McDonald's Premium McWraps-Good or Bad?

I have had many of you ask about these.  I am glad to see fast-food restaurants make an effort to provide healthier choices!  However, it's important to be informed on the nutritional pro's and con's.  You will see the calories displayed on the menu board, but depending on your personal health goals calories won't provide the complete picture.

• It's obvious but worth mentioning-always choose the wrap with grilled chicken NOT the fried version.  Sorry guys!  Just because it's a wrap doesn't make it healthy.  It's the same with a salad. If you are ordering a salad with fried chicken, FORGET IT!  Go ahead and get a small hamburger and fry.
• I've analyzed all three and the Sweet Chili variety is the healthiest overall.
• Calorie-controlled-only 360 calories-thumbs up!
• 9 grams of total fat and 2.5 grams of saturated fat-thumbs up!
• Cholesterol-65 mg-thumbs up!
• Fiber-not a good source of fiber with only 2 grams/wrap-come on McDonald's give us a whole-wheat wrap!
• Sodium-not a good choice for someone with high blood pressure and monitoring their sodium intake-one wrap provides a whopping 1030 mg.  If you are limited to 1500 mg sodium/day you have almost consumed your entire day's worth of sodium in one meal.

Overall Impression:  

Based on the New Nutripilot System we will be launching soon with our nutrition program, I would categorize this as a "Be Cautious" compass food.  Your goal is to consume no more than 3 "Be Cautious" compass foods/day and as many "Healthy" compass foods you can.  Limit your "Unhealthy" compass foods to 5/week.  So, if you are in a pinch and making healthy choices throughout your day, this is not a bad choice.

So long till my next blog! If you have more foods you would like me to write about, please send to melanie@healthylifeandnutrition.com.  Stay tuned for the following:

• Total website optimization with the compass color foods and food tags to help you select the healthiest foods anywhere (grocery-stores, restaurants, etc).
• Optimization for all tablets and smartphones
• Native iphone app

Healthy Regards,

Melanie Rubery MS RDN LD CLT

205-492-0404

CLICK HERE to sign up for our nutrition program!  30-day FREE trial!

New Product Alert-Morningstar Farms Mediterranean Chickpea

Looking for a new twist on your lunch sandwich or dinner burger?  If so, you need to try the new variety by Morningstar Farms.  It is made with nutritious ingredients such as chickpeas, spinach, tomatoes, brown rice, and traditional Greek herbs and spices.  Why do I give this my stamp of approval?

• Good source of protein (10 grams of protein)
• Great source of fiber (7 grams of fiber)
• Low-fat (4.5 grams fat)
• 0 mg of cholesterol
• 0 grams of trans fat

Now how awesome is this?  Plus full of flavor!

Food BAR Nutritional Information: 1 Protein and 1 Fat Food BAR

Food Score

Food Tags:

Low Fat

Low Cholesterol

Carb Friendly

High Fiber

For more nutritional information about our programs, CLICK HERE!  30 day FREE Trial with program.

To Your Health!

Melanie Rubery MS RDN

205-492-0404

The Power of a Heart Rate Monitor

In my efforts to lose weight and become more fit, I decided to purchase one of these to evaluate it's use.  I have always worked out and been able to stay pretty fit.  However, with 3 kids and a business I just don't have the time as I did before.  My goal has been to maximize my workouts.  There is an important tidbit I did not know, simply because I have never monitored my heart rate.  The longer I can stay within my calculated zone, the greater % of calories from fat I will burn.  It may be less calories, but if my goal is to burn the fat, this is what I need to aim for.  Well, I decided to test this out.  I purchased the above and sampled a bootcamp class, running on a treadmill, RPM class, Cycle class, and walking.  All these were done in a 45 minute time-frame.  What I noticed is that the classes that burned the most calories, the % calories being burned from fat was lower.  I also noticed my heart rate did not stay within it's target range in these high intensity classes. As you can imagine, it was much higher!!!!! 

What does all this mean?  For me, I only have a limited time to exercise and right now I am trying to burn as many calories from fat as I can!  Therefore, I don't need to push myself in some of these classes and can scale back on the intensity level:)  So, yes you do burn less calories but as long as you are keeping your calories in check and maximizing your time in your zone, it's a win-win!  Below are a few excerpts I found while testing this out:

Fitness/Fat-Burning Zone (Fat Burning)
(60–75% of maximum heart rate) Burns more calories than a healthy heart at rest. Optimal fat burning consists of working out at a moderate intensity level you can sustain for long periods of time. This trains your metabolism so your body releases more fat from your fat cells throughout the day.

