Megan Training and Nutrition

Lean Proteins

Protein is a big topic and for good reason! Protein is responsible for many metabolic processes including muscle building, immune function, acid/base balance, hormones, and the list goes on and on. However, are you choosing the right protein sources for you?

First lets get into what makes a lean protein. The term “lean protein” means lower/reduced fat content version compared to what would be a typical protein source. a simple example is baked chicken compared to fried chicken.

Lean Protein sources to include in throughout your day.

Poultry: chicken, turkey, duck (white or dark meat have high nutrient density, avoid consuming the skin of wings and drumsticks )
Beef: cuts usually with less fat: top round, bottom round, flank steak,
Fish: fresh fish such as flounder, halibut, white fish, mahi, even salmon, tuna, sardines, the list can truly go on and on.
Shell fish/ crustaceans: shrimp, crab meat, lobster, crawfish, scallops, oysters
Egg/ Egg whites
Low fat dairy: 2%. 1% skim milk products, low fat cheeses, yogurts, and cottage cheese.
Plant based: nuts, nut butters (low fat versions), seeds, legumes, beans, soy, tofu,
Vegan: nutritional yeast, mushrooms, aquafaba, quinoa, protein fortified plant based beverages, soy/ pea plant based protein supplements
Supplements: whey, casein, collagen (Remember Foods First!)

Protein foods that are unnecessary high in fat…

Pork/ bacon products
Higher fat contents of beef: cuts of beef with high marbling.
Poultry with skin
Full fat dairy products
Cooking styles such as cooking with butter, lard, margarine, deep/pan fried foods.

Addressing your cooking technique can enhance the natural flavor of foods.

Baked chicken ingredients: fresh minced garlic clove, dried rosemary, basil, onion powder, salt and pepper to taste.

Once these ingredients are mixed together coat chicken breast or any other meat you are preparing bake in oven for 30-45 mins 350 degrees.

Herbs can also enhance flavors of various vegetables and starches.

For fuller flavor of fresh herbs crush and press to express the natural oils before adding to foods.

Sweet Summer Sizzles

Some of the best things about summer are the plentiful seasonal fruits and vegetables.

One way to taste that tropical feel is to incorporate fruit flavor into your meals.

Summer shrimp meal prep: 3oz shrimp, 1/2 of a bell pepper, 1 cup coconut brown rice.

Shrimp , even in a small amount, is loaded with protein, cooks quickly, and easy to enjoy with cold or hot prep meals.

Tips to mix up your cooking prep.

Utilize different oils for flavor: peanut or coconut oil can add hints of hidden flavors to enjoy your foods.
Switch up your stocks: instead of chicken or beef stock add fruit juice or coconut water or milk to cook rice or protein sources.
Play with shapes, slice and dice certain cuts of proteins or vegetables can stretch your basic preps, ex) slice up basic steak and chicken breast into fajitas or sandwiches or salads .
Pair with nice spices: fresh ginger and basal, fresh rosemary and lemon zest, lime and coconut (not just for drinks).
Make your own sauces : Most bottled sauces have too much on the food label. Avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup and other unnecessary added sugar and sodium.

Contact for Meal Prep Building Specific for You.

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SPRING SEASONAL PRODUCE

Shopping for colorful seasonal produce is a great way to enjoy all the natural nutrients and phytochemicals with minimal processing of those foods.

In season produce includes: apricots, bananas, broccoli, cabbage, green beans, honeydew melon, lettuce, mangos, mushrooms, onions, peas, pineapple, spinach, strawberries. Smarter grocery shopping for lighter grocery bill and healthy eats.

Mangos: Sweet treat fruit is easy to enjoy on its own or within a yogurt parfait, smoothies, and for creating sauces. Watch when cutting this fruit for the elongated pit in the middle.

Broccoli: This cruciferous vegetable can be prepared in many ways and eaten raw. Steaming, sauteing, and baked broccoli to the point of where it becomes bright green, can maintain the most nutrients.

Cabbage red or green: Red cabbage is reach with antioxidant pigmentation known as Anthocyanin. Cooked or raw can bring some color and crispness to a slaw based dishes and toppings.

Green beans: Basic side dish can be incorporated to different styles of preparation. The outer layer can be crispy crunchy when baked at a lower temperature for longer time(with balsamic glaze … yes please!). Or can easily be paired with other vegetables.

Mushrooms: If you are from the Pennsylvania area, it is definitely known for mushrooms! Mushrooms work well when cooking beef sautéed with garlic, onions, and bell peppers for additional earthy flavor.

Ways to Gain Weight …. Wait.. What?

Majority of the time people are focusing on losing weight… in all the wrong ways. There is no quick and dirty way to lose weight. It is the actions of the individual to change their dietary and physical active habits.

