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Hi Friends!

Happy New Year’s Eve! Can you believe it’s almost 2013?! I’m just popping in today with a fun little giveaway for you guys!

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Jess over at  The Sunglasses Shop with an offer to send me a brand new pair of sunglasses. And not just any sunglasses…my very first pair of Oakleys! (Free sample. All thoughts and opinions are my own).

Let’s talk about me and sunglasses for a second. I’m the type of person that buys $10 cheapo sunglasses because I always seem to be losing them/breaking them/etc. In fact, that explains why my current pair is looking oh-so-attractive with half the color peeled off the front of them. It also explains why I’ve been known to wear a pair of sunglasses with one side missing. Yep…it’s true. Very fashionable. So to say I was excited about some high quality sunglasses would be an understatement!

Anyways, if you haven’t checked out The Sunglasses Shop….you’re missing out. They sell all sorts of  designer sunglasses at reasonable prices. I was so thrilled to get to try out a pair of Oakley Sunglasses! Jess even let me pick the pair I wanted. After MUCH deliberation…I settled on these Oakley Women Sweet Spot Sunglasses:

Aren’t they beautiful?! I can’t say enough good things about them. They’re super lightweight and they fit my face perfectly. I picked this pair specifically because I loved the shape..and I love they don’t have a separate nose piece like some glasses have- those always get stuck in my hair when i push them up on my head. My order from The Sunglasses Shop came VERY quickly and the sunglasses came in a protective case, which is perfect for me because it keeps me from just throwing them unprotected into my purse like I usually do:

Plus, I feel a little bit like a movie star when I wear them…
and that’s never a bad thing:

I’m in love with them!

And now for the good news! The Sunglasses Shop is letting me give away a pair of these Oakleys to one lucky reader! The winner will receive a pair of Oakley Women Sweet Spot Sunglasses in this fun Rose Metal color:

How’s that for kicking off the new year in style?! Enter below via Rafflecopter for your chance to win! Mandatory entries including following Sunglasses Shop on Twitter and tweeting about the giveaway…plus there are a few optional entries!

Good luck!
–Lindsay–

Disclaimer: I received these sunglasses for free and was compensated for this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Happy Holidays!

From my family to yours 🙂

Hope your day is filled with lots of laughter and love.

–Lindsay–

Hi Friends!

Remember how I’m a Dietetic Intern and I used to be really good at blogging about all the things I was doing in my rotations? Yeah, I do too. Not quite sure what happened there. Anyways, today is the last day of the rotation I’ve been at for the past 8 weeks so I figured I should get my act together and fill you guys in on what I’ve been doing!

I’ve been interning at the Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition, an outpatient clinic at Children’s hospital here in Columbus. The center works with overweight and obese children and teens. Here’s how it works: patients are referred by their primary care physician. They meet with the CHWN team (a doctor or nurse practitioner, plus an RD and Physical Therapist) and  the team and the family decide their course of action together. They can keep coming for follow-up visits with the team, they can enter an evening nutrition education and physical activity program called New U, or they can go the route of bariatric surgery.

Patients that choose to come back for follow-up visits are seen in the Healthy Weight Clinic. Each time they come in they see an MD/NP, an RD and a PT. There are three RDs that work with the CHWN- one has 30+ years of experience and the other two were closer to my age so it was nice to be able to see a range of different counseling styles and approaches from the three of them. Everyone at the center works well together, and they take a very collaborative approach to patient care, which you don’t see everywhere.

I started out shadowing for a couple of weeks, but after that I was fully able to counsel patients on my own. I got A LOT of practice counseling and was able to really develop my skills which is something that I needed help with.

Almost all of the patients struggle with the same 4 main problems:

1) Not eating breakfast
2) Not having a snack or having an unhealthy snack
3) Drinking lots of high calorie drinks
4) Not eating enough fruits and vegetables and eating too large of portions of starches and meats

When we met with patients, we obtained a typical day of eats from them and then provided nutrition education based on the problem areas that came up during our discussion. At the end of the session we set goals for them to work on until their next visit.

