Meal Prep 101 for Busy Athletes

One of the biggest roadblocks athletes report in their journey towards healthier eating is simply not having enough time in the day to cook or prepare meals and snacks.

Many busy athletes and their families have tight schedules, where they might be eating meals at strange hours, on the road and in the bleachers, and sometimes get so busy that they resort to stopping for fast food or relying on convenience bars and shakes for too many meals.

Fast food and convenience snacks are fine once in a while, but what if we all had a strategy for making sure we had healthy snacks and meals prepared ahead of time? What if we could throw together said snacks and meals during the week in a matter of MINUTES? I'm sure all busy families and athletes would be on board.

This is where a food preparation (or meal prep) plan comes in! 

By spending some time ONE day of the week washing, cutting, baking, cooking, and portioning food into containers, athletes and their families will not have healthy food to eat during the busiest timesof the week - they'll also save time by not having to cook so much, and save money by not eating out or buying pre-packaged snacks.

There are many of resources online for "How to Food Prep" - Lindsay from the Lean Green Bean blog writes about food prep every week and is a great source for easy-to-make, healthy recipes.

Having a plan is the hardest part of meal prep. The first time you meal prep, it's important to start out small and let your meal prep game plan change each week in a way that fits your schedule. 

1. Decide which day works best for you! Many people choose to make all their food on one day (like Sunday, before the week starts!), while others might choose two days (maybe by preparing half on Sunday, and a new batch of foods on Wednesday).

It usually takes at least one hour (usually more if you do it all on one day), to prepare your meals, so keep that in mind. 

2. Make sure you have plenty of storage containers. Storage containers with lids are essential for easy storage and transportation of meals.

3. Choose which meals you want to prep. Some people just want to prepare lunches for the week to bring to school or work, while others make breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and a random assortment of throw-together foods. One easy way to start preparing EXTRA food at dinner meals to bring for lunch the next day or the next several days. Many people also start out by preparing some "basics" that you can make throw-together meals throughout the week. Some good examples include:

• Washed and cut fruits and vegetables - You're much more likely to eat these healthy foods if they're all washed and ready-to-eat. Some suggestions are: grapes, salad greens, carrots, diced vegetables for salads/omelets/stir fry.
• Roasted vegetables - These can be easily thrown onto a salad or sandwich for more flavor! Toss some sweet potatoes, butternut squash, carrots, broccoli, or any other vegetables in olive oil, salt, pepper and any other seasonings you like and roast them in the oven until tender. 
• Cooked grains - You can prepare whole grains, such as rice and quinoa ahead of time to throw into salads or for easy grain bowls.

Check out some easy whole grain bowl recipes!

• Protein options - Having some protein options ready can be a huge life-saver for athletes. Keep it simple by making chicken breast, hard-boiled eggs or scrambled egg muffins, lean ground beef, bacon, or have some lunch meat on hand. 

• Breakfast foods - If you're typically a breakfast-skipper, preparing some easy breakfast options can be a huge time saver.

4. Make a list and go shopping - This may be the most dreaded part of meal prep for people who don't go into the grocery store weekly (or more than once per week!), but this part becomes easier each week as you figure out what works for your schedule, and which basics you KNOW you need to get you through the week.

Make a list of ingredients you would need for specific recipes you want to make, and a list of "basics" you want to have at hand (grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, dairy, etc.)

If you're a beginner, don't be overwhelmed! It will get easier, and you can take satisfaction in knowing you will have healthy options to eat throughout the week. Good nutrition can have an immediate impact on sports performance - if you eat well and fuel your body with healthy foods, you will feel better and perform better, so start today!

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New Book: Dallas Business Journal 2016 Book of Lists

The Dallas Business Journal 2016 Book of Lists provides ranked listings of hundreds of Dallas area companies. The book also lists the names of key decision makers along with their titles and complete contact information, making this book ideal for sales prospecting, job searching, fundraising, and business research.

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Is Your Snack Holding You Back? Tips for Packing a Snack Made for an Athlete

Athletes love to snack, but when speaking with young athletes about snacking, the first foods that come to mind are pre-packaged salty snacks and sweet treats. Instead of wanting to know which foods are healthy, which foods they should avoid, and what the healthier alternatives to their favorite snacks are, young athletes often get stuck in the habit of reaching for junk foods in-between meals - that's what everyone is doing! Most active people and young athletes know which foods aren't necessarily healthy without being told. When they're asked what snack foods they reach for, they're usually laughing over Poptarts or Cheetos, but even if that's what everyone else is reaching for, those junk foods aren't made to fuel an athlete's body. Putting the right fuel in our bodies helps us push harder and get stronger in our sport, so even though fruit and nuts aren't cool, those foods are going to make you a better athlete, while those junk foods might be holding you back.

