10 Days Without Social Media

I had about 15 days between taking my RD exam and my birthday. After passing the national exam, I was free from studying every hour I could in the day. All my stress melted away. I was finally a registered dietitian... my first big goal in life that I have accomplished.

With that being said, I needed to figure out what I was going to do next. What was my next goal? Did I even have a clear goal in mind? I decided I would take the time between passing my exam and school starting to reflect on my life and get it straight.

There are some things that could be considered as obstacles in finding this clarity I deeply needed to find. Social media was the main one. I waste SO much time on social media. Time in which I could be productive. I could learn so much in the hours I have spent staring at NOTHING on my phone. I gain nothing from looking at peoples instagrams. Perhaps I'll get a laugh every once in a while from a funny cat video or Game of Thrones meme, but overall, my time is wasted. I had to get rid of this nonsense and instead of deleting it completely, I decided to go on a social media cleanse. After one last scroll through the wasteland and with the support of my best friend, I deleted my Instagram and Facebook app at Panera Bread.

What happened on my 10 day social media cleanse?

Day 1

Productive 

I had so much time to do whatever I wanted! I didn't have to study for my exam anymore, so I could go workout whenever I wanted. I started reading the book, "Power of Praying Wife" and started a program my husband bought for me called the Self-authoring program. Smoothly enough, the self-authoring program started with prompts about the future. I had to sort through my wants and what goals were most important in my life and how I was going to measure, overcome obstacles, and how I would know I was accomplishing my goal.

Goals

I realized that my main goals in life have don't have much to do with success, but rather becoming the best person I can be. A human being that inspire others to be better. I want to be the best wife to my husband, the best mother to my future kids, the best friend to people around me.

Day 5

Awareness  

Life is so beautiful. I go outside on walks with my dog more. I spend more time with my husband, doing what he wants to do, granted, but it is still quality time. I don't feel like any minute is wasted. I feel like I am really improving and have more clarity about what I really want in life.

Sleep

I sleep a lot more. I'm not sure why this is occurring.  Maybe the lack of light coming from my phone before I am about to sleep.

Day 7

Reputation 

People opinions don't matter. On social media you can portray yourself however you want to. You can look like the "party girl" or "Godly Christian", but only YOU know who you really are. Sometimes I feel sad because I did something wrong, or said something negative. And I feel embarrassed. But then I think about it more... I have come so far. One mistake is okay because no one is perfect. What matters is that you recognize the mistake and correct it. Only I know my journey, how far I have come. I know my worth and nothing on social media can tear that down. 

Day 10 

Checking Emails 

I am really good at checking my email. I know it is silly, but I usually forget about my emails when I am on social media. Thank God I was checking my emails everyday because I ended up getting an email from a registered dietitian about a job offer! Also, checking and replying to emails punctually is needed in the professional world. 

After all this... I wonder how much more productive I would be if a completely deleted social media or limited myself to 20 minutes a day. What would happen in YOUR life if you gave up social media for 10 days?

The Challenge: Social Media Cleanse

1. Delete social media apps. You don't have to completely delete your account, just remove the apps from your phone so you aren't tempted when you're bored. 

2. Make a list of things you would like to do with your leisure time. Most of us spend our free time on our phones. What else can you be doing? What do you like to do? What makes your happy?

3. Be aware of what's happening. Notice the world! We overlook so many good things that happen in our day. 

4. After 10 days, reflect. Check in with your mental health. Are you feeling better? I hope so!

Your friend,

Tatiana Keay, RD, CPT

Enjoy the Journey

Life can get so busy, and before we know it a week goes by.  Then we notice it's the 1st day of a new month.  Next thing you know, a year has passed.  What if we lived our life without enjoying each moment? Many people live in this limbo.  Sometimes I catch myself looking forward to the end of the week, but what I am missing out on is on savoring THIS day.  Working in a hospital for the past 4 weeks gave me insight that life can become complicated at any moment.  SO why do we have such a hard time enjoying what we have RIGHT NOW.  #enjoythejourney

Notice the moment you are in now. What is happening?  Did you run into an old friend today?  Did you receive a nice compliment?  As soon as I live in the moment, I begin to notice things I wouldn't have if all I thought about was arriving home at the end of the day. I want to finish each day thinking What an awesome day. Give your day a purpose.  My mantra is "be the change you want to see in the world".  Maybe being kind to someone will give your day a little meaning.  Perhaps you could offer to help a friend out.  Call a family member that you haven't talked to in a while.  It doesn't take an excessive amount of effort to bring a meaningful moment to your day.  Of course, life has it's challenges, and I am not saying life is easy by any means.  But if we do take a time out and focus our mind on something other than the guy who cut you off on the freeway or the annoying coworker, your life might just get a little brighter. 

