Have you been thinking about hiring a personal trainer? Are you wondering how to find the right personal trainer for you? Then, watch this video from Pamela Hernandez, an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer.

About the Author: 

Pamela Hernandez is an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer, an ACE Lifestyle & Weight Management Coach, and the owner of Thrive Personal Fitness in Springfield, MO. For additional tips and tricks to help you get healthy and fit in the real world, check out her blog, like her facebook page, and follow her on Twitter @ThriveFit.

Happy Registered Dietitian Day! March 14th celebrates all of the hard work and dedication that registered dietitians throughout the country do to make our society a healthier place. Registered Dietitians are the nutrition experts, specializing in many different areas such as weight loss, pediatrics, food allergies, and chronic diseases. Although I have experience counseling patients for a variety of conditions, my true passion in nutrition lies in sports nutrition. The Board Certification as a Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) credential is the premier professional sports nutrition credential in the United States. CSSDs are registered dietitians who provide safe, effective, evidence-based nutrition services for health, fitness and athletic performance. The best way to locate a sports dietitian closest to you is to contact the Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition (SCAN) group at www.scandpg.org.

Therefore, in honor of RD Day, I have compiled the “Top 14” reasons to consult a sports dietitian, whether you are a weekend warrior, daily gym rat, or competitive athlete.

1. You want to improve exercise or sports performance.

2. You desire to gain muscle mass or lose body fat.

3. You want to gain muscular strength and power.

4. You want to increase stamina and endurance in your sport.

5. You want ideas for food to eat before, during, and after exercise or sporting event.

6. You want to choose the best fluids to drink before, during, and after exercise and sport to stay adequately hydrated.

7. You want to make better food choices and need ideas for buying and preparing food.

8. You have food allergies and intolerances and want to know the best choices for your condition and how food and medicine interact.

9. You experience gastrointestinal problems that keep you from performing at your best and you want solutions.

10. You are an athlete or active individual who has a medical condition, for instance, diabetes, cardiovascular risk factors, compromised bone health, abnormal iron status food allergies, or gastrointestinal problems such as gluten sensitivity, and need nutrition guidance and a personalized meal plan.

11. You want to speed your recovery following intense training, competition, surgery, illness, or injury.

12. You want to develop lifelong nutrition strategies to complement annual preparation, competition, and off-season plans.

13. You want to learn how to choose, store, and prepare healthy foods to fuel your body.

14. You feel the need to have someone assist you in the management of your body weight and body composition.

The key to optimal meal planning for athletes is individualization. Contact a registered dietitian for personalized nutrition plans and advice. Remember to demand experience, demand excellence, and demand a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics!

About the Author: 

Ashley Acornley, MS, RD, LDN is a clinical and sports dietitian, certified personal trainer, and blogger/writer originally from Philadelphia, PA. Ashley earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Nutritional Sciences with a minor in Kinesiology from Penn State University in August 2008. She completed her Dietetic Internship and received her Masters of Science degree in Nutrition from Meredith College in December 2011. Ashley is an AFAA certified personal trainer and has been motivating clients since 2007.

She is very sports-minded and stays active by participating in 5Ks, triathlons, half marathons, and other competitive events. She also practices boxing, yoga, tennis, and strength training at her local gym. Besides physical activity, she has found a new interest for cooking and baking and writes about it in her food blog, “Fresh From the Farm.” Ashley is currently a private practice dietitian at Triangle Nutrition Therapy in Raleigh, NC. Triangle Nutrition specializes in individualized counseling for a variety of populations and health conditions. Ashley enjoys teaching her clients how to stay healthy, motivated, and physically active!  

Ashley can be found by visiting Triangle Diet or by checking out her blog.

Yoga is the physical, mental, and spiritual discipline originating in ancient India. Yoga in the West is typically associated with Hatha yoga. The practice of Hatha yoga is to achieve balance between body and mind through postures, breathing exercises, and meditation.

Here are five reasons why everyone needs a little yoga in their life:

1) Improve Strength and Flexibility:

A consistent yoga practice will improve your strength and flexibility. Many people don’t try yoga because they think they aren’t flexible enough, have bad balance, or can’t endure an entire class.

We are all a combination of strength and flexibility. You may be very flexible in one posture, but lack the strength to hold in the posture. Conversely, you may hold a pose forever with excellent muscular strength and endurance, but lack the flexibility for full posture expression. Yoga helps you find the balance between strength and flexibility.

