Many of us are going to embark on 2008 by setting some sort of a New Year’s resolution, even if we tell ourselves we won’t. But many of us (myself included) have set those NY resolutions in the past and by the end of January have forgotten them, gotten discouraged, or “messed up”. So, how can we stick to those resolutions?

My Tips For a Successful New Year’s Resolution

1. Be realistic: if you have not worked out in months, what makes you think that you’re going to suddenly start working out every day?

2. Break your resolution into pieces: if you want to get more physically active over the next year, consider breaking your goals into months: For example: “for January, I am going to work out once to twice a week”; “for February, I am going to focus on strength training and see the physical trainer at the gym”. Increase these goals as the months go by.

3. Choose a resolution that you are motivated to achieve. Have fun with it!

4. Choose a resolution that it specific, not vague. For example, “this year I am going to lose weight” is vague, but to state “this year, I am going to try to lose 10 pounds by…” is a realistic goal that you can work towards.

5. Write down your resolutions and post them where you can see them (I have mine on the back of my bathroom closet door–I get in there daily and not everyone knows it’s there).

6. Get others motivated to set the same resolution with you. For instance, you and your neighbor decide that you are going to walk every Monday morning (and if you don’t feel motivated, chances are, she will and motivate you to keep your resolution).

7. Get others to support you, even if they don’t have the same resolution (in the case of trying to quit smoking). However, remind them that nagging is not the best motivation.

8. Make a plan to accomplish your resolution. If you want to spend more time with extended family, block out weekends andoccasions in which you will see them. Or, schedule weekly phone calls on your calendar to keep you connected. If your plan is to volunteer more, write down places you could volunteer and keep that list handy.

9. Plan a reward if you meet your resolution. For instance, plan a trip if you lose those 10 pounds, run a race, etc. Have this goal in mind before you set the resolution however.

10. Recognize that we all have good and bad days. So you screw up one day or even a week, but that doesn’t mean you’re done for the rest of the year (unless it’s already December 31st)!

Good luck in achieving your New Year’s resolutions, and Have a safe and Happy New Year!!

_{Photo Courtesy of Snowdeal}

I was in the grocery store recently, and a young couple seemed to be struggling with what formula to buy their infant. So being the dietitian that I am, helped them out! After asking a few questions to make sure their infant did not have a milk allergy, I directed them to the “Lipil”, “Advance” and “+DHA and ARA” section of formula. You may be wondering why….

There are a myriad of formulas available for an infant nowadays. But which is best? Although breast milk IS the best option for your baby, I understand that not everyone wants to or is able to breastfeed. So, if you are in that situation, I’m here to help you choose the best formula for your baby.

The three most common brands of formula are:

• Similac (made by Ross)
• Enfamil (made by Mead Johnson)
• Good Start Supreme (made by Nestle).

They are similar nutritionally. It’s like choosing Kellogg’s or General Mills for cereal–it really is about taste preference.But you might be wondering what the “Advance”, “Lipil” and “DHA & ARA” labels that are attached to these formulas are (i.e., Similac versus Similac Advance, Enfamil versus Enfamil Lipil, and Good Start Supreme versus Good Start Supreme with DHA & ARA).

These formulas (Advance, Lipil, DHA & ARA) contain DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and ARA (arachidonic acid), which are fatty acids that support brain development. Although there are no long term studies out there that have shown beneficial effects (they are in the works from what I read), and some studies have shown no benefit, no studies have shown HARM to the infant when formulas containing DHA & ARA are consumed (and like I mentioned, they support brain development, and in turn, your baby can be smarter!). And if you’re wondering, the reason these companies have added the two fatty acids to formula is because they are already found in breastmilk!

So, when you are shopping for formula for your infant and there is no allergy to milk or soy, choose Similac Advance, Enfamil Lipil, or Good Start Supreme with DHA & ARA.

_{This is not a paid advertisement for any of these formulas. Thanks!}

_{Photo Courtesy Alessandro Perilli}

Hello! I hope that you and your family are enjoying the holiday season!

We were able to visit our family this holiday and we actually purchased the Hyper Dash for my nieces….and guess what? They loved it! (See, we dietitians really do take our own advice! See my post on gifts for kids)

“This game makes me sweaty.”–Kaitlyn, 6 1/2 years old

My niece, Kaitlyn loved playing this game! Although she didn’t get to play it the minute that she opened the game (it needs 3 AA batteries), it was one of the first things she played with the next morning. It’s a great game to play alone (and try to beat your time as the patterns get more difficult) or against other players/teams. I even played the game with her and enjoyed every minute of it! It combines running around with memory (you have to remember sequences of the numbers and colors the joystick calls out) so it not only works your muscles but your brain too!

