Happy February! February is always thought of as the month of Valentine’s Day and Love. I offer the alternative of putting a Nutrition Spin on it and think of it as Love for oneself and love for your body. It is a bit of an opposing concept when you have been taught that wine, roses and chocolates represent love.
I know as a Nutritionist that taking care of your physical body is an even greater way of showing love to yourself,your family and even the people you work with. What would it be saying if you weren’t here in good health to share and be present with others? We always have a choice.
For this heart month we have the reminder to follow a heart healthy diet as per the Guidelines of the American Heart Association. Take a look at these:
1.Use up at least as many calories as you take in.
· Start by knowing how many calories you should be eating and drinking to maintain your weight. Nutrition and calorie information on food labels is typically based on a 2,000 calorie diet. You may need fewer or more calories depending on several factors including age, gender, and level of physical activity.
· If you are trying not to gain weight, don’t eat more calories than you know you can burn up every day.
· Increase the amount and intensity of your physical activity to match the number of calories you take in.
· Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity – or an equal combination of both – each week.
2.Eat a variety of nutritious foods from all the food groups.
You may be eating plenty of food, but your body may not be getting the nutrients it needs to be healthy. Nutrient-rich foods have minerals, protein, whole grains and other nutrients but are lower in calories. They may help you control your weight, cholesterol and blood pressure.
Eat an overall healthy dietary pattern that emphasizes:
· a variety of fruits and vegetables,
· whole grains,
· low-fat dairy products,
· skinless poultry and fish
· nuts and legumes
· non-tropical vegetable oils
Limit saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, red meat, sweets and sugar-sweetened beverages. If you choose to eat red meat, compare labels and select the leanest cuts available.
One of the diets that fits this pattern is the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan. Most healthy eating patterns can be adapted based on calorie requirements and personal and cultural food preferences.
3.Eat less of the nutrient-poor foods.
The right number of calories to eat each day is based on your age and physical activity level and whether you're trying to gain, lose or maintain your weight. You could use your daily allotment of calories on a few high-calorie foods and beverages, but you probably wouldn’t get the nutrients your body needs to be healthy.
Limit foods and beverages high in calories but low in nutrients. Also limit the amount of saturated fat, trans fat and sodium you eat. Read Nutrition Facts labels carefully — the Nutrition Facts panel tells you the amount of healthy and unhealthy nutrients in a food or beverage.
4.As you make daily food choices, base your eating pattern on these recommendations:
· Eat a variety of fresh, frozen and canned vegetables and fruits without high-calorie sauces or added salt and sugars. Replace high-calorie foods with fruits and vegetables.
· Choose fiber-rich whole grains for most grain servings.
· Choose poultry and fish without skin and prepare them in healthy ways without added saturated and trans fat. If you choose to eat meat, look for the leanest cuts available and prepare them in healthy and delicious ways.
· Eat a variety of fish at least twice a week, especially fish containing omega-3 fatty acids (for example, salmon, trout and herring).
Select fat-free (skim) and low-fat (1%) dairy products.
· Avoid foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils to reduce trans fat in your diet.
· Limit saturated fat and trans fat and replace them with the better fats, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. If you need to lower your blood cholesterol, reduce saturated fat to no more than 5 to 6 percent of total calories. For someone eating 2,000 calories a day, that’s about 13 grams of saturated fat.
· Cut back on beverages and foods with added sugars. ]
·Choose foods with less sodium and prepare foods with little or no salt. To lower blood pressure, aim to eat no more than 2,400 milligrams of sodium per day. If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation. That means no more than one drink per day if you’re a woman and no more than two drinks per day if you’re a man.
5. Don’t smoke tobacco — and avoid secondhand smoke.
Still Considering Wine and Chocolates?
Take a look at these facts before you decide.
Let’s see how the Nutrition Stacks up!
Chardonnay 50z = 125 calories
Pino Grigio 5 oz = 123 calories
Cabernet 5oz= 122 calories
Beer 12 oz = 154 calories
Brandy 1.5 oz-= 104 calories
Cordial (sweet) 1 oz= 100 calories
Sweets for your Sweetie?
Chocolates- 1 oz= 150 calories
1 pound box of chocolates= 2400 calories
4 hershey kisses = 100 calories
1 Godiva chocolate truffle= 100 calories
4 chocolate dipped strawberries= 164 calories
For more information on Nutrition Counseling contact Nancy at 904-687-0720
Nutrition in St Johns, Nutrition in St. Augustine, Nutrition in Jacksonville
I am proud to be an RDN LDN.
When I was 17 I pondered what I would study in college. I started as a Psychology Major at Tulane, then started taking Food and Nutrition Courses at St. Mary's Dominican College in New Orleans. I became impatient with my coursework- I couldn't wait to begin my training in Nutrition and transferred to the University of Florida Gainesville to pursue my life long dream of teaching people about Nutrition, Health and Wellness.
As an RDN LDN of 34 years- I find joy in every client that I work with. Consider whether working with an RDN like me is the right fit for you to be all you can be.
For many people, turning to the internet is one way to find Nutrition Information and Weight Loss Ideas but with an internet full of misinformation and some "professionals" with little, if any, formal education in nutrition, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics encourages everyone to seek their healthy eating information from educated, trained and qualified nutrition experts – registered dietitian nutritionists.