Unhealthy snacking isn't uncommon - snacking has become much more popular and widely accepted, and many people (not just athletes) have moved from eating 3 main meals a day to 5-6 mini meals throughout the day or eating several smaller meals and several snacks per day.

An online poll found:

• Snack food sales are increasing globally, not just in the U.S. 
• Many people are snacking at least once per day, and the most popular snacks globally are chocolate and fruit
• The most popular snack in North America is chips and chocolate
• People are snacking to satisfy that between-meal hunger they get from 3 square meals...AND people are also eating more snacks to replace meals - instead of regular meals, they might just be grazing throughout the day.

Many athletes, people training for a certain event or race, and very active people may have higher calorie needs and snacking can help those people meet their calorie and nutrient needs...but they shouldn't be replacing a well-rounded vegetable-protein-starch meal with chips and chocolate candy. If athletes are hungry between meals, snacks should be more than just a package of junk foods - snacks are an opportunity add nutrition. Athletes should ask themselves, "How can I make this snack or meal more nutrient-dense?" because every eating opportunity is an opportunity to fuel your body for practice, competition, or recovery.

One athlete asked, "When does a healthy snack become unhealthy?" (Such as adding caramel to apple slices). 

This snack isn't necessarily unhealthy, but caramel, just like any sweet/candy/sugary treat is a "sometimes food". You could lower the amount of sugar in the snack and add some protein and healthy fats (which would make the snack a healthier option) by swapping out the caramel with a healthier side.

For example, you could make your own cinnamon dip with Greek yogurt, peanut butter and cinnamon. You could dip the apples in almond butter or have some cheese slices or hard-boiled egg on the side.

Snacking tips for athletes:

1. Pairing carbohydrates with protein can increase satiety and keep blood sugar levels even.
2. Eating protein throughout the day (including that post-workout snack) can help promote muscle protein synthesis. Don't forget the carbs, though! Adequate carbohydrate intake allows your body to spare the protein you eat to promote recovery and build muscle. 
3. If there's several hours between the snack and your next meal, choose a larger snack with several different food groups, containing protein and healthy fats to hold you over, plus some carbs to give you energy.  
4. If you just need to be held over for a short time before your next real meal (60-90 minutes), choose a smaller snack (100-200 calories). 
5. For athletes with a weight  gain goal, larger snacks can act as "mini meals" to help them add calories to your day. Add high-calorie foods such as nuts/nut butter and full fat dairy to snacks and meals. 
6. For athletes with a weight loss goal, eating smaller snacks and choosing crunchy vegetables and fruit, which have a high water and fiber content can help keep them full.
•  Crunchy foods usually take a little bit longer to eat, too, so instead of reaching for a 100-calorie bar or packet of snacks, choose vegetables and/or fruit paired with some protein. 

PROTEIN	CARBS
½ - 1 cup Greek yogurt	Apple or banana
1 – 2 Tbsp peanut or almond butter	½ cup oatmeal
2 Tbsp – ¼ cup hummus	1 – 2 slices whole grain toast
10-30 almonds, cashews, walnuts, etc.	½ - 1 bagel
1 piece of string cheese	1 cup raw baby carrots
½ - 1 cup cottage cheese	Wheat crackers (Triscuits, Wheat Thins)
Beef jerky	1 cup berries
¼ - 1 cup edamame	Corn  tortilla
Hardboiled eggs	Sweet potato
Lean deli meat (turkey, chicken, ham, roast beef)	Raisins/Craisins
Milk	Whole grain cereal
Cheese	Graham crackers
	Pretzels

For more ideas, check out these smart snacking ideas from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics!

Strive for excellence in each meal - if you're putting in the work at practice and competition, put some thought into what goes on your plate throughout the day. 

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New Journal: Young Children- 21st Century teaching and learning

In this volume of Young Children, articles center on teaching methods for children of the 21st century and address key issues in social development in the classroom.