2) Keep Your Heart Happy:

Yoga has been shown to improve heart health. M.Mala Cunningham, Ph.D., counseling psychologist and founder of Cardiac Yoga, says yoga can help prevent or reverse heart disease. Yoga can decrease blood pressure, increase lung capacity, improve respiratory function and heart rate, and boost circulation. You can even find a yoga instructor specializing in cardiac medical yoga. Check out www.cardiacyoga.com.

3) Decrease Stress:

Yoga can help you combat daily stresses. Breathing exercises, or pranayama, should be part of your yoga practice. Pranayama teaches you to breathe more slowly and deeply. Learning to control and become more aware of your breath can help relax your body and clear your mind. You will experience more inner peace, better sleep, better memory, and better concentration.

4) Assist in Weight Loss:

Yoga can help an individual lose weight when used in combination with cardiovascular exercise, weight-training, and a proper nutritional program.

As mentioned above, yoga can reduce stress. Stress is a known contributor to weight gain. Excess of the stress hormone cortisol can slow down your metabolism. Stress can induce cravings for more salty, fatty, and sugar-filled foods. Practicing yoga will help reduce cravings and decrease cortisol levels.

Yoga can also improve sleep and increase energy levels. Better rest and more energy will fuel your workouts, enhance recovery, and help you stay consistent with a fitness program.

5) Cultivate Mindfulness:

One of my favorite quotes is from Thich Nhat Hanh in the book True Love, “Without mindfulness we live like the dead.”

Yoga is all about mindfulness. Mindfulness is the practice of bringing the body and mind back to the present moment without judgment or criticism. You become more in touch with your thoughts and actions. The mind-body connection will enable you to make better decisions. You will gain emotional strength and confidence. Reactionary and mindless actions are replaced with loving kindness and awareness of yourself and others.

Yoga is for everybody! No matter what you bring to the mat, yoga will greatly benefit your life. If you are new to yoga, try a few different styles before you settle into a yoga practice. Grab a buddy and go on a yoga adventure! Are you an experienced yogi? Continue to broaden your practice by trying a new style, new studio, or a new teacher.

Bring an open heart and open mind to the mat. Get ready to reap the endless benefits of yoga!

About the Author:  

Jessica Roberts is a nutrition and health coach specializing in vegan nutrition. She is a Certified Health Coach, Certified Personal Trainer, and Bikram Yoga Instructor. She is also a small animal veterinarian and currently pursuing her Registered Dietician certification. 

A long-time vegan, Jessica’s passion is teaching people the value and practicality of adding delicious, nutrient-dense plant foods into their daily diets. As a veterinarian, she has a deep understanding of animal-welfare and food safety issues. She plans to combine her veterinary background and her RD to provide the community with a unique approach to veganism. Visit www.navalightnow.com, follow @NavaLightJess on Twitter, and like her Facebook page. 

Being a gluten-free runner isn’t as hard as some people think it is. I often get questions like “What can you eat?” and “How do you carb load when you are gluten-free?” since many of the staple “runner” foods are not gluten-free.

Pasta dinners? Fine – if you use gluten-free pasta made from brown rice, corn or quinoa. Bagels & bread? Again, gluten-free versions are fine, but they are not usually available as post-race food offerings. Instead of trying to find replacement foods, I like to focus on naturally gluten-free foods to fuel my body.

Compared to how many foods we have to avoid, there are many more foods out there that are gluten-free and great for runners to eat. You just have to know what to look for and eat. It is a learning process, not only finding gluten-free options, but also figuring out what works best to fuel your body. It has taken me a couple of years to get this worked out, as my stomach is finicky when I run. I have to proceed with caution when fueling.

Some naturally gluten-free foods that are good for runners are:

• Whole fruits

• Whole vegetables

• Quinoa

• Sweet potato

• Baked potato

• Brown rice

• Millet

• Buckwheat (kasha)

• Avocado

• Cottage cheese

• Greek yogurt/Kefir

• Nuts (almonds, cashews & walnuts are my favorites)

• Corn tortillas

• Almond butter

• Lean protein – chicken, pork, ground turkey, beef, bison (higher in iron than beef), shrimp, salmon

• Rice cakes (I love these with almond butter & raisins or banana)

• Dark chocolate

• Almond milk

• Chocolate milk

Most of the above foods are a part of my diet on a day-to-day basis. I do eat my fair share of gluten-free bagels, English muffins, waffles, breads & brown rice tortillas and depend on various brands to fill that need.