Populations that are focused on weight gains for various reasons. Some of those populations are children, adolescents, pregnant women, athletes, cancer patients, you get the picture.

If nausea is your issue (cancer patients and pregnant women) utilizing smaller more frequent meals can assist and make it easier for the body to digest the food. Ginger root, ginger ale, and teas have also been known to assist with nausea.

If you take medication that causes appetite suppression you may want to talk to your doctor if you notice any unintended weight loss. You must to notify your doctor about any unintended weight loss. (usually means your body is trying to over compensate for something such as illness!).

Some ways to help gain weight can be the same as ways to focus on losing weight. Start by looking at high calorie foods. Lets not get too crazy with fried foods and desserts…

Very versatile high calorie & nutrient dense foods:

Cooked quinoa
Avocados
Whole milk or whole fat dairy products: yogurt, cheese
Nuts, seeds, and nut butters
Dried fruit and fruit juice
Beans: black, garbanzo, pinto, kidney
Fatty fish: salmon, sardines

Think outside the bowl!

Utilize that list within your dishes within your daily meals.

When it comes to your foods if you are having trouble with gaining weight. It is easy to rely on higher fat foods aka… fast foods or overindulging in high sugar foods and beverages. But…. your missing out on key micro and macro nutrients for overall health.

Improve Your Immune System

Now more than ever improving your immune system can be a life saver.

But, is this even possible??

The answer is YES and can start right within your own kitchen!

Immune boosting foods that include fruits, vegetables, and grains that contain micronutrients such as crucial vitamins and minerals.

Buy fresh foods when you can.
- Take advantage of seasonal fruits and vegetables.
- Seasonal produce is usually cheaper and easier to obtain.
- Plus… Its always beneficial to support local producers!

Utilize shelf stable foods and maintain with proper storage.
- Store away from sunlight, not too close to windows, cover foods if needed such as onions and potatoes.
- Store away from extreme heat, such as spots next to the microwave or refrigerator.
- Heat and light can cause certain products to go rancid quicker than usual, such as nuts and cooking oils.

Don’t be afraid of canned goods.
- Reduce sugar or sodium rinse canned foods.
- Read food labels for portion sizes per container as well as nutrition content.
- Be sure to wash the top of the can before opening to limit introducing any bacteria into food.
- Do not consume canned goods that are bulging, rusted, and or dented.

Dried foods don’t leave you high an dry.
- Whole grains such as: whole grain pasta, brown rice, quinoa, oats, flour, tortillas, and bread.
- Dried beans and lentils, are great to incorporate into salads, soups, or rice dishes to name a few.
- Nuts and seeds
- Dried fruit
  - Last two be mindful of portions, probably a lot smaller than what you think.

The most common ways to improve your immune system without foods is to rest, stay active and stay hydrated. Seems simple right?

Upcoming topic: Spring Seasonal Produce and How to Maximize Food Storage

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Eating Enough Iron?

When you think of the word iron, you might be thinking “lifting iron,” or think about the actual metal element on the periodic table. Truth be told there is iron in your foods, and for good reason.

Iron has a major job within the body, to carry oxygen to all body cells. Without enough iron we can’t function to our fullest capability. This involves more than just the ability to breathe, such as brain function, growth, repair tissue damage, and digestion to name a few. Increased iron needs are for individuals who are: women of child bearing age, pregnant women, children (especially from womb to 2 years old), those who donate blood frequently .

For more major concerns with iron deficiency is related to those who have had major blood loss, cancer, gastrointestinal disorders, and bariatric surgery patients, and for people who have a genetic anemia trait.

How can you ensure you are consuming enough iron?

Iron rich foods

Animal sources of iron include: heme-iron (iron within these foods is readily digestible)

Eggs
Beef
Poultry
Fish, shell fish
Pork

Non animal sources of iron rich foods include: non heme-iron

Iron fortified cereal
Beans/ legumes: kidney beans, lima beans, garbanzo beans or chickpeas.
Seeds: pumpkin, squash, sesame
Peanut butter
Soybean
Tofu

Another crucial element if you have low iron is to consume iron rich foods with Vitamin C rich foods. Vitamin C can help the body absorb the iron from the food.

Bell peppers

Tomatoes: in all forms, juice, whole fruit, sauce. (no ketchup doesn’t count!)

Citrus fruits: includes the zest, juice and whole fruit

Berries

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Cabbage

Resources for more information check these websites out!

How to stick to your New Years Goals

As we enter into the end of January, our goals can become stale. It happens, we get too excited about trying to accomplish so much so quickly that when we fall short we stop all together. So what’s a better way to stay on track for the rest of the year? It could be better planning to accomplish your New Years goal or planning your SMART goal.

How to create a reliable SMART goal. You may have heard “SMART” goals in school or in the board room, but that acronym can come in handy when you want to accomplish your new years resolutions.