You can find this journal and more at the UNT Dallas Library

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New Book: The Returns of Odysseus by Irad Malkin

Irad Malkin contributes here to the current lively discussion of encounters among Greeks and non-Greeks. Through the prism of myths, he argues, notions of ethnicity and collective identity were articulated. Focussing in particular on myths about Odysseus and other heroes who visited foreign lands on their mythical voyages homeward after the Trojan War, he shows how these Return-myths influenced actual encounters during the time of early exploration and colonization in the western Mediterranean.


You can find this book and more at the UNT Dallas Library. To reserve this book now click here.

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New Book: The Ultimate Question 2.0 by

In this thoroughly updated and expanded edition, Reichheld, with Bain colleague Rob Markey, explains how practitioners have built Net Promoter into a full-fledged management system that drives extraordinary financial and competitive results. With his trademark clarity, Reichheld: Defines the fundamental concept of Net Promoter, explaining its connection to your company's growth and sustained success, Presents the closed-loop feedback process and demonstrates its power to energize employees and delight customers, Shares new and compelling stories of companies that have transformed their performance by putting Net Promoter at the center of their business Practical and insightful, The Ultimate Question 2.0 provides a blueprint for long-term growth and success"


You can find this book and more at the UNT Dallas Library. To request this book now click here.

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3 Summer Nutrition Goals for Offseason Athletes

During the summer, athletes can go from having a hectic, crazy-busy schedule, to having more time off and less hours spent training. Summer is a great time to relax and recover from a hard year of training, but it is also a great time for athletes to pay closer attention to their diets, getting into a routine of healthy eating that will stick with them throughout the rest of the year.

1. Enjoy different foods by eating seasonally

Summertime fruits and vegetables are readily available at your local farmer's market, and they taste even better when they're in season.

Shopping at the farmer's market is also a great way to branch out and try a new vegetable this summer - pick out a new vegetable, find a recipe utilizing that recipe and make it! The offseason is the best time to do this, because you have more time to branch out and try new foods and recipes.

Athletes tend to fall into habits, eating the same foods during the season day in and day out, so it's important to add some variety to your diet while you can, trying out some new recipes you can fall back on when you're busier during the season.

2. Get in a habit of "food prepping"

One of the biggest complains busy athletes have is that they just don't have enough time to eat healthy throughout the week. Doing some "food prep" one or two days a week is one of the best ways to always have healthy meal and snack options on hand. Take one day to gather ingredients at the grocery store and a few hours to wash and cut vegetables, make grains, cook proteins, and bake will leave you with plenty of healthy options to make meals throughout the week.

Check out this beginner's food prep guide by Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean.

3. Set an off-season body composition goal: maintain, lose, or gain weight without sacrificing performance.

Summer is the off-season for many athletes, so many use this time as a vacation from their training and their  normal healthy diets, leaving them feeling a little sluggish and/or heavy once training starts up again.

The off-season should be a time for rest and recovery, but it's also a good time to make body composition goals without sacrificing training. Even those who just want to maintain weight shouldn't use the summer as an excuse to eat whatever they want, as a decrease in activity and an increase in food can result in unwanted weight gain.

Follow these offseason fueling tips for maintaining weight or making body composition changes, such as adding lean mass or losing weight, during the summer:

Maintaining weight

• Less activity in the summer means you don't need as many calories or carbohydrates during this summer to reduce weight gain:
• Reduce carbohydrates on off days, and eat a higher carbohydrate diet on high intensity days. 
• Decrease portion sizes, especially from desserts, fast foods, creamy sauces and salad dressings
• Hydrate with water instead of juice or sports drinks

Weight Gain

• Gaining 0.5 to 1 pound per week is a realistic goal.
• You add lean mass by increasing calories and providing an adequate training load, meaning you should have a plan to strength train throughout the summer.
• Eat often throughout the day (every 2-3 hours)
• Add calorie-dense foods, such as nuts, trail mix, peanut butter, granola, olive oil, avocado, full fat dairy and include beverages with calories, such as milk during meals to add calories to your day.

Weight loss

• Losing 1-2 pounds per week is a realistic goal.
• Including protein-rich foods (20-30 grams per meal through lean meat, eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, beans) is a good way to stay satisfied throughout the day and maintain lean muscle mass
• Avoid refined carbohydrates and sugary drinks like sports drinks, soda and juice
• Don't skip meals to cut calories - instead, front load your diet by eating a substantial breakfast, lunch and snacks during the day when you're most active vs. limiting calories during the day. You may get over-hungry by the end of the day and end up eating more at night than if you stayed satisfied by fueling yourself throughout the day. 