We spent a lot of time educating about the importance of regularly scheduled meals and how they affect metabolism, encouraging healthy breakfast options and emphasizing the importance of combining a carbohydrate and a protein source for breakfast and all snacks. We also spent a lot of time reviewing the MyPlate diagram, reviewing age-appropriate portion sizes and encouraging them to use the 20 minute rule.

Finally, we emphasized the importance of keeping sugar out of their drinks. We had test tubes full of sugar to show them how much sugar was in the regular sodas they drink. Many families were also drinking whole or 2% milk so we tried to get them to switch to at least 1% milk and eventually to skim.

Some typical goals we set for patients were things like:

1) Have a healthy breakfast daily that includes a protein + carbohydrate
2) Have a healthy snack daily that includes a protein + carbohydrate (Keep snacks between 100-200 calories)
3) Choose all sugar-free drinks and limit juice to 4-6 oz per day
4) Aim for 1/2 plate fruits and vegetables with meals (Use measuring cups and downsize plates and bowls to help with portion control, use the 20 minute rule and encourage vegetables only for second helpings).

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Two days a week, the clinic sees patients that are interested in or who have already had bariatric surgery. On those days I spent a lot more time shadowing because it is a more specialized area of dietetics. I learned a lot about the surgery itself, the process leading up to it and the bariatric diet plan that the patients follow starting 2 weeks before surgery and continuing for 8 weeks after surgery. In addition to MD/RD/PT, bariatric patients also see a psychologist and a social worker at each visit.

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Finally, two nights a week I assisted with and taught the New U  and New U Jr. classes. New U is geared towards teens. They come with their parents and both attend a nutrition education session where a different topic is covered each week for 10 weeks. Following the nutrition lesson, the teens do 45 minutes of physical activity with the athletic trainers. New U Jr is geared towards younger kids and the parents come and get a nutrition lesson while the kids get some activity in with the physical therapists.

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Whew! So there you have it. A recap of where I’ve been spending my time for the past 2 months. Up next? A three week break and then I head to a local school district to do a 4 week food service rotation.

Happy Friday!
–Lindsay–

Hi Friends!

This weekend, Round 1 of Elf4Health is coming to a close. I can’t even begin to tell you how awesome the first two weeks have been! This challenge has more participants than Elle or I ever dreamed it would when we were putting it together, and every single one of them is amazing! I’ve had such a great time watching everyone rock challenges like going meatless for the day, trying new workouts, tracking their fiber, donating to Goodwill and sharing healthy snacks…but i have to say, yesterday’s challenge to go makeup-free absolutely blew me away.

In fact, it moved me almost to tears at times throughout the day.

Just look at all of these BEAUTIFUL smiling faces:

Aren’t they gorgeous?! Every.single.one.of.them! I’m SO PROUD of all of my elves that went makeup-free yesterday! I know it was a big step for a lot of you and I’m so happy you took a risk and let your true beauty shine!

I got so happy reading some of the FB posts and tweets throughout the day about how they felt after going makeup-free. Here’s just a few:

See what I mean? If those posts don’t inspire you, then I don’t know what will! HUGE thank you to every single elf that participated in Round 1. Stay beautiful!
–Lindsay–

Hi Friends!

Today we’re kicking off Foodie Penpals for Hurricane Sandy! Here’s a little reminder about why we’re doing this:

As you know, each month, I organize Foodie Penpals. As you may or may not know, my parents live in NYC and their neighborhood was one of the hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy. While I’m grateful that my parents are safe and escaped with very little damage, my heart is breaking for those that were not so lucky. Looking at photos of their neighborhood, seeing all of the small businesses that flooded, the parks and streets littered with trash and debris is overwhelming. Thinking of all the people that lost their homes, those that are still without power, those that are struggling to stay warm as the cold temperatures set in makes me want to cry. A natural disaster + the approaching holidays means there are lots of people out there that need more help than ever. So I’m turning to you guys. 

Whether you’ve participated in Foodie Penpals in the past, are doing it currently, or are thinking about doing it in the future…this is the month to get involved! Heck, even if you’ve never done it and aren’t planning to, you can still help!