A big thanks to my Mother-in-law for being an amazing photographer! And shoutout to Presley my hair stylist. 

Jar of Oats Recipe

The time I have in the morning is pretty limited. I don't always have the time to make the best complete breakfast.  (Note before this discovery I am about to share I was eating cereal or a bagel).  Recently I was introduced to "overnight oats" as a breakfast meal prep idea. I have meal prepped before, but I never thought about doing it for breakfast.  So I attempted the overnight oats and I fell in love.  And like always, I would like to share my current obsession with you! 

Although I do love the name overnight oats, my husband thought Jar of Oats fits better. Click the link below to access my recipe plus the nutrition facts.

Jar of Oats Recipe

Blogs Vlogs Insta, OH MY

So I have decided to start "vlogging" aka video blogging. You can watch my first video by clicking the link below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXVcOHjUBPI

Like and subscribe! If there is a specific topic you would like me to talk about in my next video, comment on the video!

Why a Registered Dietitian?

Many people don't know what a Registered Dietitian (RD) is. Honestly, I didn't even know until I got accepted into my nutrition and dietetics program.  I always thought I was going to be a "Nutritionist"!  Well a RD is a lot more credible than a nutritionist or any "Nutrition" certified individual.  But I have already written a blog post about that: the difference between an RD and Nutritionist.

This post is for those that do not know what they want to do with their life and especially for those that think they want to do nursing.  When I graduated high school, I wanted to be a doctor!  Pre-med in college was the plan.  I loved the healthcare field and wanted to help people gain health!  However, I do not like blood and broken bones...  So when I started community college I decided nursing  would be a better fit for me! I mean, after all, I met a pre-nursing student in every class so it was a popular career choice! Luckily, I took a counseling class (by accident) that helped each student choose a profession and create a plan for the next few years.  It was in that class that I realized my passion was for nutrition and living a healthy life.

I really love fitness too. I even got my personal trainer certification after my first year in college. There was a chance for me to go into physical therapy... but it didn't catch my attention like nutrition did.

If you don't know what you want to do as your future career and like the medical field, continue reading.

       Nutrition and Dietetics is for you if:

• If you don't like blood, broken bones, or cleaning emesis, urine or feces. 
• You like preventive medicine
• You love food and cooking
• You love helping people change their life
• You have good communication skills (interpersonal and public)
• You like math and science
• You practice a healthy lifestyle (exercise and eating right)
• You don't want to work 12 hour shifts 
• You want a variety of career paths (clinical, public health, foodservice, research, sports nutrition, teaching and more)

I know that nutrition and dietetics attracts certain type of people. Usually a person whose drive isn't money. Because the one con to being a clinical RD is the income. It isn't a nurses or a doctors salary.  I personally don't care how much I make, money doesn't matter to me.  What matters is that I am changing a life and helping my client/patient gain health and live a high-quality life. 

So if you are interested in taking Nutrition as a career path, email me if you have any questions. I promise, nutrition and dietetics is a satisfying field. 

Contact Info

Email: tatianapineirofitness@gmail.com

Instagram: @tatianakeay

Facebook: Tatiana Keay 

Milk: Which is best for you?

Milk has been recently brought to my attention as a controversial topic. Although sometimes I want to strangle people when they say something is
"bad for you", I am learning to be patient with people. That scene from Mean Girls goes off in my head... However, people can have their opinions if they want.

I am not going to reveal which milk is best for you, but instead I am going to go over the pros, cons, and nutrition facts of each one.

1. Cows Milk
So we know that the lower the fat percentage, the better choice it is when it comes to regular cows milk. In my household, we currently drink 2%. With two grown men, it'll be difficult to go down any further. But I am okay with this choice because it is a nutrient-dense drink with all your macronutrients and important micronutrients like Calcium and  Vitamin D. Regular milk has 8-10 grams of protein in 1 cup depending on which brand you purchase.  And milk has a little over 110 calories for a cup.
I am aware that there are plenty of people who are lactose intolerant and regular cow's milk is obviously not the choice for you.

2. Almond Milk
 So here's the deal with almond milk... Almond "beverage" I should say actually. Almond beverage is a great choice for a low calorie drink to put in a smoothie or protein shake. However, the reason I stopped drinking almond milk is the protein content. There is 1 gram. An analysis done in the UK on an almond beverage found that there was only a handful of almonds per container.
If you want a low calorie milk for your cereal or protein shakes, and you are not concerned with protein intake, almond milk is the choice for you!

