Food Choices Matter Facebook Share Contest

We've got another great Facebook SHARE contest! We're giving away one free registration to our FOOD CHOICES MATTER Nutrition Class. SHARE, SHARE, SHARE our posts about this class between Monday, September 29 and Friday, September 29 and you will be entered to win! We'll announce the winner on Monday, October 2.

The nutrition class allows participants to develop a solid nutrition plan that will help them customize the diet plan that is right for them, provide accountability, and develop specific eating habits that will help them break through to their goals.

Class meets Thursdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. October 12 through November 16.

The class will be taught by Megan O’Reilly, AFPA certified nutritionist and wellness consultant. Megan will bring her advanced education, multiple certifications, and years of experience to the class.

FEWL Class

Pearce will offer FEWL, Females Embracing Weight Lifting, a new class specifically designed to teach women the essential foundation of strength training and proper lifting technique. FEWL instructor Audrina Kingen gears the class to help women overcome fears often associated with free weights. FEWL will provide more curve, more capability, and more confidence.

The class will be offered each Monday and Wednesday 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. for five weeks from September 18 to October 18.

The cost of the program is $112.50 for Pearce Foundation members; $150 Pearce members; and $187.50 non-members.

Food Choices Matter, a new nutrition class, is available to add on to FEWL. To get the best results, this add on class allows participants to pair their class with a solid nutrition plan that will help them customize the diet plan that is right for them, provide accountability, and develop specific eating habits that will help them break through to their goals. The nutrition add on class will be taught by Megan O’Reilly, AFPA certified nutritionist and wellness consultant. Megan will bring her advanced education, multiple certifications, and years of experience to the class.

As an add-on class to FEWL, Food Choices Matter will meet on September 18 for one hour from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., and then again for 30 minutes on September 27, October 4, 11, and 18 from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m.

The cost to add on Food Choices Matter is $56.25 for Foundation members; $75 for Pearce members; and $93.75 for non-members.

Fall Fitness Programs Get Adults Back to the Gym

Pearce Community Center will offer Challenge for Change, September 11 through November 2, meeting twice each week for eight weeks.

Participants will change the way they think about exercise, fitness, and nutrition to overcome obstacles that prevent them from meeting their fitness goals in order to make long lasting changes to their routines for better health. Weigh-ins will be conducted and inches lost will be tracked; however, participants will come to understand that these are a byproduct of hard work. Workouts will be designed to improve strength, endurance, and overall fitness to improve everyday life. 

Two training sessions are available: Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., and Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Participates will be required to attend an informational meeting. Choose the meeting on September 5 or 7, both starting at 6:00 p.m.

The cost of the program is $225 for Pearce Foundation members; $300 for Pearce members; and $375 for non-members.

Food Choices Matter, a new nutrition class, is available to add on to Challenge for Change. To get the best results, this add-on class allows participants to pair Challenge for Change with a solid nutrition plan that will help them customize the diet plan that is right for them, provide accountability, and develop specific eating habits that will help them break through to their goals. The nutrition add on class will be taught by Megan O’Reilly, AFPA certified nutritionist and wellness consultant. Megan will bring her advanced education, multiple certifications, and years of experience to the class.

As an add-on class to Challenge for Change, Food Choices Matter will meet on September 18 for one hour from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., and then again for 30 minutes on September 27, October 4, 11, and 18 from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m.   

 

The cost to add on Food Choices Matter is $56.25 for Foundation members; $75 for Pearce members; and $93.75 for non-members.

Making Healthy Breakfast Choices: Do I Have to Give Up My Pancakes?!

By Megan O'Reilly, AFPA Certified Nutritionist and Wellness Consultant

Pancakes and Syrup....one of the most popular breakfast choices, and also possibly one of the worst breakfast choices.  Leading dietitian Joy Bauer places pancakes on her "Top Ten Worst Food List for Diabetes."  Even for those of us without diabetes, it's important to take note and think about our pancake choice.  Do we have to give up pancakes all together, or is there a way to fit them into our diets?