My suggestion would be to donate $15-$25, the amount you would have spent on Foodie Penpals had this been a regular month. HOWEVER, every little bit helps…so please give any amount you’re able to. No amount is too small!

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Please read the following instructions carefully if you’d like to donate:

I did a lot of research and even though this setup is not the way I originally envisioned this event would be, I strongly believe that it will allow for the maximum amount of money to be donated directly to those who need it.

I contemplated using a site like Paypal, Razoo or Crowdrise to collect donations, but each of those sites take a certain percentage of the money so not all of it is going directly to charities. So, this is how we’re going to do things.

I’ve selected New York Cares as our charity. We will all be making donations directly through their site.

From their website:

New York Cares is on the frontlines of disaster relief, working around the clock to bring post-Hurricane Sandy aid where it is needed most. In the weeks following the storm, we have deployed thousands of volunteers to the hardest hit neighborhoods, distributing hot meals and warm coats, helping local social service agencies get back up and running, and mucking out homes that were ravaged by the storm.We were the first faces that many displaced New Yorkers saw- a reminder that in these especially tough times, New York Cares is here for them.

But our work didn’t start when the waters rose, and it won’t stop when the headlines have faded.

Every year, more than 400,000 New Yorkers depend upon New York Cares to build a better life. Day in and day out, we help high-risk students get into college, we provide job training  to unemployed adults; we teach kids the joy of reading- and so much more. And now, for as long as it takes- we bring hurricane relief and restoration to our suffering neighbors .

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Step 1:

Make a donation.
In the tribute box on their donation form,
I put “on behalf of Foodie Penpals”
You will receive a confirmation of your donation via email.
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Step 2:

Come back and fill out the simple form below to tell me how much you donated so I can keep track of how much money we raise. I will update the total throughout the day.

Amount raised so far: $1,915

PLEASE NOTE THAT FILLING OUT THE FORM HERE ON MY WEBSITE IS ONLY FOR TRACKING PURPOSES!!!!! You have to go to the actual website by clicking the link above to donate the money!

As you know, my parents live in Brooklyn. Their building was affected by the storm, but they remained safe and lost only the food in their refrigerator and electricity. Since a lot of us don’t have any first hand experience with what it’s like in the areas that were hardest hit, I asked my mom to share a little bit about what she’s observed in their neighborhood:

We returned to our apartment in Brooklyn the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Our building now has heat, hot water and electricity and one elevator. The basement has been stripped to the bare walls while discussions continue on how to rebuild both there and on the first floor. Most of our neighbors on the first floor are living elsewhere while their apartments are being rebuilt.

The neighborhood is adjusting to the new normal – most businesses have reopened but some are greatly missed.  The new restaurant across the street is still cleaning out and rebuilding, the French bakery is virtually destroyed and trying to figure out how they can pay for rebuilding and the world famous River Café is dark. Our major grocery store won’t be open for at least 3-4 months.  And yet, as a neighborhood, we count ourselves lucky.

One month after Sandy, others elsewhere in Brooklyn are still without hot water and heat in their buildings or elevators in building as high as 20 floors. They cart water up 12 flights of stairs. Some don’t have a home to heat- they have lost everything in neighborhoods like Red Hook, Breezy Point and in the Rockaways. Whole neighborhoods were destroyed in Staten Island. These New Yorkers carted all their belongings to the curb and they were hauled away.  They are isolated – cell phones still only work sporadically in the hardest hit areas. Many now face having their homes leveled by bulldozers because the city deems them to be a safety hazard. Housing is tight in the best of times in New York City. Where do these people go? How do they eat when many of these people were already living in poverty before the storm with few resources?

I know the emotions I personally experienced over the last month as I dealt with the minor inconvenience of being displaced even though I had the means and the invitation to go elsewhere and live. I can’t imagine what these people are feeling as they face the long winter ahead of them.

Thank you for thinking of my fellow New Yorkers this holiday season who are struggling after the storm. 

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Let’s do this you guys! WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Please give what you can. Every little bit helps.

