The more I learn about disease, the more I learn the importance of movement and exercise.  Health is not determined by weight, it is more determined by fitness.  Because of this, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have come up with enhanced guidelines.

1. Movement after meals, including errands, gardening, for 3-15 minutes helps to lower postprandial (postmeal) glucose
2. Minimum of 150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous movement for adults with diabetes
3. No more than 2 days between sessions
4. 2-3 sessions of resistance training on non-consecutive days
5. 2-3 sessions in flexibility, balance, tai chi for older adults with diabetes
6. Minimum 60 min per day of moderate or vigorous activity and 3 strength sessions for children and adolescents with type 1 or type 2 diabetes

Find what you love! Yoga is a strength exercise!

Moms!: Fit 4 Mom (My favorite for new moms)

Questions about exercise? Contact Kim Conrad kim@marissakentnutrition.com

References

1. Physical Activity/Exercise and Diabetes: A position statement of the American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Care. 2016;39(11):2065–2079.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How much physical activity do children need? Updated June 14, 2015. Accessed November 12, 2016.

It’s that time of year again! The Holiday season is full of lots of food, love, and family. It is also a time for exchanging gifts with your loved ones. To help you find the perfect gift for the loved ones if your life, we have picked our top 5 RD approved gifts.

Infusion Water Bottle

Staying hydrated is a key component of living a healthful life. Often times, drinking water

throughout the day falls to the end of the to do list. Keeping a water bottle with you at all times can increase your water intake throughout the day. We know water can get boring though. These infusion water bottles help jazz up your water and keep it exciting.

Click here to see our suggestion on Amazon.

Hydroflask

Pretty much anything from Hydroflask would be a perfect gift. This company makes water bottles, coffee mugs, beer mugs, and food containers that are insulated to keep the food/beverage either icy cold of steaming hot. These containers come in all sizes and fun colors!

**RD Trick: use the smaller containers (designed for coffee) to keep your smoothie cold and in it’s original consistency all day long!**

Check out everything Hydroflask has to offer here!

Food Pun Wall Art

I do-nut know about you, but I think food puns are so funny and so cute! Etsy makes food pun items in all forms (wall prints, coffee mugs, tea towels, etc.). I personally think the wall prints make great decorationsfor the kitchen!

Click here to find food pun gifts.

Snack Box Subscription

Monthly box subscriptions are becoming more and more popular these days and they now make these monthly surprise boxes for food lovers! How it works, for a monthly fee, these companies will send you a box of a variety of healthy snacks. The items in the box will change each month and will be a surprise. This is a fun way to try new foods that you may not ordinarily pick up at the grocery store!

Click here to see a list of the top 13 box subscription companies.

Gift Certificate for a fresh meal ingredient delivery service

Cooing at home saves money, enables us to have more control over the food that we put into our bodies, and can be a fun activity to do with your family or friends. However, we all know that sometimes everything associated with cooking at home (making a grocery list, grocery shopping, preparing the ingredients, etc.) can take some of the fun out of cooking and make the fast food restaurant down the street a lot more appealing. Luckily, there are many meal delivery services, which make cooking at home a lot more convenient and would make for a great gift for anybody in your life!

There are several meal delivery services (Google to see which are available in your area) but click here to see one of the many options.