First, let's look at typical pancake ingredients and how they are eaten. Whether you go to IHOP, buy frozen, or use a standard box mix, the standard pancake is often made of highly processed white flour. Many of us top our pancakes with as much as quarter-cup of  syrup, and eat more pancakes than we need.  Low fiber, added sugary topping, and over-sized portions are the three main factors that make the average pancake an overall unhealthy everyday breakfast choice.

However, there is good news for pancake fans! With a few easy changes, it is easy to make a healthier pancake that can keep your body feeling energetic and full until lunch time. 

#1. Fiber Change

Choose pancakes with the most fiber you can find. When you are at the grocery store, take a minute to read the label and compare fiber amounts. My top box mix recommendations found in our local Chillicothe Kroger are Grain Berry Pancake & Waffle Mix (4 grams fiber), Kodiak Power Cakes (5 grams fiber and a bonus 14 grams of protein), and FlapJacked Protein Pancake and Baking Mix (5 grams of fiber and a bonus 20 grams of protein). Bob's Red Mill brand also usually has healthier mix choices, found in the organic aisle. In the frozen waffle/pancake section, two good choices are Van's 8 Whole Grains (7 grams fiber) and Simple Truth Multigrain Waffles (5 grams fiber).  If you make your own mix, consider revamping it and throwing in some whole wheat flour, extra flax meal, oats, or chia seeds.  Or, look up some alternative pancake recipes online.  

My close friend and Pearce Cycling instructor Kelly Buffum once made me delicious cottage cheese pancakes, recipe found available here. Another good friend and Pearce member, Ken Scheeler, and I once tried and enjoyed a three ingredient pancake recipe found here. 

  

#2. Toppings Change

If at all possible, wean yourself completely off the sugary syrup topping! The studies are clear: Americans eat too much sugar, and too much sugar is linked with obesity, diabetes, heart-related complications, and other serious obesity-related health problems. The USDA guidelines recommend eating less than 10 percent of our daily calories from added sugars, and the World Health Organization recommends an even lower amount, five percent of our daily calories from added sugars. That roughly translates to only about six to nine teaspoons of sugar per day! (How many teaspoons of syrup do you usually add?)  Instead of sugary syrup, choose more high-fiber nutrient-dense topping such as peanut butter, nuts, or fresh fruit.

#3.  Portion Change

If weight maintenance or weight loss is your goal, pancake portions are key. One four-inch round pancake, about the size of a CD, is considered a one-ounce grain serving. Instead of consuming the entire four or five stack offered at many restaurants, create a more balanced meal by eating just one or two pancakes with an egg and fruit.

So, do we have to give up pancakes? Thankfully, the answer is no! If we watch our portion sizes, look for higher fiber varieties, and add some healthier toppings, we can start our day with a healthier pancake breakfast. If you have a favorite pancake recipe or other pancake tips, we would love to hear from you!  

Overcoming Your Nutrition Challenges One Choice at a Time

	Megan O'Reilly AFPA Certified Nutritionist Wellness Consultant

A couple of years ago when my children were very young, there seemed to be a daily echo in my house, or perhaps a broken record playing four simple words: MAKE A GOOD CHOICE. There were also variations to the theme, such as, "was that a good choice?" or "what would have been a better choice?" Of course, these seemingly simple questions were often followed by short "mom talks" aimed at my two children.

I wonder, what if, as adults, we had a similar internal dialog when it comes to our food choices? What if every time we sat down to eat a snack or a meal, we asked ourselves to "make a good choice?" Would it work? Would we naturally become the most healthy, energetic, and lean versions of ourselves?

The answer, as I see it, depends on three things. First, do we know what the right choice is? Who really knows how many calories their body needs? Who really knows how many servings of fruits, vegetables, grains, or proteins are recommended for their individual age, height, weight, and activity level?