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Did you donate? Grab a button below to spread the word! If you have a blog, I’d love it if you shared the info so we can recruit more donors!!

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Thank you!
–Lindsay–

Hi Friends!

It’s foodie penpal reveal day tomorrow so we’re moving Fitness Friday up a day. Today I wanted to take some time to tell you guys about GaiamTv. I recently had the opportunity to test it out and really enjoyed my experience! Thanks to GaiamTV for sponsoring this post.

So what is GaiamTV?

It’s an streaming internet TV channel. For $9.95 a month, you get access to over 2,000 titles right from your computer. These titles include documentaries, feature films and special interest programs in categories like films, personal development, spirituality, metaphysics and explorations. Check out all of the different categories and subgroups:

On the fitness side, the site offers hundreds of fitness and yoga workout videos, plus food and nutrition documentaries like Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, and many more!

Before I had a chance to review this website, I knew that GaiamTV offered workout videos, but I thought that was it. I had no idea they had so many other great documentaries and videos available! The first thing I did after logging in was spend some time exploring the non-fitness side.

So what’s on my watch list??

I can’t wait for winter break when I finally have time to watch them!

Next, I moved on to the fitness side. Over the span of a couple weeks, I tried out several different workouts.

First up, abs! When you click on one of the titles, it gives you a description of the video, the length, the different levels available and tells you any equipment that you will need. It also lets you add videos to your queue so you can start a list of ones you want to try.

I found it was most convenient for me to go to the GaiamTV website on my ipad. Then I could just set up shop in the basement and get to work. I’m a sucker for anything Jillian Michaels so I also tried her Ripped in 30 workout. Marucs, however, is not a Jillian fan. He turns his back on her.

This was definitely my favorite workout! Fast paced, a mix of strength, cardio and abs and done in 30 minutes. Win!

Up next, yoga! So many yoga videos to browse through…can’t wait to try some of them out.

So, if you like workout dvds, I’d highly recommend GaiamTV. It’s reasonably priced and has tons of great options that you can do at home, in a small space, with minimal equipment. I truly enjoy making up my own workouts and sharing them with others, and I will continue to do so, but there are some days when I’m just to tired to come up with anything on my own. On those days, GaiamTV is perfect because it gives me instant access to tons of great workouts! The access to tons of great documentaries and films was definitely an added bonus.

Let’s chat! Do you like workout videos?

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

Fitfluential LLC compensated me for this campaign. All opinions are my own.

Hi Friends!

Hope you all had a great weekend. We’re postponing Bean Bytes today because I have something super exciting to share with you guys! I know a lot of you loved the #LiveLeanEatGreen challenge in October and asked for another one. Well…. ask and you shall receive! I’ve teamed up with one of my best blogging buddies, Elle from nutritionella, to bring you guys a six week challenge to help you stay on track during the holidays! Elle just finished her dietetic internship so we’ll both be becoming Registered Dietitians in early 2013.

We’re super passionate about nutrition and wellness and LOVE helping others eat right and stay active. Since we know the holidays can make it hard to stay on track with healthy habits, we wanted to come up with a way we could help you guys! Here’s what we came up with…

Introducing the Elf for Health Holiday Challenge! This is a six week challenge that will run from the Monday after Thanksgiving thru the first week in January. There will be daily tasks, daily winners, prizes, weekly newsletters, and a Facebook group for support.

And are you ready for the best part? You’ll have an elf to support and encourage you! When you sign up, you will also be committing to be an elf for someone in return. Over the course of the challenge, you will have three different elves.

Sounds like a great way to stay motivated and meet new people over the holidays doesn’t it?! Since this challenge is internet based, anyone can participate… no matter where you’re located! All you need is access to the internet and an email address.

So what does an Elf do?

Elf Duties

As an Elf, you are expected to support your assigned buddy with their holiday health goals and the daily challenges. Elves & buddies will be reassigned every 2 weeks. You are only asked to email your buddy 2 times per week:

• Monday: Send your buddy an email to help them with the challenges for that week. Ideas of things to include/attach: your own personal tips & tricks, inspiring words and/or images, a new, healthy recipe or workout to try.
• Thursday – Saturday: Any time during these days, check in with your buddy! For example, ask them if they tried a new recipe, workout, or had fun with any certain challenges. Feel free to tell them how you did with your challenges, too!

