Welcome! I am a mom of a busy 8 year old and an adventurous 6 year old. I also happen to work for a great company called NuVal. NuVal is a nutritional scoring system that rates foods on a scale of 1-100, based on how nutritious they are. We are implementing NuVal in grocery stores around the country.
NuVal may not be in your area yet. But I see the scores while they are "hot off the press" and because of that I am able to make better decisions about what to feed my family.
I am not a registered dietitian. I am just a mom who happens to work for NuVal. I am also an AFAA-certified Group Exercise Instructor. NuVal is a system designed to lead customers to the most nutritious food choices. It is not a diet or weight-loss plan. Before starting a diet, you should always consult your personal physician. The opinions expressed in this blog are the opinions of the writer and not the opinions of NuVal LLC.
I work out early in the morning with an incredible group of women. The enthusiasm, camaraderie and spirit that these fitness friends bring to my life make it possible for me to get out of bed at an hour that just should not be. We all play different roles in this group. In fact, I taught one of the early-morning classes until my job at NuVal went into high-gear. These days, Hazel and Lesley keep things fresh for us so that on days when our gym does not have classes, we still work out together in some sort of structured way. Hazel brings in P90X on her laptop and sets us up in the studio. Lesley scours the Internet and the Blogs for the best workouts. And that is how we came to be doing the 480 Workout on a whole bunch of consecutive Friday mornings at 5:30 am.
The 480 Workout comes from the blog One Fit Foodie. If you haven’t checked out her blog, you really should. Naomi has great recipes, workouts and product reviews. And she is in amazing shape!
The 480 Workout is called just that because you begin with 2 repetitions of each exercise and you work your way up to 10 (by increasing in increments of 2). And then you come back down again.
By the time you finish, you will have done 480 repetitions. Naomi stresses the importance of two things with this workout: 1) warm up before you begin and 2) try to do each exercise with perfect form.
What’s great about this workout is that the only piece of equipment you need is a mat
(in case you want to put your knees down during the push ups). We work out at our gym – and we use the studio with the mirror to check our form – but you can just as easily do this at home. Oh – and we love to use music. In my opinion, working out with music is always better!
So, do you get what I’m mean about how the repetitions work?
First you do 2 of each exercise.
2 Push-Ups
2 Squats
2 Squat Jumps
2 Burpees
2 Floor Jacks
2 High Plank Shoulder Taps
2 Jump Lunges
2 Shoulder Push Ups
Then, you do the series again. But this time you do 4 of everything:
4 Push-Ups
4 Squats
4 Squat Jumps
4 Burpees
4 Floor Jacks
4 High Plank Shoulder Taps
4 Jump Lunges
4 Shoulder Push Ups
And then you begin again. But now you do 6 of each exercise.
6 Push-Ups
6 Squats
6 Squat Jumps
6 Burpees
6 Floor Jacks
6 High Plank Shoulder Taps
6 Jump Lunges
6 Shoulder Push Ups
And then you do 8 of each exercise. And then you do 10 of each exercise. Now, once you’ve done that, you’re ready to come down the ladder.
You have to do 10 again. Then 8. Then 6. Then 4. Then 2. And then you are done. And you are sweaty and tired!
What’s great about this workout is that your heart rate is up the entire time. Time yourself (remember – perfect form!) and see if you can beat your time as you practice this again and again. We’ve shaved some time off since beginning this workout back in November.
Perfect form is really important when you workout. So, if you do work out at home, get yourself a full length mirror and put it in your work out space. Here is what each exercise should look like:
Push Up
Squat
Squat Jump
Burpee
Floor Jack
High Plank Shoulder Tap
Jump Lunges
Shoulder Push Up
For more on the benefits of the 480 workout, check out One Fit Foodie.
Happy Friday Blog Friends! Today, I bring a blog favorite from the past: Two of My Favorite Things. It’s been way too long since I’ve written one of these posts, where I just tell you about two things that I love. Today, I have something old and something new. Let’s start with what’s new.
Unique Aprons
For Christmas, my Mom gave me a new apron, hand made in Rhode Island by Apiary Designs.
I ♥ aprons! I wear them a lot because I cook often and I don’t want to ruin my clothes. Somethings always splattering or squirting! And especially during the week, when I literally leap through the door, drop my work bag, wash my hands and start making dinner all in about two minutes time. I don’t need a Superwoman cape. I just need an apron so that I don’t mess up my work clothes.
