I've been thinking about this stair climbing event for a couple years now, and decided this year to go for it. This will be the longest stair climb I've done, as I'm taking on all 4 towers for a total of 180 floors! The Willis Tower climb I did back in 2011 was 103 floors, and Aon Center last year was just 80 floors. While I've met my fundraising goal, I still encourage you to donate to this important cause.

Let's get a discussion going - how are your health and fitness goals coming along? What changes have you made? What frustrations have you encountered?

Have a fantastic weekend, everyone!