For pre-run fuel, I eat a small bowl of low-sugar, low-fiber cereal. Rice Chex is a good choice, as is a gluten-free crispy rice cereal. Sometimes I’ll pour a little almond milk over it, other times I will eat it dry. During my runs I depend on GU (labeled gluten-free) when running over 8 miles. For hydration I use Nuun instead of traditional sports drinks because I can’t tolerate the sugar or artificial sweeteners when running. Post run I eat something with a nice balance of carbs and protein almost immediately. My current favorite is the NuGo Slim Brownie Crunch bar!

The most important indicator is how you feel during the run and afterwards. You may find that you need to tweak your diet by adding more protein or carbs. What works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another.

About the Author:

Kimberly Bouldin      
I am a gluten-free wife, runner & blogger with two children in Columbus, Ohio. After my celiac diagnosis in 2006, I have made it my mission to embrace an entirely new approach to nutrition in a gluten-free world, exploring options that run the gamut from “made from scratch” homemade bread to sampling and reviewing the gluten-free prepared foods that are continuously being introduced to the market. While navigating the waters of becoming gluten-free, I share my experiences and pass along valuable product reviews in addition to helping other moms of celiac kids develop healthy menus that are kid-friendly and palatable. I feel that I am a valuable resource for those who are newly diagnosed, as well as for the more seasoned gluten-free veterans.

As I have journeyed down the road of racing over the past 3 years, I have tried many products that I now love and have tried equally as many that didn’t work for me. In addition to sharing my journey down the road of gluten-free living, I am also sharing my journey as I train for my upcoming races. This may include gluten-free fueling, race gear, shoes and more. Currently I am training for my 6th & 7th half marathons (April 22nd & May 5th) and hope to complete an additional 3 later this year, bringing my total half marathons run to 10.

Read Kimberly’s blog, Gluten-Free is Life, follow her on Twitter @gfreeislife, and like her facebook page.

The biggest question any vegetarian or vegan will get when meeting new people, or letting your family know about your dietary choices, is “How do you get your protein?” Contrary to popular belief, vegetarian and even vegan diets usually contain more than adequate amounts of protein. By making sure you are including protein rich foods daily, one can ensure that protein needs are being met.

Vegetarian and vegan diets do not consist of only spinach and seeds. There is a whole bounty of foods to choose from! Nuts, grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans form the basis of vegan diets, and vegetarians also eat dairy and eggs. These foods are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals, to protect you from cancer and heart disease. Instead of looking at this as an EXclusion diet, think of it rather as an INclusion diet.

The Institute of Medicine recommends that healthy Americans get around .8g of protein for every kilogram of body weight. For a woman who weighs 150 lbs that is 60g of protein. A common misconception is that meat is the only source of protein. Quite the contrary-in fact only fruits and oils have no protein. Beans, nuts, and grains are great sources of protein in a vegetarian diet. As you can see in the examples below, with a little careful planning it isn’t difficult to meet these needs.

• 2 eggs – 12g protein

• 10 almonds – 2.5g protein

• 14 walnut halves – 4g protein

• 8 oz milk – 8g protein

• 6 oz Fage greek yogurt – 16g protein

• ½ cup cooked beans – approximately 8g protein

• ½ cup cubed tofu – 12g protein

• 1 cup cooked lentils – 18g protein

• 1 cup cooked pasta – approximately 6g protein (some varieties of pasta contain even more protein)

• 1 cup quinoa – 9g protein

• ½ cup shelled edamame – 8g protein

• 2 tablespoons peanut butter – 8g protein

• 1 NuGo Dark Peanut Butter Cup Bar – 10g protein

Next time someone asks “How do you get your protein,” you will now have nutritional knowledge in your arsenal to fire back a rapid reply! Use it in great health.

About the Author:

Elizabeth Jarrard is a registered dietitian based in Boston, MA. With a B.S in Nutritional Sciences from Boston University she hopes to heal her clients’ relationships with food and their bodies. You can find her running, sweating in hot yoga, cooking in the kitchen, or exploring new restaurants. Follow Elizabeth on Twitter @ElizabethEats or read her two blogs: Guiltless and Don’t (White) Sugar Coat It.