My mom picked this apron out to go with some of the new kitchen colors that I’m starting to decorate with. More on that to come in a later post. You can see more of the aprons at Apiary Designs - and buy them there too. They also make things like yoga mat covers, totes and bunting. They have full length aprons and half-aprons too. I never understood how Julia Child could get by with just a half-apron. I bet she had to wash her shirts often! I’m a full-length apron kind of girl.
Small Plates
I ♥ my small plates. Technically, they are actually a set of 12 appetizer plates from Crate and Barrel.
While I originally bought these back in 2009 for a little party I was hosting, we’ve been using them on an everyday basis ever since.
The most remarkable thing about these plates is that we’ve had these plates for almost three years now, and not a single plate is chipped. Not. even. one. I did accidentally break one plate, just last week (boo! now I have a set of eleven), but not even a little nick out of any other plate. That’s amazing for a set of 12 plates that sells for $22.95.
Our everyday dishes, Noritake Summer Estate, are quite chipped. They are almost 15 years old, after all. They are also beginning to look oh-so-1997. So when I do break down and buy some new every day dishes, Crate and Barrel may be my choice after this marvelous appetizer plate experience.
These appetizer plates are the perfect size. My kids eat their morning fruit on them every day.
And they seem to show up just about everywhere around our house.
Yes, if you need a gift for someone who is a kitchen person (like I am) you can’t go wrong with either a great apron or a set of Crate and Barrel’s 12 appetizer plates. You will be a hero.
Question of the Day
What’s one (or two!) of your favorite kitchen things?
I get a lot of questions from my wonderful readers and in January, when everyone is thinking about health and nutrition, it gets really busy. This week, I got this question:
“Melissa, I need your help. I am going to start the first “diet” of my life. I am dreading it, but I just can’t keep blaming the dryer for shrinking my pants any more– mostly because the dry-clean-only pants are too small too. Any small easy suggestions to get started?”
Great question! I don’t really diet anymore. Thanks to a lifestyle that I’ve committed to (more on that in this post below), I maintain my happy weight very consistently. But I certainly have been on diets in the past, so I feel like I can answer this question.
But before I do, let me just put my big giant disclaimers out here. I am not a doctor, I am not a dietitian, and I don’t even try to pretend to play one on my blog. I’m just a Mom (a healthy, fitness-focused Mom) who has success in achieving a goal on a diet and maintaining that goal over a long, long period of time.
Interestingly, after I planned to write about this topic, I discovered that Dr. David Katz, the primary inventor behind NuVal, also wrote an article entitled Chewing on the Best Diet for the Huffington Post this week. I already knew my favorite choice, but I was curious to see what he had to say too. After all, he was just part of the 22-judge panel that chose America’s Best Diets for US News and World Report.
So, where would I point this reader who wants to keep the pants she owns and not invest in larger sizes? Weight Watchers is my personal favorite for weight loss. I have reached my goal weight several times (after I “blew up” in college, after a foot injury, after the births of both of my children and when, like this reader, my jeans just felt too tight). As Dr. Katz and the US News and World Report panel suggests, it’s easy, it’s aligned with healthful eating, and it provides the structural support that many people need. I have done it the “in-person” way (by attending meetings) and the virtual way (using online tools). For more about my life and times with Weight Watchers, you can read the “About” section of this blog.
These days, I’m no Kelly Ripa – but I’m happy with my weight. It’s right smack dab in the middle of the range of “healthy weight” for my height. I work full-time and have a family, so I can’t spend all day at the gym. Given the amount of time I do have for exercise, I’m thrilled with my body’s ability to maintain my goal weight. What do I think my secret is? It’s not dieting. It’s living the lifestyle that I learned at Weight Watchers and pairing it with everything that I’ve learned through NuVal. I choose high-scoring foods whenever I can. I stop when I am full (even if it means that I’ve only eaten a quarter of my plate at a restaurant – the rest can come home with me.) We eat home-cooked and home-packed meals as often as possible (even while in Disney World). I follow the rules of MyPlate. I know what portion sizes look like (thanks to all those years of Weight Watchers) and I never forget it. Water is my friend. Exercise is my sanity.
What’s interesting is that since I’ve adopted my NuVal way of life I really have had even more success at maintaining. I used to find that I would need to hop back on my Weight Watchers diet about once or twice a year as my weight would creep up over goal (sometimes after the holidays, always in March for some reason). That doesn’t happen anymore. It’s a steady state.