"Whether it's weight loss, functional foods, food allergies or menu and food labels, nutrition is one of the hottest topics in the country today," said registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy Spokesperson Lauri Wright.
"Just like seeking a doctor's advice when looking for medical information, it is vital that consumers understand the importance of where they get their nutrition information. Misinformation from individuals who are uneducated, untrained or unqualified in nutrition can, at the least, be a waste of time, and at the worst be fatal."
That's why it is essential for consumers to look and ask for a registered dietitian nutritionist, or RDN, when seeking accurate, safe and timely nutrition information they can trust,
A registered dietitian nutritionist is a food and nutrition expert who has met academic and professional requirements including:
Registered dietitian nutritionists are involved in virtually every area where food and nutrition play a role," Wright said. "In additional to clinical and hospital settings, RDNs work in fitness and weight loss centers, grocery stores, school cafeterias, universities and professional sports teams.
There is no magic bullet or one-size-fits-all approach to healthy eating. After meeting with consumers on an individual basis to learn about specific tastes, lifestyle needs and health concerns, RDNs will use their expertise to develop a personalized lifestyle plan consumers can stick with to meet their goals,
All registered dietitians are nutritionists – but not all nutritionists are registered dietitians. The Academy's Board of Directors and Commission on Dietetic Registration have determined that those who hold the credential registered dietitian (RD) may optionally use "registered dietitian nutritionist" (RDN) instead. The two credentials have identical meanings.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. The Academy is committed to improving the nation's health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy.
As an RDN, I am proud to offer Nutrition Counseling to adults, children and teens. I work in person and over the internet. I educate and train my clients to meet their nutrition goals to the best of their ability.
Wouldn't you love the expert advice of a Nutritionist- your Nutrition Coach with the education and skills behind them?
For more information about work with an RDN Nutritionist or to schedule an appointment for yourself or your loved ones- contact Nancy at:
To your health!
Nancy Cohen, RDN, LDN
Welcome to our new website. I wanted to refresh the look of the site to incorporate the feel of Northern Florida and to draw your attention to all of the many classes and processes that are available to you here and nationwide. I asked my good friend and publisher Debbie Gaylord of St. John's Magazine to envision a new site- and here is the culmination of our efforts. I hope you find the site easy to navigate for yourselves.
We are in Northern St. Augustine- very close to historic Saint Augustine as well as bustling Jacksonville. We have a second location in stunning Steamboat Springs, Colorado as well.Services are available to you in either location, by computer nationwide as well as globally.
The concept of the new site is that under BODY- you will find all of the Nutrition Related Topics, including Cooking Classes, Weight Management, Food Sensitivity Testing, Vitamin and Mineral Testing and more.
Under SOUL- you will find the Spiritual and Energetic Processes to either receive or study. This includes Reiki, IET, Universal Rays and more. We offer this to people and pets.
I am very honored to have you visit my site and expand the way you look at Nutrition and Alternative Healing Modalities.
I look forward to bringing you Video clips, recipes, Nutrition ideas, Healing inspirations and more as the year unfolds.
Wishing you a wonderful day.
Nancy Cohen RDN LDN
Usui Reiki Master, IET Master Teacher, UR Healer Teacher
Heal Your Heart with an Integrated Energy Therapy Session, Reiki or a Universal Rays Session
In the past 15 years since I have been offering healing sessions, I thought at first they were to help people have better health- like me, who came with a stomach ache. What I didn’t know and know now, is that when we are emotionally distressed it affects the organs of the body and can lead to headaches, muscle aches, stomach aches, and more.
While that thought is true,today I have witnessed hundreds of people come for Integrated Energy Therapy, Reiki and Universal Rays Healing sessions. I have had the pleasure of helping so many of you “Heal Your Hearts’ through our work together.
Since it is Heart Month and everyone wants to feel loved and love others, I’d like to speak about the energy that can be released through Reiki,IET or Universal Rays from the Heart Center.
In Integrated Energy Therapy- the emotions of heartache and betrayal are energetically held in this center. People who have had losses of all kinds, from death of a loved one, a pet, an illness, or loss of any sort hold these painful feelings here. In an IET Session we release these feelings and imprint the energy of love- love of self, love of others- just a peaceful transformative feeling of love.
I have watched many clients come back to a sense of peacefulness and acceptance and move forward. This brings me tremendous joy as the practitioner- and to watch them open again to love.
In a Reiki Session we offer calming loving energy that soothes the heart center and softens ruffled nerves.
In a Universal Rays session, the beautiful 12 Healing rays offers the client to receive energetic balance and love again. The heart chakra is the portal that supports us to receive and share with others. Clients leave a Universal Rays session feeling balanced, grounded and more open to all that life has to offer them.
Whether you are healing from loss or looking to open to love again- come in or skype in for a healing session with me for any of these modalities- Reiki, Universal Rays or Integrated Energy Therapy® and give yourself or someone you care for- the gift of love again.
Have a wonderful “Heart” Month. Book a session today and give yourself the love that you deserve. You can click the book now button or contact me directly at 970-875-7114.
Heart Felt Blessings,
Nutritionist, Dietitian & Energy Worker
Feeding the Body
Feeding the Soul
IET and REIKI Master, and
Universal Rays Healer/Teacher
( Map - near Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, and Orlando )
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