FitSugar

Alexa Fishback on Right Way to Snack

Guest Writer — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:00:07 PDT

We are pleased to announce our first ever guest blogger, nutritionist Alexa Fishback. Since the Get Fit For 2010 challenge this week is all about healthy snacking, we asked Alexa for tips on maximizing the nutritional power of your snacks.

The good news? You should have two snacks every day, in addition to your breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The bad news - you probably already do. But maybe one snack comes in the form of mindlessly grabbing a handful of M&M's off the reception desk in your office and the other grazing on some pretzels and a Snapple from the work fridge. At the end of the day, these options are highly caloric and not very satiating.

The solution - plan ahead for two snacks every day, one small snack (0-100 calories) and one more substantial snack (100-200 calories) - to keep your blood sugar levels stable between each meal, to give you the energy you need to get through the workday, and to prevent overeating at the next meal. If you can, plan to eat two of these three snack options in some form every day - fruit or veggies (raw, dried, or cooked), nuts or nut butters spread on whole wheat crackers, bread or fruit/veggies, and/or a cup of yogurt or cottage cheese.

Like what you're hearing? Then be sure to enter our Get Fit For 2010 community contest and challenge, by sharing your fave healthy snack in our Get Fit group. A year of personalized nutrition plans by Alexa is part of our fabulous grand prize.

Source: Flickr User gcfairch

Alexa Fishback's 12 Healthy Habits

FitSugar — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 04:30:04 PST

Who couldn't use a little outside help when it comes to eating right? Part of the grand prize of our Get Fit For 2010 community group and contest is a year of personalized nutrition plans by nutritionist Alexa Fishback, as well as a copy of her book The Daily Fix. Here are the 12 healthy habits Alexa recommends to make healthy living easier. The habits are organized to guide you throughout the day from your morning caffeine fix to bedtime, with a few general habits that are important for any time of day. Here they are:

1. Guiltless and Enjoyable Morning Drink	2. Breakfast on Protein and Fiber	3. Don't Forget to Snack Twice a Day
4. Lunch on High Fiber and Lean Protein	5. Indulge Your Sweet Tooth Daily	6. Enjoy Your One Daily Alcoholic Drink

To see the final six healthy habits,

Nutritionist Alexa Fishback on the Power of Food Journaling

FitSugar — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:00:02 PST

This week, the Get Fit For 2010 challenge is to write a blog post about a day of your food journal. But there's no need to go it alone; nutritionist Alexa Fishback, author of The Daily Fix is here to help us all.

Here are some encouraging words from Alexa:

Congratulations on joining Get Fit For 2010! This week we are focusing on the food journal, a very basic but powerful tool to create awareness about the foods you eat every day and thus those that impact your weight and health. Although it can be tedious, studies have shown that the longer people keep a food journal, the more weight they lose.

The important lesson is to be able to connect the sandwich you eat every day for lunch to its calorie content, and to monitor your overall fruit and veggie intake. You may be shocked to see how caloric some of your favorite foods are or pleasantly surprised to discover those foods that really fill you up and are low in calories. You may be stunned by the lack of fruit in your diet and all the calories in the bread and olive oil you nibbled on before dinner, or proud of yourself for fulfilling your daily veggie requirement on a regular basis.

Maintaining a food journal for one week is usually quite effective, but feel free to continue logging your intake until (a) you feel you fully understand your daily eating habits and (b) you get to the point where you have memorized or can estimate the calories of the foods you typically eat. At the end of each week, review your food journal and ask yourself: "Should I be eating these foods every day, or should some of them be reserved for special occasions?" You will quickly learn to distinguish between good daily choices versus weekly or special-occasion foods. Remember - you are what you eat every day - not what you eat randomly for a treat.

Now that you know how keeping a food journal works, be sure to join our Get Fit For 2010 challenge and contest, for a chance to win a personalized nutrition plan created by Alexa, along with many other amazing goodies. Here are the details on our fabulous grand prize.