NuVal is not a weight loss plan, but we have seen some people have great weight loss results with it. Like Sally Galvin, a mom who lost 115 pounds. And Pastor Monte Meyer, who has now lost over 250 pounds. And Paul Merson, a mechanic who lost 87 pounds.
So my answer to the reader with the shrinking pants is to check out Weight Watchers – and to pair it with a good look at NuVal. The two can go hand in hand. And I think you’ll have more success in keeping the weight off if you combine the lessons you learn at Weight Watchers with the choices of high-scoring, nutrient-dense foods.
For more advice on how to pick a diet that is best for you, check out this post from the HMR diet blog.
Welcome to Wordless Wednesday! Today I keep my lips sealed (and my hands off the keyboard) and I wait to see what you all have to say about my photo instead. The comment line is now open!
Yesterday’s Winner
Congratulations to Commenter #15 Connie! You’ve won the Alternative Grains Giveaway! Please send me an email at abetterbagofgroceries@gmail.com with your mailing address so that I can ship your prize out to you. Thanks to everyone who entered!
Welcome to Trade-Up Tuesday! Tuesdays are the most popular day on my blog, because at the end of this post, there is always a giveaway! Today, I’m thinking about the word Alternative. You know, Alternative Fuel, Alternative Music, Alternative Spring Break.
I got the idea for today’s giveaway this past weekend, during my sister’s baby shower. Yes, our baby sister is having a baby!
During the shower, we were talking about how to eat more nutritiously (of course!) – and my sister, Pilates Julie, was all excited about an Alternative she had planned.
She was having friends over for dinner. “Usually, I make risotto. But I was thinking about pearled barley as an alternative. How would that score on the NuVal scale?” she asked.
“Very high,” I told her. “I will check it out for you.” I don’t bring my laptop to baby showers, so once at home, I did check it out. Sure enough, pearled barley scores a 91. The risotto only scores a 48.
I checked back in with Pilates Julie to see how her dinner with friends went. Did her friends mind that she was serving them this nutritious pearled barley instead of the usual risotto? “Oh!” she exclaimed. “It was wonderful! I served the pearled barley as the main course. I added shrimp for protein. Everyone actually preferred it over the risotto. It was so creamy – no butter or cheese needed. We accompanied it with a crisp green salad. The perfect meal.”
What a great Alternative! I thought of some other alternatives to add to this giveaway.
My friend Heather, an amazing cook, only uses Dreamfield’s pasta now. I know many people who are hesitant to trade on up to whole wheat pastas – and I get that. The texture is almost always different. However, if you haven’t tried Dreamfield’s, you absolutely must. It scores an 87 on the NuVal scale. And it is so creamy. Try it as an alternative to regular pasta (most score about a 57). Your guests or your family will never know the difference.
Brown rice (NuVal score of 82) is an aquired taste for most people – especially children! However, did you know that parboiled rice (which looks and tastes almost like white rice) also scores an 82 on the NuVal scale. It’s a great Alternative to white rice (which scores a 57). Parboiled rice is what my kids eat. They have no idea they are being so healthy.
In my daily life as a mom, sister, daughter, neighbor, citizen, shopper, businessperson, I listen to a lot of different conversations. And right now, the buzz that I hear is “I’d like to lose a few pounds” or ”I’d like to fit into those jeans again” or ”I’d like to eat more nutritiously.” But the only way to do that is to change something that you are doing. Insanity is defined as as repeating the same behavior and expecting a different result. So, these are just three small ideas of alternative foods – or at NuVal, what we call Trade-Ups.
Today’s Giveaway
One lucky reader will win the Alternative Giveaway. All you need to do is leave a comment below telling me one of the following:
An alternative (or Trade-Up) you’ve made
About a time when you did something different and it helped you achieve a goal
Whether you are most likely to like Alternative Music, drive a car that takes Alternative Fuel, or go on an Alternative Spring Break
I’ll choose one winner at random at 8 am Eastern on Wednesday January 11th. Good luck everybody!
BREAKING NEWS
NuVal is in today’s USA Today! You can read the article here!
The NuVal Nutritional Scoring System gives nutritional guidance to consumers frustrated with complicated nutrition labels and misleading packaging promises. Under NuVal, all foods and beverages are rated on a scale between 1 to 100. The higher the score, the higher the overall nutrition.
Awards
A Better Bag of Groceries was recently named by Medical Assistant Colleges as a Top 50 Blog for Understanding and Preventing Childhood Obesity. Hooray!