Meeting with a dietitian can help you meet your body composition goals, make a plan for during the season, brainstorm food prep ideas, and perform better during the season. 

Make an appointment to speak with a Sports Dietitian today by calling the Sanford Sports Science Institute Dietitian at 605-312-7878

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New Book: Disappearing Acts by Taylor

In Disappearing Acts, Diana Taylor looks at how national identity is shaped, gendered, and contested through spectacle and spectatorship. The specific identity in question is that of Argentina, and Taylor’s focus is directed toward the years 1976 to 1983 in which the Argentine armed forces were pitted against the Argentine people in that nation’s "Dirty War." Combining feminism, cultural studies, and performance theory, Taylor analyzes the political spectacles that comprised the war—concentration camps, torture, "disappearances"—as well as the rise of theatrical productions, demonstrations, and other performative practices that attempted to resist and subvert the Argentine military.

You can find this book and more at the UNT Dallas Library. To reserve this book today click here.

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New Book: Revision and Romantic Authorship by Leader

The Romantic author as spontaneous, extemporizing, otherworldly and autonomous is a fiction much in need of revision. Zachary Leader argues that the continuing influence of a Romantic preference for what comes naturally, with a concomitant devaluing of secondary processes, distorts our understanding of the actual creative practices of writers of the period, even those most closely associated with Romantic assumptions.

You can find this book and more at the UNT Dallas Library. To reserve this book now click here.

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New Book: Life of the party by Christopher Ames

Critics have long recognized the links between community festivals and literary art. The comedies and tragedies of the ancient Greeks grew out of their festivals; Anglo-Saxon poetry was often read at festival occasions; and the structural patterns of renaissance drama are inseparable from their festive origins. In The Life of the Party, Christopher Ames argues that the private party has become the festival of modern culture and has served as a shaping force in the fiction of many important twentieth century writers. Drawing upon and extending theories of Mikhail Bakhtin and others, Ames contends that parties have inherited much of the spirit and social function of festivals and carnivals.


You can find this book and more at the UNT Dallas Library. To reserve this book now click here.

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New Book: In Palamedes' shadow : explorations in play, game & narrative theory by R Rawdon Wilson

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New Book: New Mexico Historical Review volume 91

This journal provides high quality research on New Mexico and the south west. In this particular volume you can find information on Sophie Aberle's research in San Juan Pueblo, the Tlaxcalans, and more.


You can find this Book and more at the UNT Dallas Library.

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Staying Hydrated This Summer in 5 Easy Steps

Summer time is a great time to be active outside while it's sunny and warm...but it's important to stay hydrated!

It's time to move activities outdoors. No matter what the activity is, if athletes are spending time outside being active this summer, they're probably going to get a lot sweatier, making it important that they pay close attention to hydration.

When our bodies get dehydrated, we lose the ability to regulate body temperature, making us susceptible to heat illness. Dehydration also has a negative impact on exercise performance, so starting a workout, practice or game in a dehydrated state means athletes aren't getting the most out of that session and are at a greater risk for heat illness.

If athletes are going to be active/exercising outside, they can follow the steps below to stay hydrated all day long and avoid performance deficits this summer.

5 Easy Steps to Stay Hydrated

1. Find out how much water you should be drinking in a day when you're not active. 

One basic equation for finding out how much fluid you should be drinking in a day is to divide your body weight in pounds by 2, and drink that much fluid in ounces per day. 

For example, a 150 lb. athlete would need 150/2 = 75 ounces of water per day, or 9.5 cups (8-ounce cups) per day. 

Fluids includes drinks other than water (including milk, juice, broth, etc.), but athletes should really be focusing on drinking at LEAST the recommended amount of fluid in pure water per day if they're not active, plus EXTRA for exercise. 

2. Monitor your hydration status.

At the Sanford Sports Science Institute, we encourage athletes to monitor the color of their urine to check on their hydration status. Lighter urine usually means an athlete is properly hydrated, so before going into a practice or game, athletes should make sure they are properly hydrated, especially if they're going to be outside on a hot day. 