Aerobic Zone (Endurance Training)
(70–80% of maximum heart rate) Improves your cardiovascular and respiratory system and increases the size and strength of your heart. This is the preferred zone if you’re training for an endurance event. Your body burns more calories, 50% of them from fat.

High Intensity/Anaerobic Threshold Zone (Performance Training)
(80–90% of maximum heart rate) This is a high-intensity zone that burns more calories, around 15% of them from fat. You’ll benefit from an improved cardio respiratory system, fight fatigue better, and improve endurance. For optimal fat burning cardio, train at high intensities in short bursts of time (1–3 minutes each), recover, and repeat several times. This is the most efficient way to raise your metabolism and burn fat. You’ll burn 100% carbs as a source of energy during these bursts.

Red Line Zone (Maximum Effort)
(90–100% of maximum heart rate) Although this zone burns the most calories, it’s very intense and hard to maintain. Only train in this zone for short periods of time, and only if you’re in good shape and cleared by a physician.

Each zone has key aspects to overall fat burning. An optimal program consists of workouts in all zones each week. Each person’s heart rate will be different for each zone.

Calculate your estimated maximum heart rate with this formula:

Women, subtract your age from 226.
Men, subtract your age from 220.

This is your age-adjusted maximum heart rate

Now take your age-adjusted maximum heart rate and calculate the following percentages for the various parts of your workout.

60% for your warm-up and cool down
65–75% for your moderate pace
75–85% for your vigorous or interval pace

For instance, a 40-year-old woman’s estimated maximum heart rate is 186 (226 – 40 = 186).

60% of her max = 112
65% of her max = 121
75% of her max = 140
85% of her max = 158

Hope this little bit of information has helped! Just as with eating, if you have the right tools and knowledge it makes all the difference.

To Your Health!

Melanie Rubery MS RD LD CLT

Try our online nutrition program, Sensibalance FREE for 30 days!  CLICK HERE!

Your RMR!  Do You Know Yours?

Do you know your RMR?  Better yet, what is RMR!  RMR (resting energy expenditure) is the number of calories your body burns each day with little or no activity.  Why is this important?  Your RMR makes up the largest (65-75%) of your total metabolism.  Knowing your RMR is a key tool in weight management.  There is no good or bad RMR, only your unique number.  There is no specific standard for individual metabolism, your RMR can vary based on your weight, age, muscle mass, genetics, and gender.  

The great thing is you can influence your RMR over time.  RMR is heavily influenced by your body and lean muscle weight.  As your weight decreases, your RMR will as well (normal response as your body doesn't need as many calories to support it).  However, it is possible to maintain or increase by building more muscle. This is why it is important to exercise why you restrict calories in weight reduction.  If you restrict calories and lose weight with limited or no strength training, your RMR will decrease.  To maintain your weight, you will have to limit your calories at that level and maybe a bit further.  If you exercise and build lean muscle as you lose weight, you can consume a greater number of calories and maintain your weight-your body is more metabolically active.

Here's an example:

RMR=1580 calories.  If this person has a light everyday activity plus exercises moderately for about 3 hours/week, their daily calorie expenditure is around 2200 calories.  In order to lose weight (say 1 pound/week), they would need to limit calories to around 1400/day.  Remember, if you restrict calories too low your body may think it's starving and "hold"on to it's weight.  You may be eating too few calories!  It all depends on your unique RMR and activity level.

How do you measure your RMR?  Simply find a dietitian or practitioner who includes this device in their practice. Two of the most popular are the BodyGem and MedGem.  If you live in the local Birmingham area, I can give you a few references.

To Your Health!

Melanie Rubery MS RD LD CLT

2054920404

For more information on the Sensibalance Nutrition Program, CLICK HERE!  30-day FREE Trial

Do You Have Hypothyroidism?

The thyroid is a gland you should take notice of, especially if you over 35 or have difficulty losing weight.  Hypothyroidism occurs when this gland doesn't produce enough of certain hormones.  As we age, hormones begin to make their voice known loud and clear.

