Say "hi" to Ripon College President Zach Messitte

Ripon College President Zach Messitte  takes a look at The Food Is My Friend Diet

It was a pleasure to meet and chat with the new president of Ripon College at a recent alumni gathering in Anaheim, CA. I am happy to report that besides being brilliant, Zach is super nice. Did you know that his favorite food in the whole world is bananas? And his favorite physical activity is hiking. As a registered dietitian and personal trainer, those are great answers!

If you are thinking about going to college or know someone who is looking for a well-rounded education, check out Ripon College in Ripon, WI. It’s a small, private, liberal arts college founded in 1851. A couple of the more famous graduates include Al Jarreau and Harrison Ford. BTW: Ripon is the home of Rippin Good cookies and the birthplace of the Republican party. If you want to know more, visit www.ripon.edu.

Ripon provided a safe environment for me to learn about myself and discover the world. As a proud graduate of the class of 1975, it was an honor to welcome Zach to our Ripon family.

For National Nutrition Month 2013, “Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day”

 Everyone has unique tastes and habits. For National Nutrition Month this year, why not go global? Fine tune your eating habits to include healthy foods from around the world. To make it easy, use the USDA’s MyPlate as a guide.

• ·         Make half the plate fruits and vegetables. For Asian Indian, try fruit chutney; for Middle Eastern, try grilled pineapple (yum); for Latin American, try a mango smoothie or cactus salad, for Asian, try stir-fried greens, for African, try baked pumpkin sprinkled with cinnamon (so healthy!).
• ·         Make about one-quarter the plate protein, such as lean meats, black beans or tofu. How about making a Chinese dish with stir-fried chicken or tofu with bok choy, snap peas, carrots and bean sprouts?
• ·         Include one-quarter of the plate with grains - Half of the day should be whole grains. Ever try quinoa from Latin America? Or whole grain couscous from Africa?
• ·         Add some calcium to get all the nutrients you need. Low fat or fat free milk, yogurt or cheese would be good choices. Go Greek. Try tzatziki sauce, a creamy dressing made from yogurt, garlic and cucumber.

March is my favorite month. It’s a reminder how much I enjoy helping people eat healthfully. For lots of tips and useful resources check out, http://www.eatright.org/nnm/

What's a Person to Eat?

Many people are confused about what to eat and how much of it. Check out Day 3 of The Food Is My Friend Diet for the best ways to eat healthy and lose weight.

Oh, Deer! I Can't Lose Weight.

Is your scale going up instead of down and wonder why? Look at the company you keep. Maybe you starve all week, and  then go out with friends on the weekend and eat and drink whatever you want. An extra 500 calories on Friday and Saturday night from snack foods and drinks will keep you from losing weight.
Think about it. Do you and your friends use food as a way to bond and escape from the reality of the cold-cruel world?
Use your group of friends to your advantage. Get together and decide to lose weight. Instead of watching movies and eating chips, brownies and soda, find fun recipes for veggie platters and fruit kabobs on Pinterest. Get creative with herbal tea for a beverage. It will save a ton of calories and be healthier.
Even better than watching a movie or gaming, plan a hike or do an dance DVD together to burn some calories.
Your support group can be your friend. Lose weight together. It will be a lot more fun.

Move It!

One of the most effective ways to lose weight is to get more physical activity. Check out Day 2 of The Food Is My Friend Diet. This remarkable book contains a 30-day plan to lose weight by making healthy lifestyle changes and conquering emotional eating.

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Motivation, Motivation, Motivation

Motivation is the name of the game when it comes to losing weight. Check out Day 1 of The Food Is My Friend Diet. Does pizza, pasta, chips or chocolate ever call you name? The Food Is My Friend Diet was written especially for you. Learn how you can keep your old food friends, make new ones, and melt the pounds away.

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Grab Your Skinny Jeans and Flirt Away

Are you wearing your skinny jeans or are they sitting in the back of your closet? If you need to lose a few pounds, stop dieting and start living. Research shows that diets don’t work. It has to be a lifestyle. Make healthy choices and get some physical activity every day. The weight will slowly come off.

What is your reason for losing weight? Is it a guy? If things don’t work out, you may not be motivated to continue losing. You may want to give up and gain the weight back. Losing hope is a horrible thing. Hope guides us and helps us believe in a better tomorrow. So maybe this guy didn't work out. Good! That means that someone better is waiting to meet you.

Of course, good health is always your main reason for eating healthy and losing weight. But feeling good about yourself for someone special may help motivate you. What’s your biggest problem when it comes to losing weight? If it’s motivation, sit down, and list some reasons for fitting into your skinny jeans.

Start the New Year with new food friends like fruits and vegetables. Cheers to a new day and a new life!