3. Add extra fluid for the sweat lost during exercise. 

Athletes who follow the above recommendations will likely get enough water during the day on an inactive day, and go into their workout or competition adequately hydrated, but this doesn't mean they don't have to replace the fluid lost in sweat during their workout. When we sweat, we lose water and electrolytes, making it important to drink plenty of fluids before, during and after exercise. 

One tip athletes can follow is to bring their water bottle to every workout and competition and take several large drinks of water at every break they get, or every 10-15 minutes. 

Athletes can also monitor how much weight they lose during a workout or competition by weighing themselves before and after - any more than 2% weight loss indicated inadequate fluid consumption.

After the workout, replace the water lost in sweat by drinking 16-20 ounces of water for every 1 lb. of weight lost. By neglecting to replace the fluid lost during exercise, athletes may go into their next session in a dehydrated state. 

3. Start drinking plenty of water early in the day. 

A great tip for athletes to follow is to drink water right when they wake up, especially if they have a workout later in the day. 

Some recommendations say to drink 2-5 cups of water, several hours before a workout or competition, especially if it is going to be outdoors in the heat.

For many busy athletes, starting the day off with several glasses of water becomes a healthy habit to promote hydration and start the day off on the right food. 

4. Make note of the signs of dehydration and take action early. 

Thirst isn't always the best indicator of when athletes should drink water - sometimes you don't get thirsty until you're dehydrated. Other signs of dehydration include headache, dry skin, dry/sticky mouth, constipation and feeling tired or less energetic than usual. 

If you're experiencing any of those symptoms, drink up! Carry your water bottle with you and refill it several times a day, especially on days where you'll be spending time outdoors in the heat. Some very intense or prolonged (>90 minute) workouts in the heat may require a sports drink or some sort of electrolyte replacement beverage. 

5. Load up on fruits and vegetables!

Summer is the perfect time to load up on fresh fruits and vegetables, which are not only rich in nutrients, but also have a high water content. The foods you eat during the way will contribute to your hydration status, but during the summer, seasonal fruits like watermelon, strawberries, pineapple, zucchini, etc. have a high water content, making them extra hydrating. 

Knowing how much you need to drink throughout the day, monitoring your hydration status, drinking plenty of water early in the day, knowing the signs of dehydration and loading up on water-rich fruits and vegetables are 5 easy steps you can take to stay hydrated, feel good and perform well all summer long!

Sweat testing at the Sanford Sports Science Institute
Find out more by calling 605-312-7878!

Athletes of all ages and from every sport who have access to the Sanford Fieldhouse can get their sweat fluid and electrolyte loss evaluated to receive individual-specific hydration and nutrition recommendations. These recommendations help athletes prepare for, manage, and recover from sweat fluid and electrolyte losses incurred during training or competition. Call today at 605-312-7878 to find out more on how this test would benefit you or your athlete. 

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New Book: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Great Expectations charts the progress of Pip from childhood through often painful experiences to adulthood, as he moves from the Kent marshes to busy, commercial London, encountering a variety of extraordinary characters ranging from Magwitch, the escaped convict, to Miss Havisham, locked up with her unhappy past and living with her ward, the arrogant, beautiful Estella. Pip must discover his true self, and his own set of values and priorities. Whether such values allow one to prosper in the complex world of early Victorian England is the major question posed by Great Expectations, one of Dickens's most fascinating, and disturbing, novels. This edition includes the original, discarded ending, Dickens's brief working notes, and the serial instalments and chapter divisions in different editions. It also uses the definitive Clarendon text.


 You can find this book and more at the UNT Dallas Library. To reserve this book now click here.

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Vitamin D for Athletes: Why Athletes Need It to Perform and How to Get Enough

It definitely feels like summer outside, and while the sun is out and shining, it's important to talk about a vitamin we actually get more of by spending time outside - Vitamin D!

Vitamin D comes in 2 forms: D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol), and can be found in foods, supplements, and we get it from sun exposure.

Vitamin D is often known for its important role in bone development and maintenance and deficiency has serious health consequences for bone health. Rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults are the two bone-related diseases caused by severe vitamin D deficiency. Severe deficiency and rickets has become rare in children after milk starting getting fortified with Vitamin D in the 1930's.

Vitamin D plays other roles beyond bone health, though - it has functions in gene expression, muscular function, immunity, wound healing, and cardiovascular health. 