Second, how motivated are we to make a healthy eating choice? For example, do we understand why it is important to choose a high fiber veggie snack over a bag of chips? Do we have enough driving force to change our "I want to eat healthy" into "I will eat healthy?" 

Finally, are we equipped to make a healthy choice? Have we surrounded ourselves with nutritious options? Or, are our current habits and lifestyle setting us up for unhealthy food choices?

The answers to these three questions are the foundation of Pearce's upcoming nutrition class. The class, titled Nutrition: Food Choices Matter, will meet each Thursday, 6:30-7:30 p.m., May 11 through June 15. We will first learn the facts regarding your individual dietary needs, using the USDA Nutritional Guidelines as our road map. Topics such as personal calorie goals, fruits, vegetables, protein, grains, dairy, fats, and even alcohol will be covered in depth.

However, we won't stop there. We can't stop with just the facts because we know knowledge alone is usually not sufficient enough to motivate change. We will discuss practical real life applications, such as how to make good choices when meal planning, meal prepping, shopping, cooking, eating out and more. 

Additionally, and equally important, we will recognize emotional eating and negative self-talk, and their role in our food choices, and methods to overcome them.

What sets this six week nutrition class apart from others you may have attended is its emphasis on engaging your internal motivation and self-accountability. In other words, a main goal of the class is to empower you to ACT on making some lasting changes, to see some lasting results. To do this, I will borrow methods from the widely-accepted technique of motivational interviewing. For example, each week, class members will ask some comparative and thought-provoking questions, such as how do my current choices compare to the recommended choices? If a change is recommended, how motivated am I to make different choices? Am I ready for a small change or a big change? Members will have the option to create weekly SMART goals, keeping their individual circumstances, preferences, and habits in
consideration.

My teaching background and experience as both a personal trainer and nutritional counselor have helped me create an engaging and effective class structure. I have selected a variety of learning experiences outside of your typical lecture style class, such as active demonstrations, visuals, pod-casts, audio-clips, brain-storming sessions, clear tip-sheets, and more.

I would encourage anyone who has been thinking about eating healthier to take this class. Even if you have tried countless times before, this might be the time you are ready to turn your excuses into challenges, and turn your challenges into victories. You will be welcomed sincerely in this class, wherever you are at in your nutrition journey.

Class size is limited, so call Pearce today to ask about pricing and to reserve your spot. Both the Pearce Kids Club (ages 6 months to 7) and Exergame room (ages 7-15) are open during class hours, if childcare is needed. As a special incentive, we are offering the first three who sign up for the class and mention this article a free initial nutrition assessment/interview via phone or email. If you have any questions about the class or would like more information, please email me at moreilly@pearcecc.com.

Healthy Cereal Exchange

Pearce nutrition class instructor Megan O'Reilly led a cereal exchange during TRX class today. Students were invited to bring a box of recommended healthy cereals. Megan filled plastic food bags with a sample of each cereal so that TRX participants could take home multiple samples to try.

TRX class is offered each Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday morning from 9:00 to 9:45 a.m. The class is 45 minutes of training on suspension equipment that includes cross training techniques utilizing kettlebells, dumbells, bands, etc.

Nutrition Class Instructor Visits Preschool

Pearce nutrition class instructor Megan O'Reilly blended her teaching degree and background with her AFPA nutrition certification to lead a nutrition lesson at First Friends Preschool this week. The topic was "trying new foods is healthy for your body. Don't be a picky eater!"

After a general discussion, Megan read a book about a picky eater. The main event was a taste test of healthy cereals, and a sample of her homemade oat and flax breakfast balls.

The class also discussed adding fruit to your cereal, and taste tested dried cranberries. Megan demonstrated how to mix healthy cereals in with not-so healthy cereals, using mostly Bran Flakes and a small amount of Frosted Flakes. The children enjoyed trying all the healthy cereals. The little paddles in the picture were what the children used to demonstrate how they rated their foods: happy face for "like," and sad face for "not my favorite."