Anything more than those 2 emails is up to you but feel free to go above and beyond this to show your support! Just a few ideas: send your buddy Tweets, shout outs on our Facebook Page, email a fun workout you liked or send a hand written recipe or note.

Important Dates

• *Friday, November 23rd at midnight: sign up deadline for all 6 weeks
• Sunday, November 25th: Round 1 Elf assignments emailed
• Monday, November 26th – Sunday, December 9th: Round 1
• Sunday, December 9th: Round 2 Elf assignments emailed; Round 1 “Best Elf” winners chosen
• Monday, December 10th – Sunday, December 23rd: Round 2
• Sunday, December 23rd: Round 3 Elf assignments emailed; Round 2 “Best Elf” winners chosen
• Monday, December 24th – Sunday January 6th: ROUND 3
• Sunday, January 6th: Round 3 & participant grand prize winners chosen

*If you missed the initial sign up deadline, you can still participate:

• Sign up before December 7th for Rounds 2 & 3
• Sign up after December 7th but before December 22nd for Round 3

Not clear about something? Email Elle or Lindsay!

Prizes

We are working on getting some of our favorite companies involved to provide you guys with awesome prize packages. We will update our challenge pages with prize specifics once we finalize the brands we’re working with (hopefuly later this week) but for now we will have:

• 3 prizes for “Best Elf”, one awarded at the end of each round
• 1 grand prize for best participant awarded at the end of the challenge determined by participation, hashtagging and being an awesome Elf.

There will be a daily challenge winner chosen each day. Daily winners will be entered for a chance to win the grand prize!

Best elf prizes will given based on participation and nomination. If you love your elf, let us know so we can consider them for a Best Elf prize. Best Elf prizes will be awarded at the end of each round.

Still with me?

Sign Up

Want to sign up?! Fill out the form below.

We will be sending out a weekly newsletter reminding you of the weekly challenges so look out for a confirmation email to confirm your participation & newsletter subscription. If you don’t receive a confirmation email, check your spam box. If you still can’t find a confirmation email, let one of us (Elle or Lindsay) know ASAP and we’ll add you to the list.

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Tell us, what are you most challenged by during the holidays?

Hi Friends.

We’re skipping Fitness Friday again because there are more important things to address. This week has been a particularly tough one in the blog world. All week long my google reader has been filled with grief , frustration, devastation and loss. What makes it even harder is that the people struggling and suffering are my friends.

These are ladies who have supported me, encouraged me and believed in me for the past two years. And my heart is breaking for them.

When it was my turn to have a rough week, they were there with comments, emails, tweets and kind words to get me through one more day.

So what do you do when it’s their turn? What do you do when friends are struggling and you find yourself stuck far away?

You send cards…not because you have to or because it’s expected, but because you want to.

You send virtual hugs because you can’t give real ones.

You let them know that you’re there if they need you, but more importantly, you understand that they may not. They may have someone else to lean on. They may want to talk to someone who has been through what they have. They may not need you until later, or at all. And that’s ok. But that doesn’t mean that you don’t let them know.

You think about times when you’ve struggled, about what you needed then, and you pass it on to those who need it now.

You let their struggles remind you to be grateful for everything you have going well in your own life. You take the time to appreciate your family, your pets, your health…. because a lot of us don’t do it often enough.

You shift your perspective and realize that the things you’ve been complaining about all this week really don’t matter that much in the long run. When a friend loses their baby, the fact that you have to work late three days in a row no longer seems like a big deal.

You send positive thoughts their way… because they deserve it.

You remind them that they are beautiful, incredible, amazing individuals…because they are.

And you have faith that they will face adversity and come out even stronger than they were before…because they will.

That’s what you do when it’s their turn.

Because someday, it will be your turn…and someone will do the same for you.

Go tell your friends you love them!
–Lindsay–