Most people are getting enough Vitamin D to prevent severe deficiency and bone health issues, but modest deficiency is common, and some people who are more likely to have a vitamin D deficiency include:

• People who spend a lot of time indoors during the day
• People who cover their skin or wear sunscreen at all times when outside
• People with darker skin
• People who live in the northern states of the U.S. or Canada (fewer hours of sunlight, and further from the equator)
• Older people
• People who are obese

Very few foods are naturally high in vitamin D. 

On the last blog, we mentioned that vitamin D will be listed on the new Nutrition Facts Label in the future because people really aren't getting enough of it. Many foods, such as milk, orange juice, yogurt, and ready-to-eat cereals are actually fortified with vitamin D, meaning it is added during processing, but the foods that are naturally high in vitamin D are rare. 

Those naturally vitamin-D rich foods include fatty fish (salmon, mackeral, tuna), fish liver oils, egg yolks, beef liver, cheese, and some muschrooms.

For many people, sun exposure is their primary source of Vitamin D. 

Ultravoilet-B (UVB) radiation stimulates vitamin D3 to be produced in the epidermis of the skin, but factors such as season, time of day, cloud cover, smog, skin color and sunscreen use effect vitamin D synthesis from UV exposure. 

Some vitamin D researchers have recommended exposing face, arms, legs or back without sunscreen for 5-30 minutes during peak sunlight hours (between 10AM - 3PM) several times per week. This doesn't mean tanning or burning your skin, and less time outdoors is needed in the summer, and this goes against the the Skin Cancer Foundation, who cautions against this sun exposure in order to get Vitamin D - using sunscreen, covering up and limiting sun exposure and UV radiation from tanning beds is important for preventing skin cancer. 

At the end of the day, you can always get Vitamin D through vitamin D-fortified foods and vitamins. 

A blood test for serum concentration of 25(OH)D is the best indicator of vitamin D status, and the Institute of Medicine claims that:

• People are at risk for deficiency if serum 25(OH)D levels are <30 li="" ml="" ng="" nmol="">
• Levels ≥50 nmol/L (≥20 ng/mL) are suffient for good bone healthy for almost all individuals

Vitamin D for Athletes

It is estimated that about 1 billion people of all ages are vitamin D insufficient or deficient, and athletes aren't immune to vitamin D deficiency. Studies examining vitamin D status in NFL players have shown that a significant number of players had deficient or insufficient vitamin D levels (especially amongst African American football players), making vitamin D intake a focus for many teams.

Many collegiate and professional sports teams are supplementing their athletes with vitamin D, and providing foods such as fortified cereals to their diets to prevent Vitamin D insuffiency.

We know that  vitamin D plays a role in muscle and cardiovasular function, helps keep bones healthy and strong,  and helps keep immune systems working effectively, so if making an effort to keep vitamin D levels high can keep athletes healthy, it might be worth looking into.

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New Book: Performing hybridity by May Joseph and Jennifer Fink

Amid the modern-day complexities of migration and exile, immigration and repatriation, notions of stable national identity give way to ideas about cultural "hybridity". The authors represented in this volume use different forms of performative writing to question this process, to ask how the production of new political identities destabilizes ideas about gender, sexuality, and the nation in the public sphere.
Contributors use forms such as the essay, poem, photography, and case study to examine historically specific cases in which the notion of hybridity recasts our ideas of identity and performance: the struggle for Aboriginal land rights in Australia; Bahian carnival; the creolization and pidginization of language in the Caribbean world; queer videos; and others.

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New Book: Laurence Sterne : riddles and mysteries by Valerie Grosvenor Myer

You can reserve this book and more at the UNT Dallas library.

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New Book: Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte

 
Jane Eyre is the story of a small, plain-faced, intelligent, and passionate English orphan. Jane is abused by her aunt and cousin and then attends a harsh charity school. Through it all she remains strong and determinedly refuses to allow a cruel world to crush her independence or her strength of will. A masterful story of a woman's quest for freedom and love. Jane Eyre is partly autobiographical, and Charlotte Brontë filled it with social criticism and sinister Gothic elements. A must read for anyone wishing to celebrate the indomitable strength of will or encourage it in their growing children.

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New Book: When the Beat was Born written by Laban Carrick Hill, Illustrated by Theodore Taylor III.

 

The Texas Bluebonnet Award (TBA) is the book award selected by Texas school children.  Intended to encourage reading among 3rd to 6th grade students, the Texas Library Association selects  twenty notable books of which students must read or listen to at least fie on the list in order to be eligible to vote. Over 152,000 children voted for the award which means that the students read at least 760,000 books in order to decide on the winner!