If you're ready to learn more about nutrition to improve your overall health and fitness, join her during Food Choices Matter, a class that meets each Thursday evening from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. May 11 through June 13.

Nutrition Class Coming to Pearce

Pearce Community Center is offering a new nutrition class: Food ChoicesMatter. The class will meet each Thursday evening from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. May 11 through June 13.

This class allows participants to develop a solid nutrition plan that will help them customize the diet plan that is right for them, provide accountability, and develop specific eating habits that will help them break through to their goals. The class will be taught by Megan O’Reilly, AFPA certified nutritionist and wellness consultant. Megan will bring her advanced education, multiple certifications, and years of experience to the class.

The cost is $93.75 for Foundation members; $125 for members; and $156.25 for non-members. 

How to "Spring-Clean" The Nutrition in Your Kitchen

Megan O'Reilly, AFPA Certified Nutrition & Wellness Consultant, FCS: Option Dietetics B.S.

Spring is here! Time to open the windows and tackle your spring-cleaning. Before you pull out cleaning supplies, consider starting your 'spring-cleaning' in the kitchen.

New Year's is a fine time to make health resolutions, but spring can be an even better time of renewed energy and motivation. Good food choices will lead to better health and lowered disease risks. It's that simple. We all know that our bodies feel better after eating fruits and vegetables, rather than Doritos and Coke.   We feel lighter and happier when we fit comfortably in our clothes, after just a few weeks of making healthier choices. So I urge you to get started cleaning out your kitchen. Let's begin with some easy how-to tips below.

 

Step One: Read the Ingredient List and Toss the Downers:

• Partially hydrogenated fat: Get rid of any food that contains partially hydrogenated fat, as they are the primary dietary source of artificial trans-fat. This artery-clogging ingredient is so bad for your body that the FDA is requiring food manufactures to remove it by June 2018 from ALL foods.
• Sugar check: Ditch foods with a lot of added sugar. The American Heart Association recommends women consume a maximum of 25 added grams a day, and men 36 added grams a day.  If the label lists high fructose corn syrup, corn sugar, corn extract, or anything ending in -ose (such has fructose or sucrose) in the top five ingredients, you might want to toss it. If you must keep it, consider it a dessert or occasional treat rather than an everyday food.
• Refined grains: Throw out most of your refined and fiber-low grains such as white bread, white pasta, white rice, white flour tortillas, etc.  
• Canned soups: Dump the high sodium, high fat, high calorie soups. The American Heart Association believes a soup over 600 milligram of sodium is too high. When over-done, diets high in sodium can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend we consume no more than 3,400 mg of sodium each day.
• Obvious culprits: Toss candy, sweets, potato chips, sugary cereals, fatty meat cuts, and other obvious unhealthy foods.
• Not-so-obvious culprits: Depending on your personal nutrition goals, you may consider ditching all products with fake, processed ingredients like monosodium glutamate (MSG), sulfites, sulfates, carrageenan, food dyes (like red #40), butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), splenda, low-fat ingredients, fat-free ingredients, guar gum, modified food starch, "natural and artificial flavors", soy lecithin, malt extract or yeast.  