So, how do we know?  Hypothyroidism develops over a period of time and varies from individual to individual.  However, start to monitor the below symptoms if you have a concern:

• Fatigue
• Increased sensitivity to cold
• Constipation
• Dry skin
• Unexplained weight gain
• Puffy face
• Hoarseness
• Muscle weakness
• Elevated blood cholesterol level
• Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness
• Pain, stiffness or swelling in your joints
• Heavier than normal or irregular menstrual periods
• Thinning hair
• Slowed heart rate
• Depression
• Impaired memory

There are also individuals at increased risk of developing hypothyroidism:

• Are a woman older than age 60
• Have an autoimmune disease
• Have a close relative, such as a parent or grandparent, with an autoimmune disease
• Have been treated with radioactive iodine or anti-thyroid medications
• Received radiation to your neck or upper chest
• Have had thyroid surgery (partial thyroidectomy)
• Have been pregnant or delivered a baby within the past six months

So, how do you find out?  You can visit your local primary care physician or OB and have them do a blood draw.  An at home way (per Dr. Oz) is to take your temperature first thing in the morning before getting out of bed.  If the average over 7 days is below 98 degrees, you may have an issue.  

After having 3 kids , family history of thyroid disease, and getting to the point where I see the 40 number knocking on my door, I decided to do the home method for checking my temperature.  I'll keep you posted on my results!

To Your Health!

Melanie Rubery MS RD LD CLT

For more information on our Sensibalance Wellness Program, CLICK HERE!  30-day FREE Trial! 

Fiber-Should I Care?  Yes!

Many of us know fiber is good for us, but we fail to meet our daily requirement.  As I focus on the "quality" of one's calories this year, fiber is key to consider.  As I have said in earlier posts, you may keep your calories under control, but are they good calories?  Do they help you meet your fiber requirement, do they include the antioxidant powerhouses such as fruit and veggies, etc.  So why is fiber important?  Let me list a few:

• Maintains bowel health
• Lowers cholesterol
• Helps control blood sugar levels
• Aids in meeting healthy weight goals

How much do you need?

Ages 50 or younger-38 grams for men and 25 grams for women

Ages 50 and older-30 grams for men and 21 grams for women

A good source of fiber is anything around 3 grams of fiber/serving.  A high-fiber source is anything that provides 5 grams or more per serving.  So what are the best sources?  Look above!  Fruits and veggies are the most common sources-yet again another reason to include them in your daily eating regimen.  Beans such as lentils, black beans, and chickpeas are good sources as well.

My recommendation is to space your fiber intake throughout the day.  For example, if you are aiming for 25 grams then look to eat 6 grams at each meals and the remaining in your snacks.  Your tummy will appreciate this.  You also want to ensure you are consuming enough water.

In an effort to do this myself, let me provide you with my breakfast this am:

Egg and Salsa Tortilla
1egg scrambled
Mission carb balance whole wheat tortillas
salsa
Directions:  Simply make an egg fajita:)  Fiber-10 grams

Sensibalance Food BAR Information: 1 Protein and 1 Crabohydrate Food Bar

For more information about our Sensbalance Wellness program, CLICK HERE!
30 day FREE trial
Fiber tracking available plus many more features.  Revised app coming soon!!!!!!!

Healthy Regards,
Melanie Rubery MS RD LD
205-492-0404
melanie@healthylifeandnutrition.com

All-In-One Nutritional Shake

Happy New Year Everyone!  I wanted to share a great shake mix I have been using.  It is 100% plant based and comes in multiple flavors.  It mixes with water, juice, non-dairy beverage, or milk.  Let me give you some nutritional specifics:

• 15 grams of protein (equivalent to 2.7 eggs)
• 1.5 grams Omega-3 fatty acids (same as 2.3 servings of salmon)
• 1 billion probiotics (same as 1 cup yogurt)
• 6 grams of fiber
• greens (equivalent to 3 servings of vegetables)
• antioxidants (same as 2.7 cups of blueberries)
• If needed, it is dairy, gluten, and soy free
• Only 11 grams of carbs with 2 grams of sugar

I purchase mine locally at Whole Foods, however you can purchase on Amazon or ask your local health food store.

Melanie's My Vega Breakfast Blast

1 scoop of Vega One French Vanilla

1/2 frozen banana

1 cup non-fat milk

1/4 cup crushed ice

Blend and enjoy!

Food Bar Nutritional Information: 2 Carbohydrate Food Bars, 3 Protein Food Bars, and 0 Fat Food Bars.

For more information on the Sensibalance Wellness Program, CLICK HERE!  30 day FREE Trial!

To Your Health!

Melanie Rubery MS RD LD CLT

205-492-0404

melanie@healthylifeandnutrition.com