3. Soy Milk
Okay, so soy milk is SUPER controversial. I won't get into all that for the sake of the point of this blog post.  This is also not a "Milk" but rather a "beverage".  I drink soy beverage occasionally with my protein shakes. The protein is as high as cows milk at about 9 grams per cup.  There is less carbohydrates/sugar than cows milk. The calorie range is right in between almond milk and regular milk at about 90-100 calories per cup. However, there is no calcium.

So it seems to me that each kind of "Milk" is missing something...

                                                                                                             

The Missing Nutrients

Soy Beverage: Calcium 

Almond Beverage: Protein

Cows Milk: Not missing... but Excess saturated fat.

One might argue, well Almond milk has almost as much calcium as regular milk. Well, you are correct. However, after taking food science and multiple other classes on metabolism, cows milk calcium has a better absorption rate. This means that calcium from cows milk is absorbed better in our body than from calcium in almond milk (or any other foods with calcium: leafy greens). 

Calcium is a very important nutrient. It may not seem like it now when you are moving properly and you don't fracture your hip when you bump into a counter, but one day you will. Calcium keeps our bones dense. Nourish your body now while you are healthy, so when you become older, you can still have independence. 

To understand the importance of protein, you can refer back to my protein blog post. 

Now that you know the difference between 3 popular beverages, please understand the benefits to each.  Every person has a different body. 

P.S. For those that drink rice milk, cashew milk, and other "milks", look at the nutrition facts next time you pour a glass and look out for calcium and protein.

Protein Sour Candy Recipe

This quarter I had a food science course and we had to develop a product that we think should be in the market. Of course my mind went straight to protein... and so did my partner. (We are gym junkies). I thought about protein cereal because I love cereal and there is only one brand I know that has 10 grams per serving. I thought about high protein ice cream, but that would have been an okay idea. Finally we thought of a protein candy. Our target market was obviously going to be individuals that workout regularly and need a protein snack before, during, or after the gym. We even thought this would be a great snack to have during the day to keep muscle protein synthesis stimulated. And so the creating of the Muscle Gummy came to be... with sour liquid BCAA inside!
Over 10 weeks we struggled a bit, slowly overcoming one obstacle after another.  We finally finished our final product this weekend just in time to present tomorrow!

Protein Gummy Recipe

Ingredients

BCAA Liquid: Yields about 50 drops

½ tsp bpi Sports BCAA supplement

¼ cup water

1 tsp tapioca Starch

¼ tsp Citric Acid

Gummy: Yields about 40 Cubes

¼ cup cold water

1 tsp Raspberry syrup

3 packets Knox original Gelatine Unflavored (33g)

¾ cup warm water

1 Tbls Raspberry syrup

1 Scoop Isopure Unflavored Whey Protein Isolate (16g)

Additional Sugar and Citric Acid to coat candies

Procedure

1. Add BCAA to Water and mix well,  add tapioca starch and mix well
2. Heat mixture while stirring constantly until desired consistency
3. Remove from heat and mix in Citric Acid
4. Use a measured syringe to form .625 mL droplets on a cookie sheet and then place in freezer immediately for later use

1. Add ¼ cup water to bowl and add 1 tsp raspberry syrup
2. Sprinkle gelatin over top to begin forming gel and let sit 1 minute
3. Heat ¾ cup water and add 1 Tablespoon Raspberry syrup
4. Pour warm juice mixture over gelatin mixture and mix well
5. Once mixture has slightly cooled add protein powder and mix well
6. Pour 7/8th of the  mixture in a shallow 4/6 bread pan and let stand until slightly gelled
7. Place the rest of the mixture on a hot plate and monitor temperature at >100◦F to avoid gel formation but below boiling (avoid overheating the goal her is just to prevent gel formation)
8. Carefully place frozen BCAA in desired locations (use a cookie cutter for your shapes and references)
9. Pour the remaining warm gelatin mixture over the top to seal the liquid inside.
10. Place in the Refrigerator immediately, and cut into 4 rows of 10

Upon consumption dip or dust the gummies with 5 to 1 sugar and citric acid mixture  

Note: Video below does not show how to insert liquid BCAA into the gummy base. 

Final Result

Our goal was to create a product with 10 grams of protein per serving. We managed 9 grams, so we are satisfied with our ending product! I could get into all the food science concepts incorporated, such as weeping, spherification, and foaming. All of which we had some problem overcoming.  But I will save that for another day!

Thanks for reading.