The 2016 TBA recipient was Laban Carrick Hill and Theodore Taylor III for their book When the Beat was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop. This children’s book focused on a young boy who grew up to influence the development of  hip-hop and help define the hip-hop culture. Upon learning that his book won the award author Laban Carrick Hill said “I want to thank everyone down in Texas, especially the 153,000 kids who came out and read all the books on the list and voted for their favorite…” the illustrator Theodore Taylor the third, shared similar sentiments when the announcement of their success was given.


You can find this book and more at the UNT Dallas Library. To reserve this book today click here. 

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The Nutrition Facts Label Got a Makeover: Check Out What's New!

Have you every looked at the Nutrition Facts Label on a product and scratched your head over what it listed as a serving?

For example, who listed a serving of ice cream as ONLY half a cup? Why are there more than one servings listed in a seemingly "snack sized" bag of chips, soda, or granola bar, when a person would likely open the package and eat it all at once?

Those numbers are about to change, as the FDA just finalized the new Nutrition Facts Label, giving a makeover to the 20-year-old Nutrition Facts Label design.

The Sanford Sports Nutrition Blog previously wrote about the proposed new food label when it was developed in 2014, but now the label is finalized, and most food manufacturers will have until July 2018 to switch over to the new label.

Updates to the New Label

• The calorie count is bigger, and the serving size will be in bold.
• The serving size is changing reflects a serving that Americans are actually eating (Again, have you actually ever measured out 1/2 a cup of ice cream? Or drank only 1/2 of a bottle of a beverage that says it contains 2 servings?)
• Added sugars will be added to the label, which shows how much sugar is added to the food during processing (versus sugar found naturally in fruit and dairy products).
• "Calories from Fat" will be eliminated, as more people need to be focusing on the types of fats they're consuming, not just the amount. (Focus more on healthy fats, avoiding trans fats). 
• Different daily value percentages for sodium, fiber, and vitamin D to reflect the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines amounts. 
• Actual amounts of vitamins (versus the old label that only listed percentages) and changes to WHICH vitamins are listed. Vitamin D and Potassium are now listed (instead of Vitamin C and Vitamin A) because the majority of people aren't getting enough of those key nutrients. 

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

In addition, foods that contain between 1-2 servings, or could be eaten up in one sitting (such as a whole bag of microwave popcorn or a pint of ice cream...) will have a dual column label to show the nutrition for one serving and for the whole package.

Old label (Left) vs. New Label (Right)
The Food and Drug Administration

The Nutrition Facts Label is important for active people and athletes, and this "Athlete's Guide to the Nutrition Facts Label" goes through what you should be looking for on the label. The new design should make healthy eating a little easier by being able to choose between comparable products with different nutrition.

Note: As a dietitian who works with athletes, I am excited to see the "Added Sugars" on the label. Many athletes need a diet rich in carbohydrates, but sometimes they're relying on that quick energy from sports bars and drinks to fuel their training and performance, and get stuck in the habit of eating those high-sugar foods all the time, when they should be eating more vegetables, fruits and whole grains and lean protein to fuel themselves outside of training. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020 have emphasized how much sugar Americans are eating, including sugar in seemingly "healthy" foods like whole grain cereals or yogurts. This added part of the new label makes it easier to compare packaged products and choose more nutritious options!

What do you think of the new label?

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New Book: Cassell's concise Latin-English, English-Latin dictionary by D P Simpson

For fast, easy reference and comprehensive listings, Cassell's Concise Latin-English, English-Latin Dictionary is unbeatable. It contains in concise form the words most frequently used in scholarly and academic usage.
Cassell's Concise Latin-English, English-Latin Dictionary is easy to read and full of complete usage information that's simple to access. This invaluable volume, backed by the world's foremost language authority, is the most effective concise dictionary available to the Latin language.

You can find this book and more at the UNT Dallas Library.

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New Book: The development of Samuel Beckett's fiction by Rubin Rabinovitz

Rubin Rabinovitz's The Development of Samuel Beckett's Fiction is written in a more concise scholarly style that makes it the most entertaining study of early Beckett's early prose.

You can find this book and more at the UNT Dallas library. 

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Beetroot Juice: Can it Help You Perform Better?