12 Healthy Habits of the Daily Fix by Alexa Fishback

FitSugar — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 03:30:00 PST

Nutritionist Alexa Fishback, author of The Daily Fix, has created a list of 12 healthy habits to make healthy living easier. The habits are organized to guide you through out the day from your morning caffeine fix to bedtime, with a few general habits that are important for any time of day. Here they are:

1. Guiltless and Enjoyable Morning Drink	2. Breakfast on Protein and Fiber	3. Don't Forget to Snack Twice a Day
4. Lunch on High Fiber and Lean Protein	5. Indulge Your Sweet Tooth Daily	6. Enjoy Your One Daily Alcoholic Drink

To see the final six healthy habits,

Healthy Habit: Keep Healthy When Traveling For Business

FitSugar — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 03:00:00 PST

Traveling for work doesn't mean you get to slack off on your health. Alexa Fishback, author of The Daily Fix, reminds us all that a workday is a workday no matter where you are. In fact, this is the last of her healthy habits, but Alexa will be sharing so much more, like a personalized nutrition plan for a year, for the lucky winner of our Get Fit For 2009 giveaway, which includes many other amazing goodies like a $1,000 gift card for Nike gear.

Here is what Alexa has to say about business travel:
The Daily Fix focuses on the eating and physical activity habits you practice five days in a row, during the week, rather than your behaviors on the weekend, and further, what you do 50 weeks of the year, not during the two weeks you are on vacation. So when in Rome, enjoy pizza without guilt! But . . . if and when you are traveling for work, during a typical workweek, and especially if you have a job that requires a ton of traveling, you need to make a pact to practice your typical, routine, healthy habits, even when you are away from your typical work surroundings. You have my sympathies - this may not always be easy - but it is important to get into the mindset that workdays are healthy days and weekends or vacation are to be enjoyed without guilt. Strategies included in The Daily Fix.

Source

Healthy Habit: Drink Plenty of Water

FitSugar — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:00:00 PST

Alexa Fishback, author of The Daily Fix, believes in the power of water. Staying properly hydrated throughout the day is one of her twelve healthy habits that requires only sipping to put into practice. Along with sharing many of her healthy habits here on FitSugar, Alexa will be creating a personalized nutrition plan for the lucky winner of our Get Fit For 2009 giveaway, which includes many other amazing goodies like a $1000 gift card for Nike gear.

Now here's what Alexa has to say about water:
One of the best things you can do for yourself this 2009 is to make a pact to drink water with every meal. Skip the soda and juice and instead enjoy a tall glass of water, carbonated or flat, with or without ice, and maybe with a twist of lemon or lime. Making this a habit will go a long way toward reducing dehydration, constipation, and everyday bloating.

Not sure how much water you should be drinking? Check out the FitSugar calculator to figure out how to keep yourself hydrated.

Source

Healthy Habit: Make Exercise a Priority

FitSugar — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 03:00:00 PST

I love when nutritionists stress the importance of daily exercise, and that is exactly what nutritionist Alexa Fishback, author of The Daily Fix, does. Making exercise a priority is one of her twelve healthy habits that we should all adopt as we work toward our goal of healthy living for 2009. Along with sharing many of her healthy habits, Alexa will be creating a personalized nutrition plan for the lucky winner of our Get Fit For 2009 giveaway, which includes many other amazing goodies like a $1000 gift card for Nike gear.

Here's how Alexa suggests fitting exercise into your hectic life:
Fitting exercise into our busy lives can be a challenge, but you should walk at least 30 minutes almost everyday and workout at least four times a week at a higher intensity for at least 20 minutes. My advice on how to do this is twofold:

First: Build-in habitual walking to your life, such as a daily walk to work, can be a crucial way to maintain your weight. Thirty minutes a day can mean either a straight 30-minute power walk or it can be a 10-minute walk to work, a 10 minute walk around the corner for mid-morning coffee, and a 10 minute dog walk at night. However you attain it - 30 minutes of walking everyday is key to healthy living.

To learn the second half of her advice,

read more. Secondly: Plan ahead for more intense exercise, as if it were a mandatory meeting on your schedule, four to five days a week. This means you don't skip your workout if something else comes up; exercise needs to be a priority. Take it a step further and make plans to meet a friend for yoga or a trainer for a workout. Not only will you be letting yourself down if you bail, you will also be letting someone else down. How do you fit exercise into your daily life? Tell me in the comments section below. Source

Healthy Habit: Get Your Sleep

FitSugar — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:30:00 PST

Getting healthy is not just about what you eat. You need to make lifestyle changes to lose weight and keep it off. Nutritionist Alexa Fishback, author of The Daily Fix, is here to remind us all about the healing powers of a good night's rest. Along with sharing many of her healthy habits, Alexa will be creating a personalized nutrition plan for the lucky winner of our Get Fit For 2009 giveaway, which includes many other amazing goodies.