Specific, make your goal specific as possible, such as to lose 5 pounds by this month or be active 5 days out of the week through the gym or playing a sport.
Measurable, make your goal measurable, for instance tracking all of my food for the whole day 2 times a week.
Attainable, smaller goals can lead up to your overall target (2 days of waking up early to exercise can turn into 3 days).
Realistic, be true to yourself, and stick to what you are capable of doing.
Timely, always put a due date so your goals don’t fade away.

Using this SMART system can be for helping you eat healthier, stop smoking, start exercising, practicing mindfulness, sleeping better, and drinking more water, etc. What is even better….. is creating your SMART goal with the mindset of what stops you from accomplishing your goal. When thinking about what specifically stops you from accomplishing your goals, this can help you find ways to work around those excuses.

Creating SMART goal will help you achieve realistic goals that fit you. Some ways to start with healthier “resolutioners” with their goals is to create a shopping list to help stick to better food choices when preparing meals throughout the week, plan a routine of how you will gain enough sleep and physical activity into your routine, and never quit!

One of my goals is to have a wholesome breakfast more consistently. Check out the link below to see some breakfast ideas through my twitter @BrezaMegan, Instagram @m_breza92, and through this site @meganpersonaltrainernutrition.

Sending a ….

Good morning!!
&
Never skip breakfast ! pic.twitter.com/PLhtBPqG46
— megan breza (@BrezaMegan) December 28, 2019

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4tN5qrFDI3xkClAnCWgohACFk8fyqBxovQRYY0/

https://www.instagram.com/m_breza92/

How To Holiday Destress

Seems like there is never enough time to get all the shopping, baking, buying done !

Holiday ~~Stress~~, yes draw a line through that word. The holidays seem to put a deadline on when to host or attend parties, when to buy gifts, wrap, and exchange. What are the holidays really about? Is it about posting the perfect picture of your family wearing coordinating outfits? It is about cooking and baking the most delicious meal out of everyone you know? Or is it about finding the most perfect gift? The bottom line… the holidays are not meant to make you stressed out. It is about spending time with family and friends, making memories, and to enjoy living in those moments.

3 Ways to Holiday destress….!

Catch up on sleep. Sleep is so overlooked and can be the key to weight loss and feeling better overall.
Stay active. This can be as simple as walking with your dog around the neighborhood or an activity that you enjoy doing.
Mindfully eat. Of course there are holiday treats and there is nothing wrong with enjoying them! Choose to eat your normal meal (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and have a small bite of the holiday sweets (moderation, not binging). If you have a sweet tooth try having a piece of fruit first instead of twice the amount of cookies.

Sitting all day?

Would you believe that…..

Sitting is the new smoking?

Due to our modernized lifestyle there is less physical work for us to do. Order groceries and products right to your door instead of shopping, driving instead of walking, elevators instead of stairs, etc.

Ever had a slow day at work and your body feels stiff and achy? Turns out that sitting all day can have that effect on your body. Over time by sitting all day whether from driving, sitting at work or school can cause muscles some muscles to become weaker and or tighter.

If this sounds like you how can you combat against this?

Stand up and walk around at least every hour
Small stretches even in your seat/office to have a break from slouching posture
Add physical activity to your lunch break
need some ideas? these are great to get started and you need little space
- push-ups
- squats
- lunges
- walking

The CDC recommends 150 to 300 active minutes for adults in order to prevent chronic disease such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension to name a few.

Visit http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/index.htm to check out more.

Check out the next blog on foam rolling & how to SMR the lower body.

Holiday Healthy Eating: Thanksgiving/Friendsgiving

Whether it is Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving, we all know cooking and eating traditions around this time of year include more sugar, salt, butter, drinks and eating more food. This all sounds like a great time and it still can be with healthier game plan to take you through this Thanksgiving holiday.

The usual comfort foods, such as mac n cheese, green bean casserole, or cornbread stuffing are just a few to name, come with higher calories and intake of food when enjoying time with loved ones. This can be a stressful time of year where people slip back into their old eating habits for those who are trying to lose weight or watch their weight.

Here are ideas to having a healthy Thanksgiving

Bring a healthy dish with fruits and vegetables
Eat a small snack before the dinner party
Drink more water, can flavor it with lemon slice or a splash of juice
Choose to be active before or during the holiday gathering: dancing, ice skating, walking to see Holiday light displays, or toss the football outside
Try incorporating seasonal “Mocktails” instead of cocktails (use 100% fruit juice, seltzer water, club soda, sparkling water, frozen fruit or berries)
Use smaller plates and/or cups for meals and snacks
Use small spoon to portion dressings and gravy sauces for portion control
Follow MyPlate with making half your plate fruits and or vegetables
Choose to load your plate up first with fruits and vegetables

What are your Thanksgiving traditions ?

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