It seems as though the newest trend in the exercise community is drinking beetroot juice as a supplement to improve exercise tolerance.

What are the benefits of drinking beetroot juice before competition?

Beetoot juice (and beets in general) are rich in nitrates, which are commonly found in many vegetables, fruits and grains. Nitrates can also be found in cured meats like salami, bacon, and hotdogs, as nitrate is added to preserve color and prevent growth of bacteria, but the danger in these cured meat nitrate sources are that the nitrate is more likely to be turned into nitrite and then nitrosamines, which are cancer-causing chemicals. (This is probably where you heard that nitrated are harmful!) The reason nitrate-rich fruits and vegetables are a better option is because most of them are also rich in Vitamin C, which is an inhibitor to the nitrosamine conversion.

Endurance athletes like runners, swimmers, divers, rowers, triathletes and cyclists are finding that drinking beetroot juice supplements as a form of nitrates may be able to give them a competitive edge. When we drink beetroot juice or take nitrate supplements, the nitrate is converted into nitrite and ultimately nitric oxide (NO) in the blood.

Nitric oxide plays an important role in blood flow regulation, mitochondrial efficiency, and other physiological functions, so beetroot supplementation can have positive effects on exercise performance through:

• Decreasing blood pressure
• Reducing workload of the heart
• Increasing oxygen delivery throughout the body (muscle oxygenation)
• Increasing power output
• Improving time to exhaustion and time trial performances

With this decrease in aerobic energy cost, athletes should be able to physically exert themselves longer before fatigue sets in, which is good news for athletes who want to gain a competitive edge in a safe way.

How to increase blood nitrate levels

Fruits and Vegetables that are High in Nitrate:

• Vegetables are much higher in nitrates than fruits, and include lettuce, beets, carrots, green beans, spinach, parsley, cabbage, radishes, celery, collard greens 
• Some fruits that contain higher levels of nitrates includes strawberries, currents, gooseberries, raspberries, cherries

Beetroot juice may be a better option for athletes to drink before performance rather than eating hundreds of grams of nitrate-rich vegetables (huge spinach, carrot, beet smoothie, anyone?), mostly because the juice doesn’t have all that dietary fiber that the whole vegetables do, so it decreases the chances of GI distress and feeling overfull before  a competition.

~300 mg of nitrates

When compared to other nitrate-containing foods, though, drinking beetroot juice seems like the way to go!

In order to maximize on the beetroot juice’s effects, it is recommended that 5-7 mmol of nitrates (500 mL or ~2 cups of beetroot juice) be consumed 3-4 hours before exercise to allow plasma nitrite to be at its peak during exercise performance. They also make 70 mL beetroot shots, which are condensed down to contain the same amount of nitrates as a larger portion of beetroot juice.

This high nitrate state lasts for the next 6-8 hours and blood levels return back to normal after about 24 hours. Many studies have shown that even short-term supplementation (around 5-6 days of drinking the juice) will give the results that athletes are looking for!

Written by: Ashley Beaner, SDSU Dietetics Student

Have you tasted beetroot juice? 

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New Book: Built on values by Ann Rhoades and Nancy Shepherdson

"Build on values to create a high-performing corporate culture Based on Ann Rhoades' years of experience with JetBlue, Southwest, and other companies known for their trailblazing corporate cultures, Built on Values reveals exactly how leaders can create winning environments that allow them to thrive. Companies that create or improve values-based cultures can become higher performers, both in customer and employee satisfaction and financial return. Features dynamic examples from Rhoades' work with JetBlue, Southwest, Disney, Loma Linda University Hospitals, Doubletree Hotels, Juniper Networks, P.F. Chang's China Bistros and more Shows leaders how to develop a unique Values Blueprint that is tailored to their organizations and goals Clearly maps out how to hire, fire, and reward according to values--the keys to finding and retaining top talent Built on Values presents a clear and proven method to generate positive corporate culture change and ultimately increase any companies) bottom line."


       You can find this book and more at the UNT Dallas Library.

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New Book: Critical Theory and the Novel: Mass society and cultural criticism in Dickens, Melville, and Kafka by David Suchoff

Using the methods of Frankfurt School theorists, Walter Benjamin and Theodor Adorno, Suchoff offers new readings of Dickens, Melville and Kafka that underscore the political and social critiques inherent in their novels. He also studies the historical origins of literary theory.


You can find this book and more at the UNT Dallas Library. 

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