Here's what Alexa has to say about sleep:
Our society often makes us feel guilty and lazy if we are not always on the go, but I am here to tell you to revel in a full night's sleep and to make it a priority. While it is true that some people can function on less sleep than others, the majority of us need our seven to nine hours each night for maximum functioning capacity. It is good for your body, your joints, your muscles, and your mind. And sleep is a pillar of weight loss!

To learn how catching Zs helps you lose weight, just

read more. In a huge study of more than 230,000 women, results were conclusive: Women who slept less than seven hours per night weighed approximately 5.4 pounds more than those who slept seven or more hours a night. Plus, the women who got more zzz's actually exercised more, had higher metabolisms, and ate more without weight gain! Getting a full night's sleep is key when it comes to wellness and weight management (says your nutritionist). Source

Healthy Habit: Make Dinner at Home Once a Week

FitSugar — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 10:00:00 PST

Did the new year motivate you to create some healthy habits? Nutritionist Alexa Fishback, author of The Daily Fix, suggests making one simple resolution this year: make dinner at home at least once a week. Cooking for yourself sets you on the right course for healthy eating. Along with sharing many of her healthy habits, Alexa will be creating a personalized nutrition plan for the lucky winner of our Get Fit For 2009 giveaway, along with many other amazing goodies.

Now here's Alexa's proposed dinner resolution:

A recent study of the eating habits of young adults, ages 18-23, revealed that those who purchased and prepared their own foods were more likely to meet dietary guidelines for fat, calcium, fruits, vegetables, and whole grain intake. Those who didn't prepare their own food had markedly inferior diets. I know many of you are busy with a capital B - so I am only asking you to try cooking once a week. Keep some staples on hand like diced tomatoes, brown rice, and canned beans, so you should have ingredients on hand so you can whip up a quick, tasty, and healthy meal. The Daily Fix has a very complete list of grocery items, from staples to frozen items, to help you along. If grocery shopping just doesn't fit into your life, try it online. I believe you can learn how to broil, bake, roast, and stir fry without a cooking degree.

Source

Healthy Habit: Get Fishy When Dining Out

FitSugar — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:00:00 PST

Eating dinner out does not have to be a diet debacle. Nutritionist Alexa Fishback, author of The Daily Fix, believes dining out is an opportunity to eat fish without making your own kitchen smell fishy. Sounds reasonable right? Stay tuned for more tips from Alexa, and be sure to enter our Get Fit For 2009 giveaway for a chance to win a personalized nutrition plan created by Ms. Fishback, along with many other amazing goodies.

Now here's what she has to say on using dining out as an opportunity to eat fish:
The latest recommendation is for all women to enjoy at least 12 ounces, or 2-3 servings, of fish per week. The only caveat is that women of childbearing age avoid shark, swordfish, tilefish, and king mackerel as these large fish contain the highest levels of mercury. Otherwise - the beneficial qualities reaped from eating fish far outweigh mercury risks. It is a main source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Some of us are weary about preparing fish in our homes, so to see some good options to order when you eat out, just

At a steak house, forgo the meat and go for the nice selection of grilled or broiled fish or lobster.
Try sushi. Go for one roll and several pieces of sushi or sashimi.
At a French bistro, try a white fish, filleted and covered with lemon juice - it is delicious. Or, order the mussels in white wine or tomato sauce.
At Italian, go for the warm seafood salad - trust me, it is as tasty as any of the pasta dishes with less calories and more nutrition.

For more tips, check out all of Alexa’s Healthy Habits or pick up her book, The Daily Fix. Source

7. Use Meals Out as a Chance to Eat Fish	8. Make Dinner at Home Once a Week	9. Get a Good Night's Sleep
10. Move Every Day: Walk and Exercise	11. Drink Plenty of Water	12. Stay Healthy on the Road

7. Use Meals Out as a Chance to Eat Fish	8. Make Dinner at Home Once a Week	9. Get a Good Night's Sleep
10. Move Everyday: Walk and Exercise	11. Drink Plenty of Water	12. Stay Healthy on the Road