As we are having a party next week to celebrate the new year, I can’t help but wonder how the game would be with a group of “grown-ups”! I bet we’d laugh our butts off!

Wondering what dessert to make for your holiday gathering, where several of your relatives, who are diabetic, will be there? Well, worry no more! Jackie Mills, a registered dietitian, (along with the American Diabetes Association) has written a “Big Book of Diabetic Desserts” to help you with your dessert ideas.

In brief, individuals with diabetes are advised on the following guidelines (along with a few others):

• use whole grains for added fiber
• limit use of “empty calories” (i.e., sugar), although sugar is NOT bad (there just aren’t a lot of nutrients in it)
• limit saturated and trans fat when possible

In this cookbook, you will find a variety (over 150 desserts to be exact) of quick breads, pies and tarts, cookies, cakes, frozen desserts, and other sweets to help you fulfill your sweet tooth without skimping on taste.

Most recipes use 67% vegetable oil spread instead of butter or stick margarine, and low-fat products (1% milk, for example) instead of the whole fat alternative. Also, most of the recipes use a no-calorie sugar substitute (like Splenda, Sweet-n-low, or Equal to name a few) and whole grains (whole wheat flour) along with all-purpose flour for extra fiber.

Taste-Test

Although I am not diabetic, I wanted to try these recipes and see if I could incorporate them into my recipe box for future use at parties and events. I tried the chocolate chip cookies (made with less sugar and chocolate chips than the “toll house cookie” recipe).

My husband, who is known as the “Cookie Monster” for his love of chocolate chip cookies, was a good test subject for the quality of this recipe. He thought the cookies were softer than “normal” chocolate chip cookies, which could be due to the vegetable oil spread instead of butter. They didn’t get as crisp as regular cookies, which made for difficult dunking. I taste-tested them with my parents, who didn’t even notice that they were different than the “normal” cookie. Overall, I thought they were tasty and were definitely a recipe I could make again.

I also tried the “chocolate spoon cake“, which was a warm cake that made its own sauce, to be served with ice cream (lite of course!). This cake, like the recipe suggested, was best served warm, and it had a richer chocolate flavor than expected. This recipe, too, passed the taste test.

One drawback to this book is that it IS paperback, and it is difficult to keep the book from closing while you are trying to make a recipe. It would have been beneficial to have the book be hardback or spiral bound so it can lay flat, and tabs for each section (tarts, cookies, etc).

Final Verdict

The book lists amount of carbohydrate servings (for the diabetic), along with total calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, dietary fiber, and protein. Since the recipes contain this other information (total cholesterol, for example), it could be used for someone who is trying to follow a “heart healthy/cholesterol lowering” diet. Overall, I think the Big Book of Diabetic Desserts is a must-have for any individual who likes to make (and eat) desserts, whether they are diabetic or not! Happy Baking!

One of my colleagues asked me the other day how she can feed her family healthy food on a tight budget. She was looking for recipes and a meal plan. Luckily, I didn’t have to “recreate the wheel”.

I just sent her to an awesome website from the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion via USDA: Recipes and Tips for Healthy, Thrifty Meals. Although this is an old recipe book and is based on the 1995 Dietary Guidelines, it is still a good guide for healthy eating and frugal meals.

What I think is very useful in this document is that it gives you a grocery list for a week and gives you a 2-week menu for each meal. It also tells you how much of each food you need to buy and serve for the week. For example, if breakfast consists of orange juice, scrambled eggs, hash browns and milk, it will tell you how much of each ingredient you need to buy in order to make this breakfast for 4 people. For each recipe it gives you, it will tell you how long it will take to prepare and cook the food, and the nutrition information for each recipe. Pretty cool, don’t you think?

The only drawback to this meal plan is that it does not stress the importance of whole grains, so when it calls for bread, choose whole wheat bread; when it calls for rice or pasta, choose brown or whole wheat. As well, consider low-sodium options of some foods (tomato soup for example), and choose skim milk and part-skim cheeses (skim is actually cheaper at my grocery store). As well, you could easily buy sugar-free chocolate pudding instead of regular if you want to save some calories (but then it will increase the cost of your groceries), and you could do without the ready-to-drink lemonade and drinking water.

I am actually thinking of giving this meal plan a try and seeing if my husband will eat this food with me. However, with all of the holiday parties we have in the next few weeks, I am going to try this after the New Year. What a great resolution–eat thrifty AND healthy! Not only will it help my waistline and energy level but it will help my bank account too!!!