Step Two: Restock with Healthier Choices

• Fruits and vegetables: Load up your refrigerator and freezer with pre-cut, fruits and vegetables. Place them next to dips such as hummus and salsa for a quick grab and go snack.
• Smarter condiments and a variety of nuts and seeds. Try fresh salsa or hummus.
• Whole grains:  Choose breads that list either "100% whole wheat flour" or "whole wheat flour" as the FIRST ingredient.  Look for breads with two or more grams of fiber per slice.  Stock up with whole grain pastas, brown rice, quinoa, and whole wheat wraps such as the Ezekiel wraps.  The National Fiber Council recommends 32 grams of fiber for a healthy adult, and the American Heart Association states 25 grams of fiber for the average 2,000 calorie diet.
• Canned or boxed soups: Stock up on soups fewer than 600 mg of sodium.  Check out brands such as Amy's Organic, Pacific Organic in a box, Healthy Choice, and Progresso.
• Cereals and oatmeal:  Use the rule of five when selecting cereal: five grams of fiber or more and five grams of sugar or less. Some good choices:  Uncle Sam Original Whole Wheat & Flaxseed Cereal, Shredded Wheat, Nature's Path Smart Bran Cereal Barbara's Puffins Original, Kashi Cereals - GO LEAN Crunch, Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal, Barbaras Multigrain Squarefuls, steel cut oats.
• Lean protein sources: Stock your cabinets with canned tuna and salmon, or choose BPA-free pouches. Choose chicken breast, fish, and ground lean turkey/beef as your go-to meats. There are also several delicious tasting black bean and other vegetarian burgers in the freezer section that make for a great meal base. When it comes to a healthy high protein Greek yogurt, FitnessMagazine.com recommends Fage Total 0% Cherry Greek Yogurt, Stonyfield Oikos 1.5% Organic Greek Raspberry, and Chobani 0% Blood Orange Greek Yogurt as some of their top choices. Stock up on eggs as well.

Some choices may be harder for you than others. For example, if you feel like the star of Hoarders, stubbornly remaining overly attached to your bag of Cheetos, I want you to relax. Spring-cleaning your 'kitchen nutrition' does not have to be an all or nothing painful task. Even small changes can grow, and motivate you to make larger changes in time. If you can't part with a particular unhealthy food, a small change might be to portion it out in individual serving baggies. Sign up for one of Pearce's upcoming nutrition classes to learn more about how you can choose foods that work for you! 

New Fitness Programs Offered at Pearce in April

Pearce will offer new fitness programs for adults in April: Challenge for Change Mini Session and Booty Bootcamp with the option to add a new nutrition class.

The Challenge for Change Mini Session will help participants change the way they think about exercise, fitness, and nutrition to overcome obstacles that prevent them from meeting their fitness goals in order to make long lasting changes to their routines for better health. Weigh-ins will be conducted and inches lost will be tracked; however, participants will come to understand that these are a byproduct of hard work. Workouts will be designed to improve strength, endurance, and overall fitness to improve everyday life.

The program will meet each Tuesday and Thursday April 4 through May 4 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. for five weeks. An informational meeting to learn more about the class will be held on Thursday, March 30 at 6:00 p.m. in the second floor Multi-Purpose Room.

Booty Bootcamp will meet each Tuesday and Thursday April 11 through May 11 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The program is specifically designed to strengthen the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. This group of muscles does more than add roundness. These muscles play an important functional role in your body’s alignment. Strong glutes protect you from injury, improve athletic performance and give you a curvy shape. They stabilize the pelvis during running and walking. Strong glutes also help with hip extension and forward propulsion.

An informational meeting to learn more about Booty Bootcamp will be held on Tuesday, April 4 at 5:00 p.m. in the second floor Meeting Room.

The cost of each program is $112.50 for Pearce Foundation members; $150 Pearce members; and $187.50 non-members.

Food Choices Matter, a new nutrition class, is available to add on to Challenge for Change Mini Session and Booty Bootcamp. To get the best results, this add on class allows participants to pair their class with a solid nutrition plan that will help them customize the diet plan that is right for them, provide accountability, and develop specific eating habits that will help them break through to their goals. The nutrition add on class will be taught by Megan O’Reilly, AFPA certified nutritionist and wellness consultant. Megan will bring her advanced education, multiple certifications, and years of experience to the class.

Food Choices Matter as an add-on to Challenge for Change Mini Session will meet on Tuesday, April 4, 18, and May 2 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the second floor Meeting Room.

As an add-on class to Booty Bootcamp, Food Choices Matter will meet on April 11 for one hour from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., and then again for 30 minutes on April 13, 20, 27, and May 4 from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m.

The cost to add on Food Choices Matter to either class is $56.25 for Foundation members; $75 for Pearce members; and $93.75 for non-members.